Ahead of the highly anticipated launch of series two later this year, Ludwig – the BBC’s biggest scripted series since 2024 – has been commissioned for a third run on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The series is a Big Talk Studios (part of ITV Studios) production in association with That Mitchell And Webb Company and is a ZDF co-production for Germany.

Series one was the biggest launch for a comedy on the BBC since at least 2018, attracting 9.5 million viewers (28-day figure), episode one has continued to accrue viewing outside of 28 days, now up to 11.8 million.

Starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin the smash hit six-part detective series is created and written by Mark Brotherhood and produced by Big Talk Studios in collaboration with That Mitchell and Webb Company.

David Mitchell will return as ‘Ludwig’, alongside Anna Maxwell Martin as Lucy Betts-Taylor, the wife of John’s missing brother James. David Mitchell said, “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.”

Kenton Allen, Executive Producer and CEO Big Talk Studios, said,  “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.

“What Mark Brotherhood has created is brilliantly original, hugely entertaining and deceptively distinctive in the way it blends smart comedy with a richly satisfying detective engine. At the heart of that success is the remarkable partnership between David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin, brought to life by an exceptional creative team. In a crowded global market, for audiences to have embraced Ludwig on this scale feels incredibly special. There’s clearly nothing puzzling about that.”

Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy Commissioning, said, “Ludwig is exactly the kind of smart, distinctive, audience-pleasing show we love at BBC Comedy. Sharp writing, a compelling story, big laughs and, naturally, a generous helping of puzzles. The team at Big Talk have crafted something truly distinctive and much-loved, and we’re excited to see what mysteries Ludwig tackles next.”

Ludwig is a Big Talk Studios production in association with That Mitchell And Webb Company, for the BBC. Series three (6×60) will be written by Mark Brotherhood and the lead director is Chris Foggin. The executive producers are Kenton Allen and Toby Welch for Big Talk Studios, Mark Brotherhood, David Mitchell, Kathryn O’Connor and Chris Sussman. Claus Wunn and Frank Seyberth executive produce for ZDF. The series producer is Anthony Wilcox, with Anya Wilson serving as producer.

The new series was commissioned by Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy Commissioning*. The commissioning editor for the BBC is Seb Barwell. Ludwig is produced in association with ITV Studios, which also handles international distribution.

The first series of Ludwig is available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer and series two will air later this year.