The BBC series starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin has returned after a hugely successful first series
David Mitchell in BBC’s Ludwig(Image: BBC)
It’s the murder mystery series with a difference.
When it launched two years ago viewers were full of praise for BBC’s Ludwig. Starring David Mitchell in the title role alongside Anna Maxwell Martin as his sister-in-law, the comedy drama about the awkward puzzler turned accidental detective became the BBC ’s biggest new scripted show since 2022, with 9.5m viewers discovering it after 28 days.
It was also the BBC’s highest-rating scripted show of 2024 at that time and the biggest comedy series launch since at least 2018. So little wonder it has finally made a comeback – even if viewers had to wait two years.
No longer having to impersonate his twin brother and following his successful closure rate for the major investigation team, puzzle setter John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor returns under his new job title of crime scene consultant.
In the opening episode on Thursday, August 20, an unusual double confession at a theatre saw John taking centre stage as he had to prove who didn’t commit the crime.
And just minutes into the opening episode of series 2, fans were rushing to social media to say how much they loved it – including the opening titles.
One said on X – formerly Twitter – “Binge watched S1 of #Ludwig Absolutely loving it. S2 here we come. It’s real life Scooby Doo.”
A second posted: “There should be a BAFTA for opening credits on a TV drama. Ludwig would win hands down.” A third added: “Like the title sequence.”
Another added: “Delighted that #Ludwig is back. One of the best new shows in recent years.” While a fifth commented: “#Ludwig is back. I am so happy.”
One fan simply reacted: “Nice to have #Ludwig back.”
While making series 2, lead star David kept a diary and ahead of the first episode airing, he shared excerpts of it with the Radio Times.
The first entry last September read: “Ludwig is starting to film again, more than a year after we shot the first series. I feel daunted. I love making this show (I always dreamed of playing a character who potters around thoughtfully in a mac, realising things) but, in another way, it’s like going back to school. I’m now going to be doing this thing every weekday until Christmas.”
He continued: “Making a single episode of a drama can take two or three weeks. The last thing I filmed was Would I Lie to You, which takes two or three hours. (Although this doesn’t seem like a short time to guests who are new to panel shows. I remember when Ronnie Corbett was on my team in 2010. He was used to the timing of the 1970s; he assumed it would take about 40 minutes. As we entered the third hour, the chuckles of this 79-year-old comedy hero became less jovial by the second).”
He added: “The first week of Ludwig series two involves a lot of car scenes. In the first series, my character (John Taylor, a puzzle-setter whose twin brother is a policeman who goes missing) was depicted humorously as a bad driver. I can’t actually drive at all. In the new series, John discovers that his driving licence isn’t valid and he has to be driven everywhere, which makes life easier.”
Ludwig is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer