Dipo Ola reveals his “big pitch” for a Ludwig special

With Ludwig's full second season now having been released, and both a 2026 Christmas special and a third season on the way, DI Russell Carter star Dipo Ola has teased what he hopes the future could hold for the comedic detective series.

When asked for wish list was for the future of the series, Ola revealed he had pitched his own idea to the team behind the show, and that it would take on a slightly different sub-genre of detective drama.

"I always say to them, I think it'd be really good if they did a noir," he said. "I had this pitch where John hits his head, wakes up, and it's all black and white, and everybody's talking different, and he's trying to figure out how to get out of his head and back into the real world, and it's by solving the case that's on offer. So my big pitch is a one-off Ludwig noir kind of scenario."

Ola was speaking with Radio Times ahead of this year's Christmas special being announced, and to keep the secret, he batted off the idea that one could be in the offing.

"A Christmas special would be cool but I don't know if they'll do one," he said, sneakily. "I don't think it's maybe the genre of the show. I think they'd maybe do a Halloween episode. I'd really be down for that."

The upcoming Ludwig Christmas special will see John, Lucy and Henry heading to a Christmas-themed hotel for what should have been a much-needed escape, but a lethal plot unfolds during a sudden blackout.

The synopsis teases: "Trapped by a blizzard and cut off from the outside world, the guests must spend the night with a killer in their midst. With John reluctantly pulled into one of his strangest puzzles yet, the race is on for the Taylors to solve the crime before Christmas."

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The episode will star Poirot legend Sir David Suchet, along with Jason Flemyng (Trigger Point), Joe Wilkinson (Celebrity Traitors), Cathy Tyson (Blue Lights), Alexandra Roach (Nightsleeper) and Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Ghosts).

When it was confirmed, Ludwig star David Mitchell said: "I have long been a huge admirer of Sir David Suchet's work and have watched every episode of Poirot several times, so it was a dream come true for me when he agreed to appear in the Ludwig Christmas Special.

"He was an absolute joy to work and spend time with - funny, interesting and generous - and his performance in the programme is wonderful."

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

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Authors

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.