Producer Georgie Fallon Talks The Second Series Of The BBC’s Ludwig

A Change In Dynamic?

The BBC’s Ludwig starring David Mitchell returned for a second series last week, 20 August, and here’s its producer Georgie Fallon, talking about what we can expect…

Can you tell us a little bit about where we left our characters at the end of series one?

At the end of series one, John had to basically confess that he’d been impersonating his brother to get Lucy off the murder charge of Holly. So, it was revealed to Carol and his colleagues that he wasn’t who he said he was, but to protect all the murders that he had solved, they decided to maintain the pretence that he was James so that he could hand in his resignation and then James could disappear, and then John could kind of step forward. The team sort of pulled together to protect him, and by the end of series one, the only person who didn’t know who he was, was Ziegler. 

Where does that leave John at the beginning of series two?

At the end of series one, they finally cracked the cypher that James had left them and found a storage unit which was full of material that James had stolen from somebody who’d been murdered before the series, which was all the evidence of this conspiracy that they’d been investigating. They’ve basically taken on the task of: we’ve got to find out what has happened. That carries into series two. They’ve got all these files; they need to find out where James is, what the conspiracy is, who knows about it, but also at the same time, John’s been employed as a crime scene consultant by the police because he’s pretty good at solving murders, so they want to keep him around. 

How has John changed now that he’s a crime scene consultant?

John is no longer having to conceal his identity, so, he’s able to have a bit more confidence. We get to enjoy him not really minding that he doesn’t know what a police detective does and embracing his own approach. He’s a bit more comfortable in that sense, but he’s also still got to conceal his identity from Ziegler. Chief Constable Ziegler, who’s played by Ralph Inneson, who’s the big boss in Cambridge and someone that we know, slash suspect, has got some ulterior motives. He’s the only person who doesn’t know that John was pretending to be James. They’ve got to pretend that John has just suddenly arrived as James has departed, which is quite funny to witness.

What new role does Lucy take on this season?

Lucy in series two is on fire. She is basically running the conspiracy side of their investigation. So, while John’s faffing around solving murders, she’s really focused on how to find out what has happened to James and why. We get to see her investigate on her own a lot more. She’s always been very proactive.

How has John and Lucy’s relationship evolved in series two?

They’re an interesting mixture of good friends, almost like brother and sister, but also there’s this sort of deep history between them. It’s nice seeing John take on that family role because it’s not comfortable for him, but he’s also stepping in where his brother isn’t there for Henry and Lucy. Lucy can just understand him quickly and isn’t hesitant to tell him so. There’s a familiarity about the two of them together, which is fun. It’s intriguing.

Can you tell us about Gareth and the introduction of the East Anglia Advertiser?

The East Anglia Advertiser is a local paper. I think it was once quite an important publication in Cambridge, but I’m sure budget cuts have meant it’s sort of a one-man band and they focus mainly on advertising. Lucy taps them to get access. She wants the backing as a journalist so that she can get access to people and speak to them in her investigation.

Could you tell us about the relationship between Lucy and Gareth?

They have a fun repartee, and he doesn’t really take any of her rubbish, which is quite fun to watch because she obviously gives John quite a lot of rubbish, and John doesn’t really know how to respond. She needs him for access. He doesn’t really want the hassle, but he gradually finds himself getting increasingly involved in what she’s doing, so as the series develops, we see him get more interested and he comes physically closer in the office as the episodes go.

Is Cambridge as a setting important to the show?

Cambridge, as a setting, is important to the show. We didn’t want to set it in London because so much is set in London, but Cambridge feels like a big enough, cosmopolitan enough city to justify the horrendous number of murders that they have there. It’s also beautiful on camera and feels recognisable to viewers, but it hasn’t been seen loads. I think Cambridge has a nice mix of the beautiful old architecture, but also this really modern side with the science parks and all the research and that’s very interesting for us to set our world in.

Tell us about the introduction of Joanne Kemper. How has her character impacted this larger mystery that’s going on?

The introduction of Joanne Kemper in this series, which is played by Sian Clifford, speaks to the conspiracy escalating, and it’s that classic thing of it goes all the way to the top. I think this series is about realising that there’s someone even above Ziegler who knows what’s going on and pulling John and Lucy further into this world of power and politics that’s not accessible and quite scary. She comes from a lineage. Her father was an MP. He knew Ziegler, so you start to realise there’s all these connections and that increases the stakes for Lucy and John because they realise they’re dealing with some quite powerful people, and she represents that.

Why is Ludwig an unmissable show?

Ludwig is an unmissable show because you can watch it with your whole family. The crimes are so cleverly plotted, and the way that they relate to different puzzles, I think, is enjoyable to figure out.

Do you have a favourite puzzle in the show?

I think my favourite puzzle in the show is maybe the episode five puzzle. I won’t reveal too much, but it’s quite satisfying to see because it’s a puzzle that’s created by the murderer.

What was the thinking behind some of the costumes for Ludwig?

In series one of Ludwig, we first meet John at home, and he’s in his knitwear. When he must pretend to be James, he borrows his suit, which is a nice corduroy suit and he basically wears that for the whole series. We knew we wanted quite a strong look for John that would become that iconic look that you’re used to seeing with television detectives.