Filmrise gains US AVOD distribution rights to Line Of Duty
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Editor
| 26 August 2021
In what the Brooklyn-based film and television studio and operator says is “a wonderful” addition to its recently launched British TV OTT channel, the FilmRise Streaming Network has taken on BBC Two’s most popular drama series Line of Duty.
Filmrise line of duty 26Aug2021
The award-winning crime drama - written and created by Jed Mercurio and produced by ITV-owned World Productions for BBC One - follows a police anti-corruption unit AC-12 and series leads Vicky McClure, Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar all return to reprise their iconic roles.

Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott (Compston), a former authorised firearms officer, is transferred to Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12), a unit tasked with uncovering police corruption. Arnott is partnered with Detective Constable Kate Fleming (McClure) a highly commended undercover officer with a keen investigative instinct. They work under the supervision of Superintendent Ted Hastings (Dunbar). Throughout the series, AC-12 investigates seemingly disparate cases involving allegedly corrupt police officers, with each season focusing on a different corrupt officer.

The latest sixth series also features Kelly McDonald (Trainspotting, Boardwalk Empire, Giri/Haji) guest starring in a new leading role as Detective Chief Inspector Joanne Davidson - a senior investigating officer on an unsolved murder, whose unconventional conduct raises suspicions at AC-12.

Line of Duty, garnered 4.1 million viewers collectively when it originally aired in 2012, becoming the best-performing drama series in ten years on BBC Two. Due to its success, it began airing on BBC One in 2017, where it launched its fourth season. The first episode of series six was watched by 9.6 million overnight viewers on BBC One in the UK, with a consolidated audience of 13.8 million. The live audience figures surpassed the show's previous record of 9.1 million for the finale of series five in 2019. The finale saw a consolidated 16 million viewers with 12.8 million tuning in live.

The deal was negotiated by FilmRise Streaming Network CEO Danny Fisher, Max Einhorn, SVP, acquisitions and co-productions and Berry Meyerowitz, president of distributor Quiver Entertainment.
Commenting on the deal, Fisher said: “This award-winning and critically acclaimed series is a wonderful addition to our recently launched British TV OTT channel which provides free top-tier British programming on our FilmRise Streaming Network. So, now for the first time, US fans can enjoy ‘Line of Duty’ and more without having to subscribe to a streaming service.”