Brilliant lead performances, witty set pieces, and cleverly constructed plot twists ensure BBC One’s new puzzle-themed cosy crime series barely puts a foot wrong.
★★★★★
It may seem counterintuitive to begin a five-star review with an acknowledgement that not everyone will in fact love the series in question, but here goes. There are just two requirements that must be fulfilled by viewers for them to enjoy Ludwig. Firstly, you must have at least a passing tolerance for starring comedian David Mitchell and his dry comedic style, as you’ll be seeing him almost constantly for the next six hours. Secondly, you must be willing to overlook some admittedly fairly ridiculous plot holes in the name of entertainment. That’s all.
If you accept these two prerequisites, then you will soon be settling down to what is easily one of the best shows of the year. Mitchell stars as our titular detective Ludwig, the pseudonym of world-renowned puzzle setter John Taylor. John leads an ordinary if rather lonely life, primarily dictated by routine and a distrust of the modern world. That is until one day, his sister-in-law Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin) summons him to Cambridge with the news that her husband James—his identical twin—has disappeared. She is determined to find him, and is certain the answer lies within the police station where he worked as DCI of the murder squad. And so, John is (very) reluctantly persuaded to venture inside to search for clues, masquerading as his brother. Unfortunately, before he can even reach James’s office, he is interrupted by the news that there is a murder to investigate. Soon enough, John is attending the crime scene of a classic locked room mystery he has no idea how to solve. whilst desperately trying to cover up that he is not who he says he is.
This establishes the pattern followed by all six episodes from here on out: John must solve one impossible homicide per installment while he and Lucy grapple with the overarching mystery of James’s disappearance. The murders are all based around a different type of puzzle—from spot-the-difference (yes, really) to reverse chess—allowing John to tap into the expertise of his alter ego Ludwig and identify the culprit when no one else can. This central concept is not only clever in its own right, but also makes the series a consistently original take on one of the most well-worn genres out there. Admittedly, it does require a pretty significant suspension of disbelief. Is there any way on earth that pedantic, anti-social, downbeat John would be able to carry off the pretence he was outgoing, charismatic, highly experienced detective James for longer than about 30 seconds? Definitely not. But do you really care? Also no.
Instead, you get swept away enjoying the comedic potential of this patently implausible but highly entertaining set-up. The smallest details of James’s everyday life—from parking his car to making small talk with his colleagues—become arduous impossibilities for John and great running gags for the show. I would say that in such a set-up, the jokes write themselves, but of course they don’t. The many laughs the series provides instead result from the winning combination of Mark Brotherhood’s intensely witty script and David Mitchell’s superbly judged lead performance, to which he brings exceptional comedic timing, a tasteful amount of physical comedy, and excellently deadpan delivery.
Beyond Mitchell, the rest of the cast play their own roles to equal perfection. Anna Maxwell Martin is as strong as ever as Lucy, who is decidedly not the put-upon side character many TV detectives’ wives are doomed to become. Whilst any programme depicting an introverted genius detective character is in danger of falling irreparably into cliché, Ludwig avoids this by foregrounding the loving family dynamic between John, Lucy—his lifelong friend as well as sister-in-law—and nephew Henry (Dylan Hughes). The chemistry between this trio gives the show much of its surprisingly wholesome feel, without ever descending into an overly cutesy subplot of a lonely man discovering a family.
However, like most dramas set in a police station, Ludwig is ultimately the product of an ensemble cast. John/James’s core detecting crew is made up of sensible DI Russell Carter (Dipo Ola), confident and straight-talking DS Alice Finch (Izuka Hoyle), and hapless yet well-meaning DC Simon Evans (Gerran Howell), all overseen by icy but competent boss DCS Carol Shaw (Dorothy Atkinson). There is equally strong rapport between this team as in the Taylor family, ensuring that neither of the plot strands become less engaging than the other. Mitchell and Ola are a particularly strong duo, with the latter fulfilling the sidekick role with more drive and personality than most.
It is sometimes claimed that good comedy is essentially taken half as seriously as drama, but is twice as difficult to get right. Making a good dramedy must therefore be hardest of all, and the show’s ability to be simultaneously as entertaining as any comedy whilst retaining the tension and intrigue of the best thrillers should not be underestimated. It is funny but not farcical; gripping but not gruesome; touching but not trite. It is this perfectly executed tonal balancing act which ultimately makes it the ideal watch for the cold autumn evenings ahead.
Words by Eleanor Harvey
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