Cormoran Strike is back on screen, and Tom Burke’s war veteran detective remains the engine that drives this BBC crime series. Strike premiered on BBC One on 27 August 2017, adapted from J.K. Rowling’s Robert Galbraith novels. The show follows Strike, a private detective operating out of a tiny office in London’s Denmark Street, who solves complex cases the police can’t crack. Holliday Grainger plays Robin Ellacott, his assistant and eventual business partner.
Trailer, via BBC.
First Season Through Sixth
Each series adapts a novel in order. The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013) opened the door. The Silkworm (2014) followed, then Career of Evil (2015), Lethal White (2018), Troubled Blood (2020) and The Ink Black Heart (2022). The pattern holds: a crime, a suspect, a twist, and Strike’s military police background doing the work the police can’t manage.
Robin’s role grows with each season. She moves from assistant to partner, and the show tracks that shift through all six series. The chemistry between Burke and Grainger carries the quieter stretches between investigations.
The Supporting Cast
Jack Greenlees plays Sam Barclay, Ruth Sheen plays Pat Chauncey, Emma Fielding plays Katya Upcott and Stephen Hagan plays DCI Richard Murphy. These recurring figures give Strike a stable of allies and rivals, and the show uses them well across its run.
The Denmark Street Office
Strike’s office is small, cramped and full of papers. It’s a character in itself, a physical anchor for a man who’s still working through wounds he suffered in the war. The series doesn’t waste time on spectacle. It stays close to Strike, his desk, his files and his phone calls.
What Works
Burke’s performance is steady throughout. He plays Strike as damaged, not broken, and that balance holds the show together. Grainger matches him scene for scene. The two leads carry the emotional weight of a series that mixes crime procedural with real human cost.
What Falls Short
Some episodes lean on coincidence to move the plot forward. Strike gets lucky in ways that strain credibility, especially when the police are shown failing to connect obvious clues. These moments don’t sink the show, but they’re noticeable.
“Although wounded both physically and psychologically, his unique insight and background as a military police investigator prove crucial in solving complex crimes that have baffled the police.”
The Verdict
Strike is a solid, dependable crime series. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it executes its formula with care. The acting is strong, the writing is tight, and the central mystery stays engaging across all six seasons.
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