Luther will return to BBC

British detective drama Luther will return to BBC One in the UK and BBC America in the US for a fifth season.

It had been unclear if the series, which stars Idris Elba (The Wire) as gruff policeman John Luther, would be back on screens after a short fourth run in December 2015.

However, UK pubcaster the BBC has confirmed a new four-part run from series creator Neil Cross. It will begin filming early next year.

“Neil, the BBC and I have been talking about a further season and I am thrilled that we have been able to bring it all together. I look forward to putting the coat back on,” said Elba.

BBC drama controller Piers Wenger called the series “one of BBC One’s most iconic dramas”, adding the fifth season would be “utterly heart stopping and unmissable”.

The BBC’s commercial production division, BBC Studios, produces the show, with AMC Networks-operated US cable channel BBC America an investor. The series has been a good international seller for distributor BBC Worldwide.

Elba, Cross, Marcus Wilson and Hilary Salmon are executive producers for BBC Studios, with Elizabeth Kilgarriff doing the same for the BBC.