Luther is a British crime thriller TV series starring Idris Elba as a troubled, but brilliant detective.
Elba played Detective Chief Inspector John Luther over the course of five seasons, each of which had a small number of episodes compared to U.S. standards. The popular TV series spawned a 2023 film on Netflix called Luther: The Fallen Sun. The film takes place after the series.
You can jump down to the summary of where to watch Luther on TV, check out Frequently Asked Questions below, or read through all your options.
Britbox is currently the only commercial-free way to watch every episode of the TV series Luther. A subscription is $8.99 per month. There is a 7-day free trial.
The series, largely set in London, has won numerous awards, including the BAFTA TV Award for Best Drama Series in 2011. Luther also stars Ruth Wilson as Alice Morgan, a romantic interest, sometimes enemy and stalker.
Luther was created by Neil Cross. The TV series was initially broadcast on BBC One. Luther has been praised for its dark and gritty tone, Elba’s performance, and complex characters.
Where to Watch Luther Season 1 through Season 5
Luther, produced by BBC Studios Drama Productions, is streaming Season 1 through Season 5 commercial-free on Britbox.
Cord-cutters can find the Britbox app on just about any device with a screen.
Smart TVs by Samsung, Sony Bravia, VIZIO SmartCast TVs, and LG can start watching Luther without a streaming device.
Any Roku device, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV and Apple TV support streaming most streaming services.
An iPhone or iPad (with current iOS) can be used to watch Britbox shows, and so can Android smartphones and tablets. Gamers can use an XBox and PlayStation console to watch Luther on streaming.
Britbox
BritBox is a streaming service that offers a wide variety of movies and British TV shows, including sitcoms, mysteries and police procedurals.
You will find many shows from BBC Studios. This shouldn’t be confused with any British TV usually seen on PBS, or a show designated as PBS Masterpiece.
A subscription costs $8.99 per month and includes a 7-day free trial.
Some of the most popular series on BritBox include Downton Abbey, Father Brown, Line of Duty, Silent Witness, and Vera. Britbox has Originals including Karen Pirie and The Responder.
Most of the British entertainment programming comes from BBC and ITV.

Tubi
Tubi (or Tubi TV) is a free ad-supported streaming service that offers a variety of TV shows and movies.
Tubi offers a wide variety of movies, TV shows and local news. The library consists of classic movies and more recent titles. Some of the programming that Tubi offers comes from A&E, FOX and FOX Sports.
Currently, Tubi has Season 1 through Season 5 of Luther. But all episodes are ad-supported so you should expect to watch commercials as well.
Tubi also offers a variety of original programming, including series like The Freak Brothers and The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs.
Tubi is a great option for people who want to watch TV shows and movies without having to pay for a subscription.
How to Watch Luther FAQs
These are questions that readers ask when searching for ways to watch Luther on TV.
Where to Watch Luther Season 1
You can watch Season 1 of Luther on Britbox or Tubi.
Who is in the cast of Luther?
The main characters in Luther are:
- John Luther (Idris Elba) – A brilliant but troubled London detective who is willing to bend the rules in order to get the job done.
- Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson) – A psychopathic serial killer who becomes Luther’s friend and ally.
- Superintendent Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) – Luther’s boss, who is often frustrated by his methods but respects his results.
- DSI Ian Reed (Dermot Mulroney) – A senior officer who is brought in to investigate Luther’s methods.
- Justin Ripley (Warren Brown) – Luther’s junior partner.
Where to Watch Luther: The Fallen Sun
Netflix debuted Luther: The Fallen Sun, a two-hour film in 2023. Netflix still has The Fallen Sun available to stream on all its plans. It’s a great watch for fans of the TV series who have watched Idris Elba shape the character of DCI John Luther.
Do I need to watch Luther before the movie?
After having watched every season and every episode of the TV series, I would say you should definitely watch the TV series Luther before the movie, Luther: The Fallen Sun.
You certainly could watch the movie first and follow the storyline, but you would miss a lot of the context or references to earlier events.
Why can’t I watch Luther on Hulu?
If you’re a Hulu subscriber looking for all five seasons of Luther, you’re out of luck. The popular BBC series is now on Britbox. The good news is that Britbox is affordable at $8.99 per month, and offers a 7-day free trial.
Where to Watch Luther TV series
Britbox is a commercial-free streaming service that has all five seasons of Luther. This streaming service is full of British TV, police procedurals, mysteries, movies and sitcoms.
A subscription costs $8.99 per month. You can sign up for a 7-day free trial, and start watching on a Smart TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Apple TV. There are Britbox apps for mobile devices including iPhones and Android smartphones.
You can watch Luther through Tubi, a free, ad-supported streaming service as well. There is no subscription required with Tubi, since the service is supported by you watching commercials.
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Founder and Editor of The Cord Cutting Report. Before launching the site in 2016, he worked for more than two decades as a staff writer or correspondent for a number of daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe. His enthusiasm for tech began with the Atari 2600. Follow @james_kimble