The greatest gift of the year has been announced and it isn’t even December. If you’re eagerly awaiting the next instalment of Ludwig series 2 to arrive this month, you’re going to be elated by the BBC’s latest update: the Cambridgeshire crime-busting clan is getting an unmissable Christmas special. But that isn’t all – Poirot legend Sir David Suchet has landed the perfect new role in this festive chapter.
For those who don’t know, the hit BBC series Ludwig follows John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor (David Mitchell), a shy and introverted puzzle maker who unexpectedly finds himself solving real-life murder cases after assuming the identity of his missing detective twin. This Christmas, John is leaving Cambridge for Yorkshire and meeting a whole new group of characters, including David Suchet. But the renowned moustached detective isn’t joining him to help on the investigation as you might expect – instead he’s swapping Poirot’s notebook to play a very different part in the mystery…
Intrigued? With the Christmas special coming this December, here’s everything you need to know about Ludwig, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Ludwig about?
The BBC series, which first aired 2024, follows master-puzzle-maker-turned-real-life-detective John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor (David Mitchell), who infiltrates the Cambridge Police Force after his high-flying identical twin brother, DCI James, vanishes. As well as searching for his brother, he becomes embroiled in solving a series of other cases – with the help of James’s wife, Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin).
Series 2, which hit screens this August, sees John return to the police force as a crime scene consultant. Meanwhile, Lucy is feeling left out of the investigations and finds an inventive way to get back in on the action. Together, they take on another string of eclectic murder mysteries, from a killing at an opera house to a deadly wedding day. Episodes 4-6 of the latest series will arrive on Thursday 10 September – and the question that’s on everyone’s lips? Will the adept sleuths get any closer to finding James?
The gifts don’t stop coming from the BBC – production is already underway for Ludwig series 3. David has hinted at what’s to come, saying: ‘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.’
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What will happen in the Ludwig Christmas Special?
This December, in the Ludwig Christmas Special, John will cross paths with the actor behind one of television’s most famous detectives, Sir David Suchet (who plays Hercule Poirot), but in a spectacular reversal of roles. The Poirot star won’t be solving the murder – he’ll be a suspect!
John, Lucy and Lucy’s son, Henry (Dylan Hughes), will travel north to Yorkshire for a much-needed break in a Christmas-themed hotel. But their hopes of rest and relaxation don’t last long. A sudden blizzard plunges the hotel into total blackout and one of the guests is killed. The trio become trapped in a locked-room murder mystery, as they must solve one of their strangest puzzles yet – all before Santa comes.
On working with Sir David Suchet, David Mitchell told the BBC: ‘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.’
Sir David Suchet told the BBC: ‘It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside David Mitchell and the wonderful ensemble cast. It made quite the refreshing change to be playing a suspect, rather than the detective, and to sit comfortably in my armchair while David delivered the denouement. I had a thoroughly enjoyable time.’
Who’s in the cast of the Ludwig Christmas Special?
The cast of the Ludwig Christmas Special includes:
Returning faces
- David Mitchell (Peep Show) as John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor
- Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland) as Lucy Betts-Taylor
- Dylan Hughes (Maternal) as Henry Betts-Taylor
- Dipo Ola (Landscapers) as DCI Russell Carter
Guest stars
- Sir David Suchet (Poirot)
- Jason Flemyng (Snatch)
- Joe Wilkinson (Taskmaster)
- Cathy Tyson (Boiling Point)
- Alexandra Roach (The Light In The Hall)
- Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Mitchell And Webb Are Not Helping)
- Rebekah Staton (Bad Tidings)
- Claire Price (Last Days)
- Ariella Glaser (White Bird)
- George Rainsford (Casualty)
Is there a trailer for the Ludwig Christmas Special?
While the BBC hasn't yet released a trailer for the Ludwig Christmas Special, you can get a flavour of the action from Ludwig’s series 1 trailer.
Is Ludwig any good?
Yes, Ludwig is the perfect British murder mystery, with David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin forming an irresistible sleuthing double act. What makes it so refreshing and watchable is that John isn’t your typical hardened detective – he’s a socially awkward introvert who approaches a murder scene like an extraordinary logic puzzle.
How can I watch the Ludwig Christmas Special?
While the BBC haven't released an official premiere date, the Ludwig Christmas Special will arrive on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this festive season. We will keep you updated here as soon as we have the official date. For the meantime, you can watch the first and second series of Ludwig on BBC iPlayer.
What other detective dramas can I watch now?
For another brilliant Anna Maxwell Martin drama, we’d suggest the spooky Agatha Christie adaptation And Then There Were None, in which Anna (and nine other strangers) arrive at a so-called retreat on an isolated island off the Devon coast in 1939. When a storm arrives and cuts them off from civilisation, it turns out that something very sinister has brought the guests together, as they start to die one by one. And Then There Were None is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer. If you’re looking for some equally cosy escapism, we’d recommend High Seas. The series revolves around two sisters, Eva and Carolina, who board a ship setting sail from Spain to Brazil in the 1940s. But behind the decadent facade is a series of mystifying murders they’re left to unravel. You can watch High Seas now on Netflix.
