Ludwig; Nobody Wants This

“There aren’t many actors better than David Mitchell at pretending to be bewildered by the modern world. It’s almost as if he’s not actually pretending. This made him perfect for the title role in Ludwig, a clever comedy detective drama which might be the best thing he’s done in years.”
Roland White, Daily Mail

“Ludwig is really very good. It’s cosy crime without being twee, blessed with a witty script. The only reason to avoid it would be if you’re not a fan of David Mitchell, because the whole thing is built around his David Mitchell-ness.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“In this first episode of Ludwig, perfect as he is for the part of John Taylor, a nerdish, puzzle-solving introvert with a 20-year-old analogue mobile phone, the vehicle feels at times almost too gentle for him. As if he is only being allowed to use 75 per cent of his funny bones. Three quarters of Mitchell is, though, enough to carry a show, and it helps that his co-star in this one is the estimable Anna Maxwell Martin as Lucy, his sister-in-law. It may not be the most exciting series you’ll see this month, but it might well be the most charming.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“It is a very gentle six episodes. There is a lot of explanation of every plot point and every twist but its amiability predisposes you to suspend the vast amounts of disbelief required to make the thing work.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“The whole thing is enlivened by some top-notch guest appearances – Sir Derek Jacobi, Felicity Kendal, a bewildered Karl Pilkington – and while it’s true that sometimes the series is so light it’s in danger of floating clean away, its very undemanding nature is perhaps its key asset. It might not be hard-hitting, but it’s certainly charming.”
Nick Duerden, The i

“There is an undeniable affability to Mitchell as a performer; an effect that seems to convey natural and genuine intelligence in an instant. But there’s something missing, too. In his best performances, Mitchell excels at weeding out the sanctimony and subtle nastiness in his characters: Ludwig, all too pure, sees this toolkit left idle. With all that said, I could see Ludwig proving a hit. We are – as the runaway success of shows such as Death in Paradise suggests – a nation that seemingly cannot get enough of whimsical, innocuous crime procedurals.”
Louis Chilton, The Independent

“Lemme tell you – everybody wants this. It’s the funniest, sweetest, most scabrous, most romantic, most real thing we’ve seen since – well, since Colin from Accounts. Adam Brody and Kristen Bell have worked together before and are friends in real life, which surely helps, but their on-screen chemistry – in the romantic scenes, sure, but more importantly and even more potently in the bantering, teasing conversations in between – is something special and a joy to watch.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“There’s a recent trend for sharp-witted, small-screen rom coms – Colin from Accounts, Starstruck – and these series live or die on two things: the scripts and the chemistry of the central duo. And boy, do Bell and Brody have chemistry. The pair are electric together, exchanging fun, silly banter. It’s spectacular casting. Small niggles aside, this is a warm, funny and blisteringly romantic giant hug of show.”
Francesca Steele, The i

“The whole thing is an enjoyable mix of romcom escapism and sometimes acerbic realism. Joanne and Noah are a couple you want to root for. I get the feeling the show’s title won’t be a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Katie Rosseinsky, The Independent

“Noughties nostalgists will probably love it, but it’s the up-to-date elements that grate – mostly Joanne’s job as co-host of a dreadful sex and dating podcast with her sister, wanging on in a drearily self-absorbed fashion about ‘female empowerment’ and ‘having healthy relationships going forward’. Writer Erin Foster is said to have loosely based Nobody Wants This on her own life, and you’ve got to hope she’s less irritating than this.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph