David Mitchell’s socially awkward but investigatively brilliant problem solver returns, now officially working with the Cambridge Police to unravel more puzzling mysteries. Ludwig will stream for free on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on BritBox in the US and 7Plus in Australia at a later date. Don't worry if you’re away from home, because you can watch Ludwig season 2 from anywhere with a VPN – and free in the UK.
UK RELEASE DATE: 20 August 2026 | 9pm BST
FREE STREAMS: BBC iPlayer (UK) | 7Plus (AU, release date TBC)
US: BritBox (release date TBC)
ABROAD? Try this VPN & watch Ludwig season 2 from anywhere
Season 1 of the show saw John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor (Mitchell) masquerading as his missing brother James, a detective in the Cambridge force. Anxious and awkward, John worked to uncover the truth from the inside, with more than a little persuasion from his sister-in-law Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin). However going deep cover means playing the role to its fullest, and soon John found himself putting his master puzzle-setter skills to use, solving the most ludicrous and impossible of crimes. Even when the truth was discovered, John was invited back into the fold as a Crime Scene Consultant, which is where we find him in season 2, working alongside DCI Russell Carter (Dipo Ola) and the other members of the local authority.
But with James still missing and John now forbidden from using any official police resource in the hunt for his sibling, the genius case cracker must solve the biggest puzzle of all without a cheat sheet.
Also returning this season are Dorothy Atkinson as senior officer DCS Carol Shaw, Karl Pilkington as James’ former police partner DI Matt Neville and Ralph Ineson as shady Chief Constable Ziegler. Mark Bonnar joins the cast as newspaper editor Gareth Fisher, alongside Sian Clifford as local MP Joanne Kemper.
Ludwig’s first outing was a delightful mash up of the Beeb’s best crime dramas, with all the urban police corruption intrigue of Line of Duty mixed with the cosy crime vibes of Death in Paradise and season 2 promises to deliver much of the same.
Here's how to watch Ludwig season 2 from anywhere in the world. We've got all the information you'll need below, and be sure to check out everything we know about Ludwig season 2 right here.
How to watch Ludwig S2 online in the UK for free
How to watch Ludwig S2 from anywhere with a VPN
If you're traveling outside the UK, you can watch Ludwig on BBC iPlayer by using a VPN – no matter where you are in the world!
Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.
Our favorite VPN is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at NordVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch – in this case, the UK
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
How to watch Ludwig S2 in the US
While there's no release date currently set for season 2 of Ludwig in the US, when it does arrive, it'll find a home alongside season 1 on BritBox.
BritBox costs $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year, with the Premium tier (4K streaming, downloads, select early access) coming in at an annual price of $149.99. New subscribers can also make use of a 7-day FREE trial.
UK citizens abroad who want to access their usual free stream will need a VPN to watch Ludwig. We've got all the details you need for that below.
How to watch Ludwig S2 in Australia
The good news for Aussies is that when season 2 of Ludwig does arrive, it'll stream for free on 7Plus. The bad news is there's currently no word on when that might be.
UK viewers Down Under who want to access their usual free stream will need a VPN to watch Ludwig. We've got all the details right here.
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