Line of Duty creator and showrunner Jed Mercurio has told RadioTimes.com that he is hoping to "find some more catchphrases" for Adrian Dunbar's iconic character, Superintendent Ted Hastings.
In a Q&A with the cast on RadioTimes.com's Facebook page, Mercurio teased that there could be a new catchphrase joining "Superintendent Hastings. Like the battle…", "Now we're sucking diesel..." and all the others in the upcoming sixth season.
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"People ask me to do my catchphrases and ask me what they're about…" Mercurio told fans. "So I have to explain that and, ah, what is it about these catchphrases? They really have caught on, haven't they?"
"I mean, it's great when a character reaches that point," he continued.
"One of the things we really learned in season one was how important Hastings was as a character. He's the glue of the series, in many ways he's the conscience of the show. He defines the values of AC-12 and that's why he's such a loved and respected character."
Mercurio said the catchphrases are "a part of those idiosyncrasies" and "paint a portrait of the man".
"It's just a real pleasure to find those," he enthused. "I hope one day we can find some new ones!"
Looking ahead to season six, Mercurio added: "I think there is something he's never said before. I found it in my online research into Northern Irish idioms and I wrote in the script. Apparently it was OK because [Dunbar] did say it."
