From Line of Duty to Trigger Point: Every Jed Mercurio TV show
He's a talented guy!
Last updated 19th Nov 2025
When you hear a show has been written or produced by British writer Jed Mercurio, you almost know it's a certain must-watch! The 59-year-old is one of the leading and most recognised writers in the UK, thanks to shows such as Bodyguard, Line of Duty and Trigger Point, and with the news that Jed is bringing back Line of Duty, we thought it would be the perfect time to look at his amazing portfolio.
Who is Jed Mercurio?
If you're a fan of TV dramas, there's no doubt about it that you will have heard the name Jed Mercurio. An esteemed author, writer, producer and director, Jed is responsible for some of the biggest and most-viewed TV shows of the last 30 years.
During the 2021 New Year Honours, Jed was appointed an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to television drama.
What TV shows has he created?
Whether he's written or produced it, TV shows with Jed's name attached are almost guaranteed for success. Check out the biggest TV shows associated with Jed Mercurio over the last three decades.
Cardiac Arrest (1994-1996)
Written under the pseudonym John MacUre, Cardiac Arrest was Jed's first television drama, released in 1994 whilst he was still a doctor. The show, which followed the lives of junior doctors working in a hospital, had three series between 1994-1996, with Jed taking inspiration from his own time working within a hospital.
Bodies (2004-2006)
Jed's next big high-profile series arrived in the form of another medical drama in 2004, titled Bodies. The series was based on Jed's 2002 novel of the same name. The show, which first aired on BBC Three, follows a registrar called Rob Lake (Max Beesley), as he starts in a new post in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department, under the guidance of consultant Roger Hurley (Patrick Baladi).
The show ran for three series between 2004-2006, starring the likes of Neve McIntosh, Keith Allen, Susan Lynch, Tamzin Malleson and Preeya Kalidas.
Line of Duty (2012-Present)
Perhaps Jed's biggest and most-loved show to date! Line of Duty is a thrilling crime drama which stars the likes of Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston working in the Anti-Corruption (AC-12) unit of the police. First landing in 2012, the series was so popular it went on to land five further series, with 36 episodes in total, starring some huge names such as Stephen Graham, Neil Morrissey, Keeley Hawes, Daniel Mays, Will Mellor and Thandie Newton.
Despite Jed saying series six would be the last in 2021, on 18th November 2025, Jed and the BBC confirmed Line of Duty will be returning for a seventh series, with filming beginning in Spring 2026.
CR:IT:IC:AL (2015)
CR:IT:IC:AL, or Critical as it's also known, was another medical drama written by Jed. Airing on Sky One in 2015, the drama was set in a fictional major trauma centre, following a team of doctors and nurses as they are forced to make life-changing decisions in order to save their patients. Starring Lennie James and Catherine Walker, the drama was axed after just one series.
Bodyguard (2018)
One of the biggest dramas to grace our screens in 2018 was Jed's six-part series Bodyguard! Featuring Richard Madden as PS David Budd and Keeley Hawes as Home Secretary Julia Montague, the high-octane drama had viewers on the edge of their seats as PS Budd attempted to protect the Home Secretary, whilst getting set up for a bomb attack on the Capital.
Despite the series finale of Bodyguard gaining a whopping 17 million viewers, BBC bosses and Jed are yet to renew the show for a second series, leaving fans gutted. Speaking in 2023, main actor Richard Madden said: "I don't know if there's a space for it, but we've always left the door open... I'm not really sure where I take that character, but as the years go by, I think that's what might make it interesting... to pick up with David Budd, you know maybe 6-7 years later and see what's happened in his life since."
Bloodlands (2021)
Jed acted as a producer on BBC One drama Bloodlands in 2021. The series, which was filmed and set in Northern Ireland followed police officer DCI Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt) investigate crimes while trying to hide a dark secret from his past. The show was quickly renewed for a second series, which aired in 2022, but its since been axed.
Trigger Point (2022-Present)
Another popular show that is produced by Jed's company HTM Television is Trigger Point. Starring Vicky McClure has EXPO officer Lana Washington, the first series hit our screens in 2022 and was met with immediate praise from fans and critics. The series was quickly renewed for a second series, which aired in early 2024, and now we know a third AND fourth series is coming! Filming for series three took place earlier in 2025, with series four production now in full swing.
DI Ray (2022-2024)
Jed worked on police drama series DI Ray as an Executive Producer as part of his HTM Productions company. Parminder Nagra stars as main character Detective Inspector Rachita Ray and has so far enjoyed two successful series. Series one aired in 2022, with the second instalment arriving in 2024. There's so far been no official announcement about a third series.
Payback (2023)
Jed worked as the Executive Producer on 2023 ITV drama Payback, starring Morven Christie and Peter Mullan. Beginning in 2023, the six-part series follows a character called Lexie Noble, played by Morven Christie, as she becomes entangled in a perilous police operation to topple a notorious crime lord, Cal Morris, played by Peter Mullan.
The show was met with positive reviews, gaining a score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers also choosing to binge all six episodes in one sitting. Despite this, there's been no word on a second series.
Speaking about his input into the scrips, Jed said: "Well, I'm an executive producer on the project so I give feedback and guidance as part of the usual editorial process but all the physical writing was Debbie's - in the way that if I write a show like Line of Duty people are giving me feedback and I then make changes to the script. So that's how it worked; Debbie was doing all the writing, we had a brilliant editorial team and I was one part of that."
Breathtaking (2024)
Jed worked alongside real-life NHS doctor Rachel Clarke in order to create hard-hitting drama Breathtaking in 2024. The three-part series, which was adapted for television by Jed and Rachel, shows the challenges NHS staff had during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and features Joanne Froggart as the main character.
Jed Mercurio commented during filming: "Everyone at HTM Television has felt privileged to dramatise Rachel Clarke's hauntingly illuminating memoir of health workers struggling to cope with the extraordinary challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. I'm honoured to have collaborated with Rachel and Prasanna on this important drama, and thrilled to be working with a cast led by Joanne Froggatt and crew led by director Craig Viveiros."
After his debut show Cardiac Arrest aired, Jed worked on a number of other programmes between 1997 and 2004, including The Grimleys, Invasion: Earth and The Legend of Tamworth Two.
Does he have his own production company?
Jed co-owns a UK production company called Hat Trick Mercurio Television Ltd (HTM Television).
Shows produced by HTM Television include Trigger Point, DI Ray, Payback, Breathtaking, Stephen and Bloodlands.
What is his real name?
Jed's birth name is Gerald Gary Mercurio.
How old is he?
Jed is 59-years-old.
Where is he from?
Although Jed grew up in Cannock in Staffordshire, he was actually born in Nelson in Lancashire.
Does he have children?
Jed has two children with his long-term partner Elaine Cameron, a son and daughter called Jack and Molly Mercurio.
Is he an author?
As well as writing nail-biting dramas for TV, Jed is also an established author, having produced a number of best-selling novels over the years.
His published novels include Bodies, The Penguin Expedition, Ascent, American Adulterer and Ascent.
Was he a doctor?
Jed is an incredibly well educated and talented man. Not only is he an award-winning writer, before creating TV shows and novels, Jed was a hospital doctor for three years, and received flying training with the Royal Air Force.
Despite having the intention of joining the Royal Air Force in aviation medicine, Jed later chose to put all of his efforts into writing after applying for an advertisement in the British Medical Journal, and writing medical drama Cardiac Arrest under the name John MacUre.
Now read:
Line of Duty officially announced for new series
Filming begins for Trigger Point series 4
Production company behind Adolescence begin talks for series 2