Strike (TV series)


Strike is a British television crime drama series based on the eponymous detective novels written by J. K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The series was first broadcast on BBC One on 27 August 2017, after receiving an advance premiere at the British Film Institute on 10 August 2017.
The series stars Tom Burke as Cormoran Strike, 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. Burke's casting was confirmed in late 2016, while Holliday Grainger was confirmed to play the role of Robin Ellacott. In early 2017, Kerr Logan was cast in the role of Robin's fiancé, Matthew.
Three adaptations have been broadcast to date, adapting the first three Strike novels: The Cuckoo's Calling, The Silkworm and Career of Evil. Grainger has said that it could be some time before another series would be broadcast, stating: "I think they've always been quite clear that they'd never want to write one without basing it on the book. It is all about Jo's writing, and the characters are all about what Jo's written. So, you've got to wait." The series premiered on 1 June 2018 in the United States on Cinemax and in Canada on HBO Canada under the title C.B. Strike.

Production

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. Rowling collaborated on the project, and it is believed she contributed to the scripts. 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. Additional scenes were filmed at Barrow in Furness in Cumbria and a petrol station in Leyburn, North Yorkshire.
The production filmed at a private house in Sevenoaks in Kent, which featured as the Bristow residence in the episodes "The Cuckoo's Calling" and "The Silkworm". The Baron's Hall and gardens at Penshurst Place were used for the illustration of scenes in the scandalous Bombyx Mori book, and the Porcupine Cafe features as the cafe on the way to Devon where Cormoran and Robin make a stop. Filming locations also included West London Film Studios.
Ben Richards adapted The Cuckoo's Calling, and Tom Edge adapted The Silkworm, Career of Evil and Lethal White. 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."

Cast and characters

Main cast

''The Cuckoo's Calling''

''The Cuckoo's Calling''

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

''The Silkworm''

The Silkworm was released on DVD on 19 February 2018.

''Career of Evil''

Career of Evil was released on DVD on 16 April 2018.

''Lethal White''

In October 2018, BBC announced that Lethal White will be adapted as a four-part drama with Burke returning as Cormoran Strike and Grainger as Robin Ellacott, and Tom Edge writing the screenplay. The series will air in 2020 with Sue Tully directing all four 60-minute episodes.

Reception

The Cuckoo's Calling received generally positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave it an approval rating of 82%, based on 17 reviews, and an average score of 6.6/10. 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." A reviewer for Digital Spy, who reviewed the first episode, praised both Burke and Grainger's performances. The reviewer said that Burke's performance was a "revelation".
Similarly, the adaptation of The Silkworm was met with positive reviews, with critics again praising Burke and Grainger's performances. However, the episode was criticised for showing a suicide scene on World Suicide Prevention Day, making some viewers claim that this scene was insensitive.
Career of Evil holds an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 8 reviews, and an average score of 7/10.