Beloved detective series with Anna Maxwell Martin breaks "remarkable" record for the BBC

The second season of Ludwig has broken records for the BBC. Ludwig follows David Mitchell as John 'Ludwig' Taylor, a reclusive puzzle maker whose life is turned upside down when his identical twin brother, a senior police detective, mysteriously vanishes.

To find him, he adopts his brother's identity and infiltrates the police force, but inadvertently finds himself pulled into other investigations.

The Emmy Award-winning detective series recently returned for a second season, garnering a whopping 9.1 million viewers across 28 days for episode one, making it the biggest scripted launch of the year across broadcasters and streamers to date.

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It attracted 5.5 million viewers on BBC iPlayer, grabbing the title of the second-biggest BBC iPlayer audience for the opening episode of a BBC comedy this year.

Kenton Allen, CEO of Big Talk Studios, said in a statement: "Ludwig is a gloriously eccentric detective at the heart of a show that has never played by the usual rules, so to see more than nine million people embrace him is genuinely thrilling.

"Mark Brotherhood has created that rare thing: a clever, funny, warm-hearted show that audiences seem to have made part of their lives. David Mitchell is simply extraordinary in the role, and this result belongs to him, Mark Brotherhood, our wonderful cast and the brilliant team behind the camera.

"We’re hugely grateful to the BBC for backing Ludwig with such conviction — and, with a Christmas special on the way and series three already filming, we’re delighted that John’s particular brand of crime-solving is going to be confusing criminals, colleagues and himself for a while yet."

Gregor Sharp, BBC commissioning editor, added: "We always felt there was something special about Ludwig, but the scale of the audience response has been extraordinary.

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"Mark Brotherhood's brilliant scripts, David Mitchell's unforgettable performance and the fantastic work of the teams at Big Talk and That Mitchell and Webb Company have created a show that viewers have truly embraced.

"To see series two become the biggest scripted launch of the year is a remarkable achievement, and one we're hugely proud of."

It was recently announced that Ludwig will return with a Christmas special this festive season, guest starring Sir David Suchet. Filming is also well underway on season three.

Ludwig seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on BBC iPlayer.

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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more. Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club. LinkedIn