Where to Watch Luther in 2025: Streaming TV Series Seasons 1 Through 5 for Free
BBC crime drama series 'Luther,' which stars Idris Elba, is a glimpse into the life of a gifted murder detective in turmoil. In this guide, we’ll reveal how and where to watch 'Luther' online for free from anywhere.
Written by Kit Copson (Writer, Briefing Editor)
Reviewed by Jackie Leavitt (Co-Chief Editor)
Facts checked by Jasna Mishevska (Lead Fact-Checking Editor)
Last Updated:
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: Where to Watch Luther
- Grab a subscription at a 72% discount from NordVPN’s website.
- Install the app and connect to a U.K. server.
- Create a free BBC iPlayer account and start streaming ‘Luther’.
Best VPNs for Streaming Luther:
- NordVPN — Best VPN overall with great speeds, advanced features and affordable pricing. Get 72% off the first two years with NordVPN, covered by its 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Surfshark — Best budget VPN that still packs a punch. Surfshark’s best deal is available at a 66% (plus 3 months free) discount.
- ExpressVPN — Easy-to-use VPN with great performance and features. Sign up now to get 25% off the first two years.
What to Know About Luther:
- Where to watch: BBC series ‘Luther’ is available for free on BBC iPlayer, as well as BritBox U.S., Canada and Australia, Hulu U.S., and free services Hoopla (U.S. & Canada) and CBC Gem (Canada).
- Bypass blocks: If you want to access BBC iPlayer from outside the U.K. or CBC Gem from outside Canada — or are traveling overseas and want to access your Britbox account — you can connect to a VPN server to gain access.
- Best VPNs: NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN are the best VPNs to watch ‘Luther’.
‘Luther’ is a British crime drama chronicling the trials and tribulations of obsessive murder detective chief inspector DCI John Luther. If you want to know where to watch ‘Luther,’ you’ll find that multiple streaming platforms have the series available — in some cases, for free. However, in certain countries, you may not be able to access the recommended services due to geographical restrictions.
This is called geoblocking, and it can be a serious pain — unless you know how to get around it. Using a good VPN (virtual private network) is the best method of accessing geographically restricted content, but only some providers are worth your time and money.
If you’re feeling frazzled because you can’t seem to find ‘Luther’ on any platforms available in your country, we’ll show you how to break through the geoblocks and get started with watching ‘Luther’ today.
Not available in your country?
Watch Luther now on Hulu and other streaming platforms.
Status checked 2025/04/06:
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10/01/2024
We revamped this article’s how-to section and adjusted the rankings to reflect the current VPN landscape.
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02/16/2025 Facts checked
Updated to ensure the streaming options are accurate and changed the free VPN recommendation to PrivadoVPN.
Where to Watch Luther & Luther: The Fallen Sun
The ‘Luther’ TV series is available for free on BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom and CBC Gem in Canada. It’s also available on Hulu in the U.S. and for cheap on BritBox in the United States, Canada and Australia. In our opinion, streaming ‘Luther’ on BBC iPlayer or CBC Gem are the easiest and cheapest routes — you just need to connect to a VPN server in the U.K. or Canada.
Watching Luther for Free
If you thought getting to watch all five seasons of ‘Luther’ for free was just too good to be true, you thought wrong. ‘Luther’ is currently available for free on BBC iPlayer (U.K.) and CBC Gem (Canada), and all you need to do to watch it is register for a free account and connect to a British or Canadian server on a VPN if you’re outside those countries. We’ll share a tutorial on that farther down.
Those in the U.S. and Canada can use their library card to stream all five seasons of ‘Luther’ for free on Hoopla. The service is also available in New Zealand and Australia, but ‘Luther’ isn’t in either of these libraries. Alternatively, you can get a free trial with BritBox U.S., Canada or Australia, which lasts seven days or a Hulu free trial in the U.S. which lasts 30 days.
Overall, BBC iPlayer or CBC Gem are definitely the easiest options for watching ‘Luther’ online, and BBC iPlayer also gives you access to other great shows like ‘The Traitors‘ and ‘Not Going Out‘.
Paid Streaming Options for Luther
As with many paid streaming platforms, BritBox has different content in different countries. Content availability depends on which countries have the rights to stream it.
BritBox is a little different from some other streaming services, like Netflix, in that a VPN might not help you change content libraries because each country has its own site. We tried switching to the American BritBox content library with a VPN from our BritBox U.K. account, but it didn’t work. Therefore, it looks like you’ll need an account with BritBox U.S., BritBox Canada or BritBox Australia to watch ‘Luther’ on the platform.
Note that ‘Luther’ is only available on BritBox in the U.S., Canada and Australia, so using a VPN will only work if you signed up for your account in one of these countries.
Alternatively, you can buy the series on a platform like Amazon Prime Video, iTunes/Apple TV, Fandango or Google Play. If you don’t want to pay to buy the series or sign up for a streaming platform, check out our section below on watching ‘Luther’ for free.
How to Watch Luther: The Fallen Sun Movie
Luckily, watching the new movie ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ (2023) is really simple — it’s available on Netflix. If you can’t find the movie on Netflix in your location, simply connect to a VPN server in a country where it is available. If you need suggestions, it’s currently available on Netflix U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and France, and no doubt in many other countries, too.
Using a VPN to Watch Luther
The simplest way to watch ‘Luther’ is to use a virtual private network to change your IP address. This allows you to access geographically restricted content from anywhere.
VPNs work by encrypting your data, preventing hackers, snoopers and your ISP from seeing what you’re doing online. As long as they’re not being used to conduct illegal activities, VPNs are legal in most countries. Some VPNs, like NordVPN and Surfshark, are exceptional, but other VPNs don’t quite hit the mark in terms of security, privacy and speed. Read on for recommendations.
How to Use a VPN to Watch Luther for Free
Here, we’ll show you how to access BBC iPlayer to watch every ‘Luther’ season for free. We’ve picked NordVPN — the VPN we consider to be the best overall performer — for this tutorial, but will share some more recommendations in the next section.
- Subscribe to a VPN Service
Go to a VPN’s website to sign up for a plan. NordVPN’s two-year plan offers the best value and it includes a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of its plans for new subscribers.
- Download the VPN
After signing up, download the VPN. Follow the post-signup prompts or find the “download” page on the website to do so.
- Connect to a Server in the UK
Open the app, select a U.K. server from the list and connect.
NordVPN has the fastest streams and can easily unblock streaming services. - Register for BBC iPlayer
If you don’t already have one, go to BBC iPlayer and register for a free account. You will be prompted to enter a British postcode — you can find one on Google.
- Stream Luther
Open BBC iPlayer, search for ‘Luther’, and select the season and episode you want to stream.
The Best VPN to Watch Luther
We test a number of VPNs with streaming services on a regular basis, and we recommend one of the following services for streaming crime series ‘Luther.’
1. NordVPN — Best Streaming VPN
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
The best VPNs for streaming are those that combine unfailing security, privacy, speed and ease of use for a smooth experience. You get all of these things with NordVPN, which is why it remains the champion atop our list of the best overall VPNs.
Our favorite NordVPN features are its impressive speeds — which are the best on average as per our daily speed tests — and its affordable pricing if you pick one of the long-term plans. This makes it a good choice for regular streamers on a budget.
NordVPN isn’t completely beginner-friendly, but it does have a useful interactive server map. That said, the mobile app’s interface can be finicky to navigate, especially if you’re not too hot on geography. Luckily, NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for tentative users. Find out more about this and all of NordVPN’s features in our full NordVPN review.
- **VAT may apply
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
2. Surfshark — Best Budget Streaming VPN
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
Surfshark is a close rival to NordVPN. It has plenty of servers in four locations in the U.K., so you’re all but guaranteed to find one that will get you into BBC iPlayer. In our tests, we’ve never had to try more than one, and they’ve all been fast enough that no lag interrupted our ‘Luther’ stream.
Surfshark is expensive for just a month, so NordVPN is probably a better choice if you think you’ll finish ‘Luther’ quickly. Otherwise, Surfshark is quite cost-effective, especially the unlimited simultaneous connections you can use to password-share with your friends. Learn about more features in our Surfshark review.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
3. ExpressVPN — Best User-Friendly VPN for Streaming
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
If NordVPN or Surfshark haven’t tickled your fancy, ExpressVPN is a solid alternative to consider. It’s especially useful if you’re a beginner thanks to its highly intuitive apps, which means less time fiddling and more time streaming.
Of course, no VPN provider has it all — ExpressVPN is expensive, even its long-term plans. Apart from this, ExpressVPN is a great pick. If you’d like to try it but are worried about the pricing, you can use its 30-day money-back guarantee to get reimbursed if you don’t want to continue. Our ExpressVPN review has more.
- Pricing for the annual and biennial plans applies only on the first year.
- Unlimited GB
- 8
- Yes
Best Free VPN for Streaming Luther: PrivadoVPN
PrivadoVPN is the best free VPN for streaming ‘Luther’ on BBC iPlayer or CBC Gem thanks to its free U.K. and Canadian servers. You can connect to the free servers as much as you want without worrying about being cut off, however, you’re speeds will slow once you hit 10GB. Take a gander at our PrivadoVPN review to get more into the nitty-gritty.
- 10GB
- 1
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
What Is Luther? Plot & Characters
‘Luther’ is a popular BBC television series in the crime drama, mystery and psychological thriller genres. It follows a talented yet obsessive murder detective, John Luther, as he navigates a tumultuous home life and the darkness that’s become part and parcel of his career. The fifth and final season of ‘Luther’ was released in 2019.
The series has received glowing reviews for the most part, with Idris Elba receiving praise for his performance and winning a Golden Globe for Best Actor as the brooding and complicated Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. The show has received multiple BAFTA nominations throughout its run.
Do You Have to Watch the Luther Series Before Luther: The Fallen Sun?
No, you don’t need to watch the series before watching ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ (2023), which was directed by Jamie Payne. The film makes perfect sense without you having to invest time in the series if you don’t want to. However, you might want to give the series a shot, too, if you’re (understandably) intrigued by the complex sadistic serial killer hunter that is John Luther.
Cast and Crew of Luther
‘Luther’ was created by Neil Cross for BBC Studios. Cast members of the acclaimed series include:
| Performer | Character |
|---|---|
| Idris Elba | DCI John Luther |
| Alice Morgan | Ruth Wilson |
| Michael Smiley | Benny Silver |
| Warren Brown | DS Justin Ripley |
| Dermot Crowley | DCI/DSU Martin Schenk |
| Paul McGann | Mark North |
| Andy Serkis | David Robey (film) |
| Cynthia Erivo | DCI Odette Raine (film) |
Final Thoughts
If you were being driven to distraction by not being able to find ‘Luther’ online, we hope our guide has been useful to you. Even if you decide that ‘Luther’ isn’t your cup of tea, we still recommend getting a VPN so you can explore more streaming services and unblock content unavailable in your country.
NordVPN is the best VPN for streaming. Its two-year plan works out the cheapest in the long run. Plus, with NordVPN’s risk-free 30-day refund period, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving the service a try.
Have we managed to quell your fears about missing out on ‘Luther?’ If so, which VPN will you use to access the streaming services hosting the series? Please leave a comment to share your thoughts. Thanks for reading.
FAQ: Streaming Luther Online
Yes, ‘Luther’ is streaming on BBC iPlayer in the U.K., CBC Gem in Canada, Britbox in the U.S., Australia and Canada, Hulu in the U.S. and Hoopla in the U.S. and Canada.
The series is not available on Netflix, but the 2023 movie ‘Luther’: The Fallen Sun is on the platform.
No. While ‘Luther’ used to be available on Prime in the U.S., it’s no longer there.
Yes, ‘Luther’ is currently on Hulu.