So, you’re looking for the gruff, messy, but undeniably brilliant Cormoran Strike. I get it. There is something about J.K. Rowling’s (writing as Robert Galbraith) detective series that just hits different compared to your standard police procedural. It’s moody. It’s London. It’s got that slow-burn tension between Strike and Robin Ellacott that makes you want to scream at your TV. But finding where to watch Strike—often titled C.B. Strike depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re sitting on—can be a total headache because the licensing is scattered across different platforms like a dropped deck of cards.
Let’s be real. Streaming rights are a mess. One day a show is on one app, the next it’s gone because a contract expired at midnight. If you're trying to catch up on The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm, Career of Evil, Lethal White, Troubled Blood, or the more recent The Running Grave, you need a roadmap.
The Best Places to Stream Strike Right Now
If you are in the United Kingdom, it’s easy. You go to the source. The BBC produced it, so BBC iPlayer is your best friend. It’s free (provided you have a TV license) and usually carries every single season. They don't tend to cycle them out as aggressively as American streamers do. It’s the "home" of the show.
Across the pond in the United States, things get a little more "HBO-ish." Basically, Max (formerly HBO Max) is the primary home for C.B. Strike. They’ve been the US distributor since the beginning. However, don't just search for "Strike." You have to search for "C.B. Strike." For some reason, the US marketing team decided the full name was necessary for the title, probably to avoid confusion with labor strikes or something equally boring.
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In Australia? You’re likely looking at Binge or Foxtel Now. In Canada, it often lands on Crave.
It’s worth noting that if you aren't subscribed to these services, you can almost always buy the episodes a la carte. Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play sell the seasons. Honestly, sometimes buying the season for twenty bucks is cheaper than keeping a $16-a-month subscription active for three months while you slowly work your way through the episodes. Plus, you own them. No "content purge" can take them away from you.
Why the Title Change Matters for Your Search
You might notice some people calling it Strike and others calling it C.B. Strike. This isn't just a random quirk. In the UK, the show is branded simply as Strike, followed by the name of the book it’s adapting. For example, you’ll see it listed as Strike: Troubled Blood.
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In the international market, specifically the US, Cinemax originally picked it up. When Cinemax stopped doing original scripted content, it migrated over to HBO. They tacked on the "C.B." to give it a bit more punch in search engines. If you're searching where to watch Strike and coming up empty on your smart TV's search bar, try typing in "C.B. Strike." It sounds stupid, but it works.
The Order is Confusing: Don't Watch It Out of Sync
Unlike Law & Order, you cannot just jump in anywhere. Well, you can, but you’ll be spoiled on the massive personal arcs between Tom Burke’s Strike and Holliday Grainger’s Robin.
The seasons are divided by the books they represent. Here is the chronological order you need to follow:
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- The Cuckoo’s Calling (3 episodes) – This is the introduction. Supermodel falls off a balcony. Was it suicide? (Spoiler: Probably not).
- The Silkworm (2 episodes) – A weird, grotesque murder in the publishing world. Very meta.
- Career of Evil (2 episodes) – This one gets dark. Robin receives a severed leg in the mail.
- Lethal White (4 episodes) – A witness to a murder from years ago comes to Strike. This one has a lot of political backdrop.
- Troubled Blood (4 episodes) – A cold case from the 1970s. This is arguably the best season. The atmosphere is incredible.
- The Running Grave – The most recent adaptation, dealing with a sinister cult.
What Makes This Show Worth the Hunt?
Honestly? The chemistry. Tom Burke plays Strike with this heavy, weighted exhaustion that feels so authentic to a guy with a prosthetic leg and a mountain of trauma. And Holliday Grainger? She’s the heart of the show. Watching her evolve from a temporary secretary into a full-blown investigative partner is the real "plot," regardless of who the killer is that week.
The show doesn't rush. It breathes. You get these long scenes of them just sitting in a pub (usually the Cornwall Brave or the Tottenham) talking through the case. It’s "comfy" crime, despite the occasionally brutal murders. It feels like London. Not the touristy London, but the gray, rainy, back-alley London.
Troubleshooting Your Stream
If you’ve checked Max or iPlayer and still can't find it, check your VPN settings. Streaming services are getting really good at blocking VPNs, and sometimes they’ll just hide content if they think you’re tunneling in from another country.
Also, keep an eye on Hulu. While it’s not the primary home, sometimes older seasons of HBO shows end up in licensing deals elsewhere, though for Strike, HBO/Max usually holds onto it tightly.
Another tip: check your local library's digital portal like Hoopla or Libby. You’d be shocked how many premium BBC shows are available to stream for free with a library card. I’ve found entire seasons of Strike on DVD and digital via my local branch when I didn't want to pay for another subscription.
Actionable Next Steps to Start Watching
- Check your current subs: Search for "C.B. Strike" on Max if you're in the US or "Strike" on BBC iPlayer if you're in the UK.
- Verify the Season: If you're a newcomer, start specifically with The Cuckoo's Calling. Some platforms list the seasons by their book titles rather than "Season 1, 2, 3," which can lead to watching the middle of the story by accident.
- Check for "The Running Grave": If you've seen the old stuff, this is the newest installment. If it's not on your platform yet, it's likely still in the "exclusive window" for the BBC before hitting international markets.
- Download for offline: If you're using Max or iPlayer, download the first three episodes. The pacing is deliberate, and it’s a perfect "airplane" or "commute" show where you can actually pay attention to the details.