The BBC police drama Blue Lights has returned for a fourth series, set in Belfast and filmed on location across Northern Ireland. The series follows officers at the fictional Blackthorn Station and has drawn attention for its portrayal of policing realities in the region.

Katherine Devlin, who plays Constable Annie Conlon, grew up in Northern Ireland and comes from a Catholic background. She said that while she knows people like her character, she personally would not join the police. Her storyline involves Conlon moving away from home due to death threats because of her Catholic family background.

Dearbháile McKinney, another Northern Ireland actress, plays Aisling Byrne, a character who has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. McKinney said she spoke to real-life officers about their experiences with trauma and PTSD when preparing for the role.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said in a statement that the PSNI is committed to becoming more representative of the communities it serves. He expressed concern about criticism and outdated views from dissident paramilitaries acting as barriers to recruitment. The PSNI plans to launch a new student officer recruitment campaign in the coming weeks.

Earlier this year, the PSNI recorded its lowest number of Catholic applicants in more than a decade. The force was founded in 2001 with the aim of increasing Catholic representation, which has risen from 8 percent at that time to 32 percent currently.

The new series was awarded Best Drama Series at the Baftas in 2025. The first episode of series four aired at 21:00 BST on BBC One and is available on iPlayer.