Hit BBC comedy lands second series after a staggering 9.5m people tune in to watch

DAVID Mitchell's new BBC comedy Ludwig has been confirmed for a second season. 

The hit series, which stars Mitchell as an avid puzzle lover who turns his expertise to solving crime, has been renewed after becoming one of the BBC’s biggest shows in years.

Drawing the most viewers for a new show since 2022, more than 9.5million people have tuned in and streamed the series since its release last month. 

According to industry outlet BroadcastNow, Ludwig is the biggest comedy series launch on the Beeb in six years, and the highest rated scripted show this year. 

Ludwig even beat the likes of Silent Witness, Call The Midwife and Death in Paradise for this accolade. 

Fans had already compared it to Death in Paradise, calling the show the 'perfect replacement' for the long-running favourite.

Viewership figures revealed that the first episode along drew in 7.4million viewers in the first 28 days of release, with the number going up to 9.5million when counting streaming figures. 

With so many records being nabbed, it should come as no surprise that a second series is now on its way. 

Mitchell will return to the show as John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor, who fell into life as a detective when trying to figure out the truth behind his twin brother James’s disappearance. 

Teaming up with James’s wife Lucy (played by Line Of Duty’s Anna Maxwell Martin) the pair get to work and find a newfound love of detection. 

Anna is also believed to be making a comeback for the new series as well. 

Jon Petrie, BBC director of comedy commissioning, told the outlet of the announcement: “the combination of sharp writing, David Mitchell’s pitch-perfect casting, and a standout ensemble of British comic talent make Ludwig truly distinctive within the cosy crime genre.”  

He added the show “has the potential to enjoy a long and successful run” due to its unique idea that taps into both comedy and true crime fans. 

“We know that comedy stands out for audiences on iPlayer,” he said. “As we know, traditional sitcoms take a lot longer to find their audience but when it does, statistics show us that repeat viewing increases massively and shows have a longer tail.” 

Petrie added that the BBC hopes to commission more shows that blend genres in this way going forward.