Fans of BBC's Strike will be pleased to know the crime drama is returning to screens for its fifth instalment. Called Troubled Blood, the series will see Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger reprise their roles as Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott.
Based on J.K. Rowling's best-selling crime novels written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, the series will return on Sunday, December 11 at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Returning characters include Kerr Logan (Alias Grace, Showtrial) as Matthew, Sarah Sweeney (Bastard Executioner, Cider With Rosie) as Lucy, and Ben Crompton (Game Of Thrones, Rebecca) as Shanker.
Speaking about adapting the book, Troubled Blood, writer Tom Edge said: "I think Troubled Blood is probably the most faithful adaptation to date. We were able to preserve an awful lot in terms of both plot and the list of characters, which I was really pleased about.
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"We come to the books as fans first and the overwhelming desire is to do them justice at the beginning, they have millions of fans as readers and we never want to disappoint them."
But who stars in BBC's Strike: Troubled Blood, where was it filmed and how many episodes are there? Here's everything you need to know.
What is Strike: Troubled Blood about?
A synopsis for the new series reads: "Private detective Cormoran Strike is visiting his family in Cornwall when he’s approached by a woman asking for help finding her mother, Margot Bamborough, who went missing under mysterious circumstances in 1974.
"Strike’s never tackled a cold case, before let alone one 40 years old, but despite the slim chance of success he’s intrigued and takes it on, adding to the long list of cases that he and his partner in the agency Robin Ellacott are currently working on. And Robin herself is also juggling a messy divorce and unwanted male attention, as well as battling her own feelings about Strike.
"As Strike and Robin investigate Margot’s disappearance, they come up against a fiendishly complex case with a psychopathic serial killer and witnesses who cannot all be trusted. They learn that even cases decades old can prove to be deadly."
Strike: Troubled Blood full cast list
Burke and Grainger, as well as the returning actors are joined by a star-studded cast list, including Linda Bassett (Call The Midwife, What If If Only), Kierston Wareing (I Love My Mum, The Take), Abigail Lawrie (Our Ladies, Tin Star), Anna Calder-Marshall (The Third Day, Harlots), Fionnula Flanagan (Lost, The Others), Cherie Lunghi (Unforgotten, Midsomer Murders), Jack Greenlees (The Trial Of Christine Keeler, The Swarm), and Daniel Peacock (Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves, Only Fools And Horses).
Also starring is Ruth Sheen (Unforgotten, It’s A Sin), Syrus Lowe (Avenue 5, The Inheritance), Carol MacReady (This Is Going To Hurt, Gentleman Jack), Sophie Ward (A Very British Scandal, Moonstone), Robin Askwith (The Train To Christmas, The Madam Blanc Mysteries), Genevieve Hulme-Beaman (Burn It All, Rebecca’s Boyfriend), Christina Cole (Suits, Innocent), Ian Radford (Coronation Street, The Man With The Iron Heart), Philip Cornwell (Call The Midwife, Dodger) and Kenneth Cranham (Hatton Garden, Layer Cake).
Strike: Troubled Blood locations
The new series heads to Cornwall for the first time, where much of season 5 was set and filmed. Speaking about the location as a main character, producer Alex Rendell said: "Certainly fans of the books will know Cornwall because it's been mentioned in previous books but has never made it to the screen.
"So, finally we managed to get into Strike’s family life, which is very important and precipitates Strike's memories of his childhood. It was a wonderful place to film."
While director Sue Tully added: "Cornwall plays, a massively important part in Strike’s backstory. He was brought up partly by Ted and Joan, his Aunt and Uncle. Joan was a sister of his mum Leda. Leda was a very very troubled woman. Part time mum, in and out of his life, and Ted and Joan in Cornwall represented a time of stability and calm and love."
According to Cornwall Live, scenes were filmed in St Mawes and Falmouth. While filming also took place in Skegness, in Lincolnshire.
The office on Denmark Street, in the centre of Soho is also a key location for Strike. Discussing it, Alex said: "Shooting in the centre of London is increasingly difficult but it’s like Strike’s overcoat, it's iconic and an important part of the show. There’s also some irony, his dad is a rock’n’roller who he’s estranged from and Strike works in Denmark Street AKA “Guitar Alley”.
How many episodes of Strike: Troubled Blood are there?
Strike is a four-part mini-series with the first episode airing on Sunday, December 11 at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
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