David Mitchell To Lead Genre-Bending Detective Comedy ‘Ludwig’ For The BBC
24.05.2023 - 16:49
/ deadline.com
David Mitchell is returning to the BBC for genre-bending detective comedy Ludwig, which features on a five-strong comedy slate alongside Hulu co-production Dinosaur and a show from The Duchess star Michelle de Swarte.
Unveiling his first major comedy slate at this afternoon’s BBC Comedy Festival in Cardiff, the corporation’s Comedy Director Jon Petrie said the shows reflect “the depth and range of our offerings which champion British creativity.”
The slate is led by Ludwig, Peep Show star Mitchell’s first BBC project since Upstart Crow, which follows the eponymous protagonist as he takes on the identity of his brother, DCI James Taylor, who has disappeared off the face of the earth. Mitchell’s Ludwig lives in quiet solitude, designing puzzles for a living under his nom-de-plume, and he struggles to adapt to being a twin who happens to be a successful DCI leading Cambridge’s busy inner-city major crimes team.
The Outlaws producer Big Talk, which worked with Mitchell and his comedy partner Robert Webb on Channel 4’s Back, is producing Ludwig in association with That Mitchell and Webb Company, with Mark Brotherhood penning the script. EPs are Kenton Allen, Chris Sussman and Kathryn O’Connor, and the producer is Georgie Fallon.
Ludwig is joined on the slate by de Swarte’s Spent, with Netflix’s The Duchess actress also starring as Mia, a former catwalk model who is on the run, mainly from herself. The protagonist may have a high falutin’ attitude and a world class skincare regime, but she is now living on the breadline. Show comes from Various Artists Limited and is being exec-produced by Jack Bayles and Phil Clarke.
Meanwhile, Hulu/BBC co-pro Dinosaur started life as a BBC Comedy Slice pilot and comes from Fleabag indie