First look at Line of Duty's new guest lead Kelly Macdonald in character

The hit crime drama began filming its sixth outing back in February, but was forced to halt production when the coronavirus began spreading rapidly, placing numerous countries into strict lockdown.

Fortunately, Line of Duty was able to resume work at the beginning of September, an occasion marked by Mercurio dropping an intriguing hint on his Twitter feed.

The prolific writer, who also penned BBC One's Bodyguard, is at it again today, posting a photo on his social media that provides our first look at Kelly Macdonald in character as DCI Jo Davidson.

Known for her previous roles in Trainspotting and Boardwalk Empire, Macdonald takes the coveted guest star spot in the upcoming series, previously held by the likes of Lennie James, Thandie Newton and Stephen Graham.

All we know about Davidson thus far is that she's "the senior investigating officer of an unsolved murder" and that her "unconventional conduct" puts her on the radar of AC-12.

Check out the sneak peek image below, which sees Davidson across the table from Martin Compston's Steve Arnott, and Adrian Dunbar's Ted Hastings, just prior to a "battle" of wits.

https://twitter.com/jed_mercurio/status/1303984326372134914

At the time of the guest star announcement, Mercurio said: "We’re honoured that Kelly Macdonald will join Martin, Vicky and Adrian in series six of Line Of Duty. DCI Joanne Davidson will prove the most enigmatic adversary AC-12 have ever faced."

Line of Duty series six had originally been intended to air this year, but due to the aforementioned filming delay, a premiere sometime in 2021 is now looking far more likely.

Line of Duty is available to stream on Netflix and BBC iPlayer. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.