Gritty and compelling Luther, starring The Wire’s Idris Elba, isn’t so much a whodunit as it is a how’d-they-do-it and a how’ll-he-solve-it: the series follows the investigation into a string of crimes from the perspective of both the officers assigned to the cases and the criminals themselves. At the series’ centre is the deeply flawed title character, a maverick who routinely toes moral lines, prompting us to question if the ends always justify the means.

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How can I watch and stream Luther?

Luther is available on Netflix, Amazon Prime and iPlayer. You can also purchase series 1 to 5 on DVD and Blu-ray.

How many seasons of Luther are there? How many episodes of Luther are there?

There are four seasons of Luther. The first season was comprised of six episodes, and subsequent seasons were four episodes long, save for the two-episode special fourth season.

What is Luther about?

Detective Inspector John Luther is a relentless investigator. Creative and cunning, the dedicated officer with a troubled past and a difficult personal life is known —and sometimes feared— for his unorthodox policing, using methods to bring criminals to justice that might be considered ethically dubious.

In the first series, Luther is tasked with investigating the cold and calculated murder of a couple, leading him to spark a friendship with the suspect (and victims’ daughter) a fascinating research scientist and genius named Alice Morgan. Their meeting is the start of a tumultuous and dangerous relationship that forms one of the central story arcs of the series.

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Subsequent series see Luther faced with new cases and new challenges as he walks a fine line between catching criminals and becoming one himself.

Who is in the cast of Luther?

Famous for his role as Stringer Bell on The Wire, Idris Elba stars as the title character, a detective who plays by his own rules.

luther

Luther first meets Alice Morgan in series one. The psychopathic genius is played by The Affair’s Ruth Wilson.

Ruth Wilson in Luther (BBC)
Ruth Wilson in Luther (BBC) BBC

Warren Brown (Shameless) plays Luther’s protégé, DS Justin Ripley.

Irish actor Dermot Crowley plays unassuming but steely Detective Superintendent Martin Schenk.

Dermot Crowley, Luther (BBC screenshot)
Dermot Crowley, Luther (BBC screenshot)

In the fourth and fifth series respectively, Luther is paired with DS Emma Lane (Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie) and DS Catherine Halliday, played by Wunmi Mosaku, who also portrayed a detective in Kiri.

Rose Leslie Luther, BBC publicity, BD
Rose Leslie Luther, BBC publicity, BD

Where was Luther filmed?

(C) BBC - Photographer: Des Willie
(C) BBC - Photographer: Des Willie

Luther was filmed in and around London in locations including the Barbican Estate, Bethnal Green’s Cranbrook estate, Westfield Shopping Centre, Docklands and Waterloo Station.

Is Luther coming back?

Nothing has been confirmed, but Idris Elba teased a possible film last year.

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