‘Ludwig’: 2024’s biggest new British detective series is finally coming to BritBox
Who doesn’t love watching the rise of an amateur detective? There’s something so comforting about knowing that even seemingly ordinary people can solve some of the most confounding mysteries. If, like me, you’re a fan of British detective shows that straddle the line between comedy and drama, you’ll love the BBC and BritBox’s Ludwig.
Led by British comic star David Mitchell (Peep Show, Would I Lie To You), Ludwig follows acclaimed puzzle setter John “Ludwig” Taylor as he assumes his twin brother James’ identity after the latter mysteriously goes missing. There’s just one issue, though—James is an actual high-ranking detective with the Cambridgeshire police. John must convince his brother’s colleagues that he’s one of them while juggling multiple murder cases and, of course, the biggest mystery of all—why did James run and leave his wife and son behind?
Helping him—well, more like egging him on—is James’ wife and John’s childhood friend Lucy (Motherland and Line of Duty’s Anna Maxwell Martin), too stubborn and clever for her own good. Also in the cast are Dipo Ola (Landscapers, We Hunt Together) as DI Russell Carter, Gerran Howell (Catch-22, Suspicion) as DC Simon Evans, Izuka Hoyle (Boiling Point, Big Boys) as DS Alice Finch, Dylan Hughes (Malory Towers, Maternal) as James and Lucy’s son, Henry, Dorothy Atkinson (Mum, The Gold) as DCS Carol Shaw, and the voice of Galactus himself, Ralph Ineson (The Capture, Absentia) as Chief Constable Ziegler.
Created and written by Mark Brotherhood (Mount Pleasant), Ludwig balances comedy hijinks, high emotional stakes, and multiple intriguing mysteries. David Mitchell was made for the role of John Taylor, the socially awkward yet undeniably gifted and sympathetic puzzle master turned amateur sleuth. I just finished watching the first season earlier this year; if you enjoy shows like Death in Paradise, Miss Scarlet, The Marlow Murder Club, or Moonflower Murders, you’ll get a kick out of Ludwig, too.
Ludwig season 1 is set to finally premiere on BritBox for North American viewers on March 20, 2025, starting with a two-episode premiere. The rest of the 6-episode season will be released weekly. Before you ask, yes, there is a trailer! You can watch it below.
Ludwig premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the U.K. in September 2024. It became the BBC’s “biggest scripted show of the year” and “the largest since 2022.” Just over a month after the first episode premiered, the BBC renewed Ludwig for season 2 (both Mitchell and Martin are set to return for the show’s second outing), so you won’t have to worry about being left with a cliffhanger.
Trust me, this is one puzzle you won’t want to miss.
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