Your Next Cozy Crime Binge Watch – Ludwig with David Mitchell

Last Updated on April 22, 2026

Picture it: It’s October in the UK, the weather is miserable, and you’ve no idea what to watch on TV.

Then up pops Ludwig on the BBC iPlayer. All you know is that it stars David Mitchell as a puzzle expert who starts solving crimes.

Sold! It’s like music to the ears of this cozy crime mystery buff, and better yet, it’s really, really good.

So good in fact, that it’s only with mild embarrassment that I confess I watched the entire show in a day – all six episodes.

I know that some of the other reviews have been less than enthusiastic, largely complaining that it’s David Mitchell playing David Mitchell.

Actually, one specifically said it was ‘pure pap that Thursday Murder Club fans will love’ – which I’m assuming was some sort of slight on the millions of people who have fallen in love with Richard Osman’s hit book series.

Ha! Critics can be so out of touch the standing joke is that if they hate something, us mere mortals are bound to love it. And I loved Ludwig.

So, without giving the game away, let me tell you what it is all about…

Who is Ludwig?

John and James Taylor are identical twin brothers. John is the reclusive but renowned puzzle creator known only as Ludwig, while his brother, James, is a police detective.

Their relationship is frosty. However, John is great friends with his sister-in-law Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin), who one evening calls him asking for a huge favour.

DCI James Taylor, her husband, has gone missing. He disappeared three days earlier following his last case, and she needs John to help her find him.

More specifically, she needs John to pretend to be James, turn up at the police station and retrieve a notebook that she thinks holds the key as to where exactly her hubbie might be.

The problem for John is that a) he doesn’t want to do it, and b) as soon as he does, he is quickly roped into his first murder investigation.

Overwhelmed and without a single clue as to how he is supposed to act, he turns to his love of puzzles to swiftly solve the case, much to the amazement of his colleagues.

It is only after this that John (pretending to be James) discovers that his brother was working on proving corruption within the force and that he may, in fact, have to return to dig a little deeper.

More Than Solving Cases

Ludwig is a show of two parts – the first is how John solves each case and the second is unraveling the even bigger puzzle of why James disappeared and if he is still alive.

At home is where the relationship with Lucy and her son Henry (Dylan Hughes) develops, and it is also where the trio set about unraveling the last case James worked on.

In the office is where more of the fun is as John muddles through the day to day life of pretending to be a detective alongside the brilliant DI Russell Carter (Dipo Ola).

Most cases are based on the premise that every puzzle can be solved, including the seemingly impossible ones, and watching DCI Taylor work out whodunit is very entertaining.

Sure, the resolutions have hints of Death in Paradise about them and DCI Taylor is quite Monk-like in his mannerisms (though not to the same extent).

However, considering they are two great shows, fans of either will undoubtedly enjoy Ludwig and the quirkiness that David Mitchell brings to the role.

The series ends with a major development in the disappearance of James Taylor while leaving plenty of scope for a second season. Given the show’s success so far, BBC would be foolish not to renew it asap.

Will There Be a Second Season?

There is no word yet on whether or not the BBC will renew Ludwig but the reception so far has been excellent so they would be very foolish to pass up on a winning show.

Historically, the Beeb have given most shows multiple seasons, after all just think how long shows like Death in Paradise, Father Brown and Silent Witness have been going.

I’d love to see more than six episodes, but at this stage, I’ll take what I can get. And if I hear any murmurings about a renewal, I will let you all know!

For now, just sit back and enjoy David Mitchell work his crime-solving magic in this fun cozy mystery addition to the BBC.