Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Smart British detective series has violence, smoking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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C.B. Strike
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Based on a series of novels written by Robert Galbraith, aka J.K. Rowling, C.B. STRIKE is a British crime drama featuring a British war veteran turned private detective and his partner solving murders. Tom Burke plays Cormoran Strike, the estranged, illegitimate son of a rock star and former member of the Special Investigation Branch of the military police who was wounded in war in Afghanistan. Now living in his office while struggling to pay his debts, Strike hires Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger) as a temporary administrative assistant. But soon Robin reveals a special talent for investigative work, and the two begin to work on cases together.
Is It Any Good?
The smart, hard-boiled detective procedural features well-rounded, relatable characters and thorny cases that lead to entertaining twists. Cormoran Strike is intelligent, broody, but kind, and his tumultuous life and tenuous relationships with family members serve as the foundation for personal narratives that are woven into the investigative process. Meanwhile, some of the private life of the sharp and sensitive Robin Ellacott is also revealed, including her engagement to Matthew Cunliffe (Kerr Logan), which allows viewers to understand who she is and what drives her. Not surprisingly, over the course of several seasons the relationship between the two sleuths also gets more complicated. Ultimately, C.B. Strike is formulaic, and approaches investigations using old-fashioned smarts. But while it's not the most action-packed, it delivers an engaging adaptation of J.K. Rowling's stories that fans of good crime-solving tales will enjoy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes a good TV detective story. Is it the investigators? The crimes to be solved? Or the process by which they are investigated?
Why did J.K. Rowling publish the Cormoran Strike series under a pseudonym? Would C.B. Strike be less popular if viewers didn't know that she wrote the books on which the TV series is based?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 1, 2018
- Cast : Tom Burke , Holliday Grainger , Kerr Logan
- Network : HBO
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Activism ( Gender equality ) , Friendship , History ( War: Other )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : December 8, 2025
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