Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | TV | August 31, 2025
Middle age is a weird thing. It’s when you go to concerts and everyone sits. The entire time! You get strangely particular about coffee. You swap beer for cocktails. You start appreciating nature more. You shift from competitive mode to survivor mode.
And your TV habits change, too. Westerns suddenly feel more appealing. You’re less drawn to the big cultural moment (I still can’t make it through Wednesday). Then, on a whim, you grab a Britbox subscription, and keep it (and it may have even inspired a certain piece).
A few weeks ago, I reviewed Code of Silence because it was trending and I needed something to cover. It was fine, though it fell apart at the end. But in that review, I was struck by how many readers suggested other Britbox shows to watch. I couldn’t resist trying one when I should’ve been catching up on the popular stuff (sorry again, Wednesday).
The one that got the most attention was Ludwig (though Karen Pirie is next). I watched an episode. Then another. And I liked it, so much that I started saving the rest for nights when I had to sit through something like The Yogurt Shop Murders or Alien: Earth. This British series about a puzzle-maker stepping in as a detective for his missing twin brother became my go-to wind-down show.
And Ludwig is a delight! It’s exactly what you want in a mystery: weekly cases that are complicated (but not too complicated), solved with puzzle logic, plus an overarching mystery (what happened to the brother?) that keeps the season moving. It’s tailor-made for someone who loved Veronica Mars in their twenties. The characters are quirky but kind, and the show values intelligence. It’s a little formulaic, but never dull.
The cast is terrific, too: David Mitchell (The Peep Show) as the twin brothers, the Olivia Colman-esque Anna Maxwell Martin as the wife, Dipo Ola as the supportive partner, and even Gerran Howell, surprisingly British if you first saw him as the bumpkin farmer doctor on The Pitt.
It’s genuinely fun, but also relaxing. There’s no urgency, no pressure to bingewatch the whole six-episode season in a night. It’s not edgy, but it’s not too cozy either. And with just one season (a second on the way), you never feel behind.
So thanks for the recommendation, folks. I hope others check it out. In the meantime, I’m already watching another Britbox series that drops next week — on purpose. I don’t know what’s happening to me, except that maybe, in this political climate, a good British mystery really is exactly what hits the spot.
