David Mitchell’s latest BBC murder mystery series, Ludwig, has fans on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting news of a potential new series.
Starring David in the titular role as John, a man who discovers his knack for crime-solving while impersonating his brother James, a real police detective who has mysteriously disappeared. John proves to be exceptional at cracking cases – but the question remains: will he have the opportunity to showcase his sleuthing skills in future episodes?
All six thrilling episodes of Ludwig are available for binge-watching on iPlayer, and the show is currently captivating audiences every Wednesday on One. However, viewers are left wondering whether there will be a follow-up series or if John’s days of crime-fighting have come to an abrupt end.
While a second season has not been officially confirmed, there’s a glimmer of hope for more episodes.
Discussing one intriguing aspect of the series, where the full significance of the cipher on James’ wall remains a mystery, David tantalisingly hinted: “Even over the whole first series, that’s not all solved, which is why we hope for more.”
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Anna Maxwell Martin stars as Lucy Betts-Taylor in Ludwig (Image: BBC)
Is this a subtle indication that another series might be in the pipeline?
When quizzed about his aspirations for a new series, David suggested that there could indeed be more adventures ahead, saying: “Certainly our hope that it will carry on, so fingers crossed.”
Ludwig also features a stellar cast including Anna Maxwell Martin as Lucy Betts-Taylor, Dipo Ola as DI Russell Carter, Gerran Howell as DC Simon Evans, and Izuka Hoyle as DS Alice Finch. It also features Dylan Hughes as Henry Betts-Taylor, Dorothy Atkinson in the role of DCS Carol Shaw and Ralph Ineson as Chief Constable Ziegler.
The show’s star David had previously been adamant about the series’ focus being on murders and puzzle solving, while distancing it from being categorised as “gritty”.
He stated: “I think fundamentally it’s about the murders and the puzzle solving.
David Mitchell’s character is pretending to be his brother, Detective Chief Inspector James Taylor (Image: BBC)
“I think that’s what is so escapist and satisfying about this genre, the light meringue of a pleasing plot. Another thing that I like about it is that it’s not gritty. It is cosy murder of the old school. So even though the crime at the centre would be an absolute abomination if it happened in real life, we all benefit from the murder-mystery convention – if you like, the Agatha Christie tradition so we don’t dwell on what murder really is, on the horrific nature of the crime.”
The mystery is where the focus lies, according to David: “We focus on the context and the mystery and the play of human emotions that leads to it … In Ludwig we don’t dwell on the fact that it’s murder any more than in a game of Cluedo you’d start thinking, ‘But how awful for Doctor Black’s family. He must be so missed.”
David Mitchell fronts new BBC murder mystery series Ludwig (Image: BBC)
The launch of the new series got complaints from viewers, with many criticising the musical score. One viewer expressed their exasperation by saying: “I think they’ve made their point with the Beethoven.”
Another chimed in, saying: “Quite enjoying #Ludwig but the constant music is bad enough without every bit being mangled Beethoven.” And another added: ” #Ludwig Not sure if I’ll be able to tolerate the jaunty. Up. Beat. Comedy score support. For. Much. Longer..”