TV review Strike,

Sunday 9pm BBC1

Starring Tom Burke and Holliday Grangier

The opening episode of the adaptions of the crime novels written by J K Rowling under the pen name of Robert Galbrieth has the same themes of class and identity in her other non Potter literary outing. Burke plays the title role of a one time Military Policeman who had a leg amputated in the line of duty who now works as a Private Detective who works on the case of the supposed suicide of a model when asked by a friend of his. Giving a decent take on a man who has suffered greatly both on physical and mental levels Burke makes a low key but very effective impression as Strike. Grangier plays a sectary temp who ends up helping Strike on the case and manges to make what could have be an irritating role into a likable one. Though the one actor who makes the biggest impression is in it for only 5 minutes, Playing the role of a lawyer trying to get Strike off the case Martin (and remember the last legal role he played was the title role in the pious Judge John Deed) Shaw just exudes slime in his brief screen time. The opening episode has set up an intriguing mystery