BBC reveals how Ludwig season 2 has been huge winner for broadcaster in 2026

Ludwig has achieved big ratings for the BBC following its return for a second season.

Created by Mark Brotherhood, the series stars David Mitchell as a socially awkward puzzle designer who agrees to pose as his missing twin brother, DCI James, and work his cases in an attempt to get to the bottom of his disappearance.

Season 2, which launched last month on BBC One and iPlayer, sees Ludwig return as an official crime scene consultant, while also continuing to track down James.

And it certainly returned with a bang, with the first episode drawing 9.1 million viewers across 28 days, according to the BBC.

The BBC says this feat makes the series the biggest scripted launch of the year across broadcasters and streamers to date.

Meanwhile, on iPlayer, the first episode of the new season attracted 5.5 million viewers – the second biggest 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."

The BBC confirmed earlier this month that the cosy crime series would be returning for a third season, while also announcing a Christmas special.

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Ludwig season 2 is available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer.

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Authors

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.