# Strike (2017)

> A wounded former military police investigator and his determined junior partner solve baffling London crimes from a cramped Denmark Street office.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/63405

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 19
- Episode runtime: 58 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: crime, drama, mystery
- Created by: J.K. Rowling, Ben Richards, Tom Edge
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Tom Burke, Holliday Grainger, Kerr Logan, Martin Shaw, Dorothy Atkinson, Caitlin Innes Edwards, David Avery, Monica Dolan
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4276618/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: brooding, intelligent, melancholic, witty, gritty

## What critics say

Viewers broadly find the series a well crafted, compelling crime drama whose lead and partner dynamic carries it, with audience ratings positive though slipping in the latest season.

## Synopsis

Strike (2017-2024) is a British crime drama series created by J.K. Rowling, Ben Richards and Tom Edge for BBC One, adapted from Rowling's bestselling novels written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Tom Burke plays Cormoran Strike, a former military police investigator who has come home from war with a damaged leg and deep psychological scars, and who runs a struggling private detective agency from a tiny office on London's Denmark Street. Holliday Grainger plays Robin Ellacott, the temp turned investigator whose sharp instincts make her his indispensable partner. Each season unfolds as a self-contained, tightly plotted murder case, with the duo chasing suspects through London's streets and interviewing an array of grieving families, shady associates and red herring witnesses. The engine is simple: Strike wants to crack the cases the police have failed to solve while his finances and his past keep pulling him back. The tone is brooding and intelligent, with dry wit between the leads and an undercurrent of melancholy. Six seasons of consistent mystery craft make it a strong pick for fans of Sherlock, Vera and Shetland who want a character driven British detective series with a human heart.

## Shows like Strike

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- [The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/1098)
- [Maigret (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/178139)
- [Maigret (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/60896)
- [McDonald & Dodds (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/84004)
- [Cooper and Fry (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/201434)
- [Shardlake (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/142642)
- [Broadchurch (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/1343)
- [Dept. Q (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/161456)
- [The Chelsea Detective (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/118562)

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