Ludwig; Lion

“Like all cosy crime series, Ludwig is up to its elbow patches in nostalgia. There is a tangible yearning for a time before the impertinences of modern drama; a time of corniced accents and iced-sponge values, of labradors in padded gilets upbraiding menials on gravel driveways. But Ludwig is as sharp as it is cuddly, its bobbly pullover concealing a script (by series creator Mark Brotherhood) that revels in wordplay and the infinite micro-horrors of social awkwardness. Best of all is the ever-expanding friendship between John and the gloriously direct Lucy, who has finally and rightly been elevated from underused supporting character to giddily eccentric co-lead. And what fun Maxwell Martin is having; bounding around Cambridge in her dinky ankle socks, her schoolgirl bob bouncing with investigative zeal.”
Sarah Dempster, The Guardian

“I’ve been waiting impatiently for the second series of Ludwig (BBC One), but with a slight worry. Could it possibly be as good as series one? Relief: it is. The script is cracking, David Mitchell is great, and the supporting performances are faultless. It also features a guest appearance from Stephen Merchant as an obnoxious snooker player. What more could you want?”
Anita Singh, Telegraph

“It feels appropriate that the slight drop in temperature and the oncoming onslaught of rain should coincide with the release of Ludwig’s second season. The BBC show, about a puzzle whizz (David Mitchell) solving the mystery of his detective twin brother’s disappearance while also solving many a murder along the way, is an autumnal comfort watch. It is best enjoyed like a mug of milky tea, sipped down easily and without much thought. Ah, tastes like nothing at all – but it’s comforting all the same. How you feel about Ludwig series two will depend on how you felt about Ludwig series one, not to mention your mileage for cosy crime more generally. Think Richard Osman novels and that Netflix film about sheep detectives; it’s a little precious and a lot twee.”
Annabel Nugent, Independent

“Bumbling of manner, corduroyed of appearance and a likeably clever stranger to modernity, Ludwig is said to be the role Mitchell was born to play (a description that, while not inaccurate, did not feel wholly welcomed by the man himself when I interviewed him). Still, Ludwig’s double act with Maxwell Martin’s Lucy, who has her own raft of neuroses and eccentricities, is delightful: a fond, funny, frustrated friendship that bubbles with a pleasing fleck of sexual tension. John, you feel, is probably rather miffed that the twin got to her first.”
Ben Dowell, The Times

“Lion, the astonishing four-part wildlife documentary from Hollywood producer Jon Favreau (who previously directed the 2019 remake of Disney’s The Lion King) and BBC natural history veteran Mike Gunton, shows us Africa in vivid detail that only the animals themselves have seen before. State-of-the-art drone photography takes us so close to the big cats, we can almost feel their breath. This is very different to the long lens telephoto film-making that has delivered superb landmark series such as Planet Earth and Our Planet, where we crept as close as possible to the animals but held to a single viewpoint. Now the camera can track alongside the lions, hover above them, even circle through the pride. It’s as though we’ve become one of them, and the sensation is exhilarating.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail