BBC plans more puzzles for Ludwig

The BBC has ordered a second season of crime comedy-drama Ludwig, after the series starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin became the broadcaster’s biggest scripted show of the year.

The six-part series drew more than 9.5 million viewers (28 days), making it the biggest BBC launch since 2022, and the biggest comedy launch since at least 2018.

Created and written by Mark Brotherhood and produced by Big Talk Studios in collaboration with That Mitchell & Webb Company, the show follows John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor (Mitchell), whose identical twin brother James mysteriously vanishes.

John takes on his brother’s identity to uncover the truth behind his disappearance. But there’s a twist: John has lived a quiet, uneventful life, designing puzzles and avoiding the outside world, while his brother is a high-flying DCI leading a major crimes team in Cambridge. Filling in for James leads to hilariously high stakes and serious crime-solving.

For the second season, Mitchell returns as Ludwig, alongside Maxwell Martin as Lucy Betts-Taylor, the wife of John’s missing brother James.

Season two will again be written by Mark Brotherhood. The executive producers are Kenton Allen, Mark Brotherhood, David Mitchell, Kathryn O’Connor and Chris Sussman.  ITV Studios handles international distribution.

The series is a BritBox coproduction for the US and Canada.

tagged in: Anna Maxwell-Martin, BBC One, Big Talk Studios, Britbox, David Mitchell, Ludwig, Mark Brotherhood, That Mitchell & Webb Company