BRITBOX ANNOUNCES "LUDWIG" CHRISTMAS SPECIAL STARRING DAVID MITCHELL AND SIR DAVID SUCHET

Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin are joined by all-star cast in a Ludwig Christmas special, also including Jason Flemyng, Joe Wilkinson, Cathy Tyson, Alexandra Roach and Kiell Smith-Bynoe

Season two debuts on BritBox on October 13, with season three now in production

Photo credit: BBC / Big Talk Studios / Amanda Searle

· Today BritBox announced that the International Emmy-Award-Winning series Ludwig will debut a Christmas special this coming festive season featuring all-star cast additions. Season two of Ludwig will debut on BritBox on October 13, with episodes dropping weekly, and season three is now in production.

· Set in Yorkshire, the 60-minute Christmas episode sees John, Lucy and Henry arrive at a remote Christmas themed hotel for what should have been a much-needed escape, when a sudden blackout turns the festivities 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 in their midst. With John reluctantly pulled into one of his strangest puzzles yet, the race is on for the Taylors to solve the crime before Christmas.

· David Mitchell (John 'Ludwig' Taylor), Anna Maxwell Martin (Lucy Betts-Taylor), Dylan Hughes (Henry Betts-Taylor), and Dipo Ola (DCI Russell Carter) are joined in the Christmas special by a stellar line-up of guest stars: Sir David Suchet, Jason Flemyng, Joe Wilkinson, Cathy Tyson, Alexandra Roach, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Rebekah Staton, Claire Price, Ariella Glaser, and George Rainsford.

· It will see the actor behind one of television's most famous detectives having the tables turned, with Sir David Suchet here taking on the role of a murder suspect in this Christmas episode.

· The smash hit detective series is created and written by Mark Brotherhood, and produced by Big Talk Studios (part of ITV Studios) in collaboration with That Mitchell and Webb Company, a co-production with BritBox and ZDF.

· On working with Sir David Suchet, David Mitchell says: "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."

· Sir David Suchet says: "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."

· Ludwig is a Big Talk Studios production in association with That Mitchell And Webb Company, a co-production with BritBox and ZDF, for the BBC. The Ludwig Christmas episode is written by Mark Brotherhood, and the director is Chris Foggin, who is also currently directing series three of Ludwig. The executive producers are Kenton Allen and Toby Welch for Big Talk Studios, Mark Brotherhood, David Mitchell, Kathryn O'Connor and Chris Sussman; Robert Schildhouse and Stephen Nye for BritBox; Claus Wunn and Frank Seyberth executive produce for ZDF. The producer of the Christmas episode is Georgie Fallon, with Anya Wilson serving as co-producer. The Christmas episode was commissioned by Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy Commissioning. The commissioning editor for the BBC is Gregor Sharp. Ludwig is produced in association with ITV Studios, which also handles international distribution.

· The first season of Ludwig is available to stream on BritBox.

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About BritBox

BritBox is the leading streaming destination for the best of British television, offering an unmatched collection of expertly curated entertainment. From critically acclaimed dramas and mysteries to comedies, documentaries, and lifestyle programming, BritBox invites audiences to step out of their everyday and into a world of exceptional British storytelling. Launched in 2017 and now owned by BBC Studios, BritBox is available in the US, Canada, Australia, and the Nordics. For more, visit britbox.com, or find the BritBox app on most mobile and connected TV devices.