Ludwig is now streaming on Britbox, and according to its star David Mitchell, the "cozy crime" series set in the English city of Cambridge has "as much appeal to an American audience as to a British one".

Speaking to Newsweek, Mitchell joked, "I think if they're expecting something that isn't British, they'll be disappointed, but I doubt, considering it's going on BritBox, many people will be coming to it if they loathe the thought of anything set in or coming from Britain."

In Ludwig, Mitchell plays reclusive puzzle-lover John 'Ludwig' Taylor who, when his identical twin goes missing, assumes his identity as a detective and tries to crack the case. As Mitchell says, it's the type of television he's always loved watching: murder mysteries with a lighter touch.

"These aren't the type of murder mysteries that make you confront the darkest sides of the human soul or the worst human experiences ever endured," he says. "There are plenty of dramas doing that, but this isn't one of them. This is setting you a puzzle every week and then you get to watch it resolved in a way that's hopefully quite exciting, quite funny, but isn't going to give you nightmares."

When Does Ludwig Release?

The first two episodes of Ludwig were released on BritBox on March 20. Each new episode is released weekly until April 17. For UK audiences, all episodes are now available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

The appeal of Ludwig, says Mitchell, lies in its premise of having a fish out of water under heightened circumstances. "It essentially allows me as John Taylor to apparently fail completely to pass himself off as a police officer, but still get away with it because he has this superpower of looking absolutely identical to the man he's going to be. I think that provides tremendously fertile ground for comedy."

Will There Be a Ludwig Season 2?

There's already a second season on the way. Ludwig season 2 was officially confirmed in October 2024, with season 1 attracting over 9.5 million viewers across 28 days. That makes it the biggest new scripted show on the channel since 2022.

That's not all for Mitchell, however. If the stars align, he'd love a reunion with Succession writer Jesse Armstrong, who he worked with on the popular British sitcom Peep Show.

"When he was doing Succession, he was hardly ever in the country. But it sounds as if he's got another show on the way, that may be the case again, but we've taken opportunities to stay in touch and I'd love to work with him because he's fun and funny and just great company. And also because he always does brilliant things that seem to go amazingly well."

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