BBC show confirms huge stars for Christmas special

The Christmas special will feature Sir David Suchet, who is best known for his role playing Poirot. <i>(Image: Amanda Searle/Big Talk Studios/BBC/PA Wire)</i>
The Christmas special will feature Sir David Suchet, who is best known for his role playing Poirot. (Image: Amanda Searle/Big Talk Studios/BBC/PA Wire)
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A Christmas special is set to bring festive mystery and huge names to screens.

The BBC has announced a holiday episode of its detective comedy-drama Ludwig, starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin.

Ludwig follows John "Ludwig" Taylor, a reclusive puzzle designer who assumes the identity of his missing twin brother, a detective chief inspector.

Ludwig announces Christmas special with huge stars

The festive special will see Sir David Suchet, best known for playing Hercule Poirot, return to the small screen in the slightly different roles of a murder suspect.

David Mitchell, who plays John Taylor, said: "I have long been a huge admirer of Sir David Suchet’s work and have watched every episode of Poirot several times, so it was a dream come true for me when he agreed to appear in the Ludwig Christmas special.

"He was an absolute joy to work and spend time with – funny, interesting and generous – and his performance in the programme is wonderful."

Other guest stars include Jason Flemyng, Joe Wilkinson, Cathy Tyson, Alexandra Roach, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.

Set in Yorkshire, the special follows John, Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin), and her son Henry (Dylan Hughes) as they arrive at a Christmas-themed hotel.

A blackout soon transforms their festive break into a locked-room murder mystery.

Trapped by a blizzard and cut off from the outside world, the guests must spend the night with a killer among them.

Sir David said: "It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside David Mitchell and the wonderful ensemble cast.

"It made quite the refreshing change to be playing a suspect rather than the detective, and to sit comfortably in my armchair while David delivered the denouement.

"I had a thoroughly enjoyable time."

The first series of Ludwig drew more than 9.5 million viewers in 28 days, becoming the BBC’s biggest scripted series since 2024 and the biggest comedy launch episode since at least 2018.

The series is created and written by Mark Brotherhood and produced by Big Talk Studios, part of ITV Studios, in association with That Mitchell and Webb Company.

Are you excited for the Ludwig Christmas special? Let us know in the comments. 

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