If you're anything like us, then the BBC never has enough episodes of their hit detective show Strike. Now that the latest season, The Ink Black Heart, has been released, and we have a while to wait until the 2026 air date for season seven, we have put together some excellent detective shows that we think, if you like Strike, you will love.
Our criteria? We've gone for complicated detectives with interesting backstories, like Cormoran himself, and perhaps one or two with an underlying romance at play. Oh, and anything starring Holliday Grainger wouldn't go amiss either!
© ITVWhy Didn't They Ask Evans?
We're kicking things off with this charming Agatha Christie series about amateur sleuths trying to solve a murder. After hearing the last words of a dying man, Bobby is joined by his childhood friend Frankie to work out exactly what happened - and who the culprit is. With a warm love story wrapped up in an excellent, witty murder mystery, this is not one to miss.
© Joss BarrattBergerac
With plenty of personal drama from Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, now is the time to watch as a new reboot starring Crashing actor Damien Molony is coming to U Channel. The story follows Jim as he returns to work bereft following a personal loss - and needing something to prove. If you can't wait to watch, there are ten years' worth of John Nettles episodes to enjoy too!
© Matt Squire,BBCHappy Valley
Like Strike, Happy Valley takes its occasionally very dark subject matter in its stride, often pairing the dramatic elements of the show with a perfected anecdote between Claire and Catherine over a cup of tea in the back garden. Both Catherine and Cormoran are leads with strong moral compasses and no-nonsense personalities - and if you love him, we think you'll also love her!
Unforgotten
Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar star as detectives investigating cold cases with heartbreaking consequences in the first four seasons - much like Cormoran and Robin's Troubled Blood series, where they examine the historic disappearance of a doctor and mother. Like Robin and Cormoran, the two leads also have a close bond and are each other's support and confidantes, and we love Cassie and Sun's relationship almost as much!
© Getty ImagesScott & Bailey
Two good friends solving crimes together? Check! Excellent, compelling murder cases that you can't quite guess? Check! Scott & Bailey is a police procedural that follows two detectives as they face the highs and lows of their work - and personal lives - together. This series has a very similar tone to Strike - where solving major crimes is all in a day's work.
© Photo: SkyLuther
Idris Elba's John Luther and Cormoran Strike would probably meet in the pub for a pint and get on like an absolute house on fire. The pair share a sense of right and wrong - but also have plenty of interactions with hardened criminals, who are usually fascinated by them for one reason or another - and we think it's safe to say that they also have a bad history with romance!
© Photo: NetflixThe Fall
Both Strike and The Fall love a psychopath serial killer, but while Cormoran and Robin chase them down in the BBC show, The Fall is a cat-and-mouse game where we see the investigation from two perspectives - the detective and the serial killer. Like Strike, it can be very dark - and also utterly bingeable.
