Ludwig is a comedy series on BBC One featuring the comic talents of Upstart Crow star David Mitchell who is known for playing quirky characters and does so again here. He stars as a solitary loner John "Ludwig" Taylor who has to step into the shoes of his identical twin, DCI James Taylor, when he disappears off the face of the earth.
David says: "I love murder mysteries and I've always wanted to do one. Miss Marple – the Joan Hickson version – was great and I loved Sir David Suchet in Poirot too and we always watched Inspector Morse as a family. So the young me would be thrilled, and so is the 'now me!’ This has a comic spin too and the scripts were page-turners."
John 'Ludiwg' Taylor is a quiet Luddite, who designs puzzles for a living under the pseudonym Ludwig. He doesn’t own a mobile phone, TV or computer, and barely steps out of his front door, but he makes the brave decision to assume his brother’s identity in order to track him down and bring him home. But given that his brother James is a successful cop, running Cambridge’s busy inner-city major crimes team, it might just prove to be the biggest puzzle John has ever faced.
The series has proved a huge hit with audiences and it's firmly expected there will be a Ludwig season 2!
Here's everything we know...
Ludwig release date
Ludwig is a six-part comedy series that started on Wednesday, September 25 2024 at 9 pm and it plays out weekly at the same time. All six episodes are available now as a box set on BBC iPlayer. We don't have a US release date yet.
Ludwig plot
The story follows John "Ludwig" Taylor, a quiet man who’s never been married, never had a family and is quite content to lead a quiet life, designing puzzles under the pen name Ludwig. He refuses to engage in the latest technology and rarely leaves his home. But then, John’s identical twin, detective James Taylor, goes missing and John decides the best way to find him is to assume his identity. The problem is James is a DCI, with a crime-solving team of cops depending on him. John might be the master of all things cryptic but this might be the one puzzle he can’t solve.
Ludwig cast — David Mitchell interview on playing twins John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor and James
David Mitchell plays keen puzzler John and his twin James, who is missing. He told us: "John is bright and likes to tidy things up, but it’s a distraction from reality. He finds the world messy, and puzzles are like murder mysteries, they’re satisfying, as disorder is resolved. That calms his mind, because in his childhood, his and James’ father left, which traumatized him, and his coping mechanism is doing things that make him feel comfortable. He’s not lived a fulfilling existence.
"When asked to impersonate James he’s nervous and a fish out of water. But Lucy and James are all he has, and he’s also fond of Henry [James and Lucy’s teenage son, played by Maternal’s Dylan Hughes], so he tries his best. As his investigation progresses, however, there are people who are not trustworthy and there’s jeopardy…"
David is also a keen puzzler just like John: "I'Ive gone through phases of doing cryptic crosswords and I’m never as good at them as I should be! But Victoria [Coren Mitchell, David’s wife and host of BBC2 quiz show Only Connect] and I have played Cluedo recently with our eldest daughter. It’s deductive reasoning and I love the map of the house and all the weapons!"
* David Mtichell is well known for his comedy partnership with Robert Webb, which produced shows such as Peep Show, That Mitchell and Webb Look and The Two Faces of Mitchell and Webb. He played William Shakespeare in the BBC2 comedy Upstart Crow and has also been in Back, Jam & Jerusalem, Blunder and Doctors and Nurses. David is team captain on the quiz show Would I Lie to You? and hosted David Mitchell’s Soap Box. He was a presenter on 10 O’Clock Live and Outsiders and a team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
Anna Maxwell Martin on playing Lucy
Would you describe Ludwig as a series about solving murders or solving relationships?
Anna Maxwell Martin: "Both, I think the heart of the show is Lucy and John's relationship, with sleuthing as an accidental bonus."
How would you describe Lucy and John’s relationship?
"Lucy and John are light and shade. Their relationship is very sweet and nuanced, written really well by Mark Brotherhood. Lucy is completely understanding and accepting of John, their care for each other is unconditional."
What do you admire about Lucy?
"What I like about her is that she is indomitable. She is always positive, like a puppy, despite what has happened to her. John is the Eeyore of the piece."
What particularly appealed to you about working with David Mitchell?
"I suspected he was a good egg. I didn't know for sure. He might have turned out to be a bad egg, but it transpires that he is 100% good egg. David is great, we had a really nice time."
Who else is starring in Ludwig?
The remaining cast for Ludwig includes Izuke Hoyle (Boiling Point), Dipo Ola (Landscapers), Gerran Howell (Suspicion), Dylan Hughes and Dorothy Atkinson.
Guest stars cropping up throughout the six-part series include Sir Derek Jacobi as Mr Todd, a brilliant maths teacher who is having memory problems, Felicity Kendal as Lady Bryce and Josh Bolt as a boyfriend Adam. Rose Ayling-Ellis, Karl Pilkington, Allan Mustafa, Paul Chahidi, Hammed Animashaun also have guest roles...
Here's a lowdown on Ludwig's regular characters...
Henry Betts-Taylor
(Dylan Hughes)
Lucy and James’ son is initially unaware of his dad’s disappearance but grows concerned.
DI Russell Carter
(Dipo Ola)
James’ gung-ho new partner unwittingly works alongside John and marvels at his skills.
DCS Carol Shaw
(Dorothy Atkinson)
The ruthless police boss appears intrigued by the new crime-solving methods being used by ‘James’.
Chief Constable Ronan Ziegler
(Ralph Ineson)
Could the enigmatic senior officer know anything about James’ disappearance?
DC Simon Evans
(Gerran Howell)
The young, eager detective lives with his mum and is in awe of James/John.
DS Alice Finch
(Izuka Hoyle)
Shaw’s ambitious and savvy protégée could be a thorn in John’s side.
Holly Pinder
(Sophie Willan)
Will the no-nonsense police IT worker get suspicious about John’s strange behaviour?
Is there a trailer for Ludwig?
Yes there's a trailer for Ludwig. Lots of murders and mystery. Take a look below...
Behind the scenes, filming news and more on Ludwig
Ludwig is a six-part series that began filming in early 2024. The comedy is a Big Talk Studios in association with That Mitchell And Webb Company production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. It was commissioned by Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy Commissioning at the BBC. The series is written and created by Mark Brotherhood. The Executive Producers are Kenton Allen, Mark Brotherhood, Saurabh Kakkar, David Mitchell, Kathryn O’Connor and Chris Sussman, the Producer is Georgie Fallon. The Directors are Robert McKillop and Jill Robertson. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Tanya Qureshi. It is produced in association with ITV Studios, which will distribute the series internationally.
