Strike (TV series)

Last updated

Strike
Strike TV series titlecard.JPG
Also known asC. B. Strike
Genre
Based on Cormoran Strike
by Robert Galbraith
Written by
Directed by
Starring
Opening theme"I Walk Beside You" by Beth Rowley
Composer Adrian Johnston
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series5
No. of episodes15
Production
Executive producers
  • Ben Richards
  • Neil Blair
  • Ruth Kenley-Letts
  • J. K. Rowling
  • Elizabeth Kilgarriff
  • Tom Edge
  • Tommy Bulfin
Producers
  • Jackie Larkin
  • Alex Rendell
Running time57–59 minutes
Production companiesBrontë Film and Television
Original release
Network BBC One
Release27 August 2017 (2017-08-27) 
present (present)

Strike (also known as C. B. Strike internationally) is a British crime drama television programme based on the book series Cormoran Strike by J. K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. [1] The programme was first broadcast on BBC One on 27 August 2017, after receiving an advance premiere at the British Film Institute on 10 August 2017. [2]

Contents

The programme follows Cormoran Strike (Tom Burke), a war veteran turned private detective operating out of a tiny office in London's Denmark Street, who uses his unique insight and his background as a Special Investigation Branch investigator to solve complex cases that have eluded the police along with his assistant, subsequently business partner, Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger). [3]

Fifteen episodes across five series have been broadcast to date, each series adapting the novels The Cuckoo's Calling (2013), The Silkworm (2014), Career of Evil (2015), Lethal White (2018), and Troubled Blood (2020), respectively. [4] [5] A sixth series, based on The Ink Black Heart (2022), is set to start shooting in February 2024. [6]

The programme premiered on 1 June 2018 in the United States on Cinemax and in Canada on HBO Canada. [7] Following the fourth series, the programme was exhibited in the United States on HBO. [8] [9]

Cast and characters

Main cast

Recurring cast

Guest cast

S1: The Cuckoo's Calling

S2: The Silkworm

S3: Career of Evil

S4: Lethal White

S5: Troubled Blood

S6: The Ink Black Heart

Production and development

On 10 December 2014, it was announced that the Cormoran Strike novel series, written by J. K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, would be adapted for television by the BBC, for broadcast on BBC One, beginning with The Cuckoo's Calling . Two years later, it was confirmed that the series would total seven episodes of sixty minutes, with shooting to begin in London in the autumn of 2016. [11] Tom Burke was announced in the role of Cormoran Strike in September 2016, [12] while Holliday Grainger was announced in the role of Robin Ellacott in November 2016. [13]

Ben Richards adapted The Cuckoo's Calling, and Tom Edge adapted The Silkworm , Career of Evil , Lethal White and Troubled Blood . Richards stated that the series is "very different tonally and visually from other crime dramas." He compared Strike to the British detective television show Morse . Similarly, Edge commented that "people use old-fashioned as a pejorative word, but to me that's part of why these books, and, I hope, the TV series, works so well." [14]

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally airedAverage UK viewers
(millions)
First airedLast aired
1 327 August 2017 (2017-08-27)3 September 2017 (2017-09-03)8.45
2 210 September 2017 (2017-09-10)17 September 2017 (2017-09-17)8.35
3 225 February 2018 (2018-02-25)4 March 2018 (2018-03-04)8.08
4 430 August 2020 (2020-08-30)13 September 2020 (2020-09-13)7.82
5 411 December 2022 (2022-12-11)19 December 2022 (2022-12-19)6.92

Series 1: The Cuckoo's Calling (2017)

The Cuckoo's Calling was released on DVD on 27 November 2017. [15]

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [16]
11"The Cuckoo's Calling: Part 1"Michael Keillor Ben Richards 27 August 2017 (2017-08-27)8.89
22"The Cuckoo's Calling: Part 2"Michael KeillorBen Richards28 August 2017 (2017-08-28)8.28
33"The Cuckoo's Calling: Part 3"Michael KeillorBen Richards3 September 2017 (2017-09-03)8.18

Series 2: The Silkworm (2017)

The Silkworm was released on DVD on 19 February 2018. [17]

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [16]
41"The Silkworm: Part 1"Kieron HawkesTom Edge10 September 2017 (2017-09-10)8.67
52"The Silkworm: Part 2"Kieron HawkesTom Edge17 September 2017 (2017-09-17)8.02

Series 3: Career of Evil (2018)

Career of Evil was released on DVD on 16 April 2018. [18]

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [16]
61"Career of Evil: Part 1" Charles Sturridge Tom Edge25 February 2018 (2018-02-25)8.43
72"Career of Evil: Part 2"Charles SturridgeTom Edge4 March 2018 (2018-03-04)7.72

Series 4: Lethal White (2020)

Lethal White was released on DVD on 23 November 2020. [19]

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [20]
81"Lethal White: Part 1" Sue Tully Tom Edge30 August 2020 (2020-08-30)8.61
92"Lethal White: Part 2"Sue TullyTom Edge31 August 2020 (2020-08-31)7.58
103"Lethal White: Part 3"Sue TullyTom Edge6 September 2020 (2020-09-06)7.85
114"Lethal White: Part 4"Sue TullyTom Edge13 September 2020 (2020-09-13)7.22

Series 5: Troubled Blood (2022)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [20]
121"Troubled Blood: Part 1" Sue Tully Tom Edge11 December 2022 (2022-12-11)8.07
132"Troubled Blood: Part 2"Sue TullyTom Edge12 December 2022 (2022-12-12)6.34
143"Troubled Blood: Part 3"Sue TullyTom Edge18 December 2022 (2022-12-18)6.86
154"Troubled Blood: Part 4"Sue TullyTom Edge19 December 2022 (2022-12-19)6.41

Reception

The Cuckoo's Calling received generally positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave it an approval rating of 85%, based on 20 reviews, and an average score of 6.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads "The TV adaptation of C. B. Strike delivers an entertaining detective series that faithfully and effectively adheres to genre tropes." [21] Morgan Jeffery of Digital Spy , who reviewed the first episode, praised both Burke and Grainger's performances, calling Burke's performance "a revelation". [22]

Similarly, the adaptation of The Silkworm was met with positive reviews, with critics again praising Burke and Grainger's performances. [23] [24] However, the first episode was criticised for showing a suicide scene on World Suicide Prevention Day, making some viewers claim that this scene was insensitive. [25]

Career of Evil holds an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 8 reviews, and an average score of 7/10. [26]

Lethal White holds a 73% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 11 reviews, and an average score of 5.6/10. [27]

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References

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