BBC bosses have confirmed that Ludwig will return for a third season, with production already underway. The announcement came before season two of the detective drama, starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin, even aired.
The third series will see Mitchell reprise his role as master puzzle-setter John 'Ludwig' Taylor, alongside Maxwell Martin as Lucy Betts-Taylor. The show, filmed in Cambridge, has followed Ludwig as a Crime Scene Consultant working with DCI Russell Carter (Dipo Ola) on "impossible" crimes for the Cambridge Police Authority.
Season 2 finale and third series details
Season two concluded on Thursday, September 24, at 9pm on BBC One, with a shocking death that struck close to home leaving John shaken when all avenues pointed to Joanne Kemper. The show has been described as the "ultimate comfort food" in a crime format.
While a return date and full cast list are yet to be announced, the third season is confirmed to consist of six hour-long episodes. Mitchell said at the time of the announcement: "I am delighted that Ludwig will be returning to solve more of Mark Brotherhood’s brilliant mysteries. I can’t wait to get started and have renewed the subscription on my denouement-learning app."
Christmas special confirmed
BBC bosses have also confirmed a Christmas special of Ludwig this year, which will form part of the series two commission. The hour-long episode will be set in Yorkshire, rather than Cambridge, and will see John, Lucy, and Henry arrive at a remote Christmas-themed hotel for what should have been a much-needed escape, when a sudden blackout turns the festivities into a locked-room murder mystery.
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.
David and Anna will be joined by an all-star cast in the special, including Sir David Suchet, Jason Flemyng, Joe Wilkinson, Cathy Tyson, Alexandra Roach, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe. Kenton Allen, Executive Producer and CEO Big Talk Studios, added: "Ludwig has become one of those rare shows that genuinely cuts through — critically, commercially and internationally. We’re hugely grateful to the BBC, ZDF and ITV Studios for the confidence they’ve shown in greenlighting a third season ahead of the launch of series two."
Ludwig season one and two are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.
