This EastEnders legend is directing JK Rowling’s fourth Strike adventure!

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Sue, known to soap fans as Michelle Fowler, is in the director's chair for Strike

EastEnders legend Sue Tully, who played Michelle Fowler in the soap, is directing the fourth Strike adventure – the BBC1 hit is based on J.K. Rowling’s best selling crime novels penned under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

Filming has just begun on Strike: Lethal White, which sees Tom Burke and Holliday Grainer teaming up again as Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott. And Sue, who starred as Michelle Fowler from the soap’s first episode in 1985 until she left in 1995, will be in the director's chair.

Susan Tully as Michelle Fowler in a classic EastEnders scene with Lou Beale (played by Anna Wing), Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard) and Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher)

Susan Tully as Michelle Fowler in a classic EastEnders scene with Lou Beale (played by Anna Wing), Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard) and Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher) - pic (Getty Images) (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sue, 51, recently directed episode five of another huge BBC1 series - Line of Duty.

During her acting career she also played Suzanne Ross in Grange Hill, but she’s now a top director, having also directed episodes of The A Word and Tin Star.

Sue will be directing all four episodes of Strike: Lethal White. After leaving EastEnders, Sue once told The Daily Telegraph that she “wanted to see what it was like on the other side of the camera”.

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Strike and Robin return to tackle a gruesome murder

Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger are back as Strike and Robin for their fourth adventure (Image credit: BBC/Bronte Film & TV Ltd/Steffan)

The latest Strike story will see Cormoran receive a young man, Billy Knight (Jospeh Quinn), into his office, who tells him the story of a child he saw strangled many years ago.

At the same time, Strike is hired by government minister Jasper Chiswell (Robert Glenister) to investigate Billy’s brother, Jimmy (Nick Blood), who is blackmailing him. Robin ends up going undercover in the House of Commons as she and Strike try to uncover the link between the cases.

Meanwhile, the pair both have trouble in their private lives. Strike is having problems with his complicated ex Charlotte (Natasha O’Keeffe), while Robin finds work is wrecking her relationship with Matthew (Kerr Logan).

Strike: Lethal White will be shown on BBC1 next year.

David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.


Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 


David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.


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