DAVID Mitchell will lead the cast of Ludwig, a new comedy-drama on the BBC which will begin airing soon.

In the series, Mitchell plays John 'Ludwig' Taylor, a reclusive puzzle setter who is recruited by his sister-in-law Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin) when his identical twin brother James goes missing.

This requires Ludwig to assume his twin brother's identity in order to try and discover clues about his whereabouts.

However, trying to adapt to his life as a highly respected DCI within Cambridge's busy Major Investigations Team will cause quite a few issues.

The Radio Times says: "Ludwig takes on a case of the week format, with an overarching storyline of John continuing the investigation into James's disappearance running alongside a murder he has to solve each episode."

Speaking about the series, Mitchell said: "I've always loved murder mysteries. 

"Some of my happiest viewing memories are as a child watching Miss Marple with Joan Hickson - I mean, she was in it, she wasn't in the room – and Inspector Morse, and that sort of thing. I love that kind of programme.

"I think when it can have a comic spin as well, that's even better. Because I like a murder mystery sort of puzzle, a whodunnit, but I don't love watching things that are horrific and gritty and sort of remind you of the frailty of the human life.

"I go with the Agatha Christie route - the person that was murdered, we don't meet them, we're not invested in them, so it's fine."

Mitchell also revealed that the idea for the series came to him as a pitch document from writer Mark Brotherhood pre-Covid and that he immediately found the idea "funny and intriguing".

He explained: "I mean, the great thing about the twin thing is it's high concept, but it means you have a sort of classic comic scenario of John, going into a situation where he's a complete fish out of water, where you can maximise the extent to which he is not coping, but he isn't discovered because he has the superpower of looking absolutely identical to someone who belongs there.

"So it gives tremendous comic scope, and I thought that was a great idea. And I loved the thought that it would be a weekly murder thing. So you get the overarching narrative, but you also get the reward of a puzzle, a murder each week. So I thought it was a great idea."

BBC Ludwig full cast list

  • David Mitchell as John 'Ludwig' Taylor
  • Anna Maxwell Martin as Lucy Betts-Taylor
  • Sophie Willan as Holly Pinder
  • Dipo Ola as DI Russell Carter
  • Gerran Howell as DC Simon Evans
  • Izuka Hoyle as DS Alice Finch
  • Dylan Hughes as Henry Betts-Taylor
  • Ralph Ineson as Chief Constable Ziegler
  • Dorothy Atkinson as DCS Carol Shaw
  • Jakub Bednarczyk as Young John & James Taylor

The series will also feature a few guest stars, including:

  • Derek Jacobi
  • Hammed Animashaun
  • Rose Ayling-Ellis
  • Felicity Kendal
  • Karl Pilkington
  • Paul Chahidi
  • Allan Mustafa

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When will Ludwig be on TV?

The first episode of Ludwig will air at 9pm on Wednesday, September 25 on BBC One.

Overall, there will be six episodes, with the remaining five airing in the same timeslot over the coming weeks.

Ludwig will be available to watch on BBC One and Player from 9pm on Wednesday, September 25.