The Short Answer
- Professor T — a brilliant, eccentric Cambridge criminology professor helps the police with difficult cases. (PBS Masterpiece)
- McDonald & Dodds — a driven DCI and a quiet, overlooked sergeant solve murders in Bath. (BritBox)
- Jonathan Creek — a designer of stage illusions solves seemingly impossible crimes. (BritBox)
- Death Valley — a retired TV detective actor teams up with an ambitious Welsh detective sergeant. (BritBox)
- Poirot — David Suchet's meticulous Belgian detective solves Agatha Christie's intricate puzzles. (BritBox)
- The Marlow Murder Club — a crossword setter and two new friends solve murders in a Thames-side town. (PBS Masterpiece)
- Magpie Murders — a book editor hunts for the missing last chapter of a murder mystery manuscript. (PBS Masterpiece)
- Bookish — an antiquarian bookseller in 1946 London helps the police solve baffling cases. (PBS Masterpiece)
Streaming availability checked October 2026 and may change — check BritBox, Acorn TV, PBS Passport, or Prime Video for current availability.
Professor T
Professor T
Ben Miller plays Jasper Tempest, a brilliant but eccentric Cambridge criminology professor who is called in to help the police with difficult cases. Like Ludwig, it pairs a socially awkward genius with detectives who are never quite sure what to make of him.
McDonald & Dodds
McDonald & Dodds
Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins play two mismatched detectives in Bath, a driven DCI and a quiet, easily overlooked sergeant who notices everything. Fans of Ludwig will enjoy another unassuming hero whose unusual way of thinking cracks the case.
Jonathan Creek
Jonathan Creek
Alan Davies plays a designer of stage illusions who is drawn into solving seemingly impossible crimes, from locked rooms to vanishing suspects. It shares Ludwig's pleasure in a baffling puzzle that turns out to have a clever, logical answer.
Death Valley
Death Valley
Timothy Spall plays a retired TV detective actor in rural Wales who teams up with an ambitious Welsh detective sergeant to solve real murders. Like Ludwig, it finds its comedy in an outsider getting involved in police work he was never meant to be part of.
Poirot
Poirot
David Suchet's Hercule Poirot relies on order, method and careful observation to solve Agatha Christie's intricate mysteries. It is the classic model for Ludwig's kind of puzzle, where everything the viewer needs is in plain sight.
The Marlow Murder Club
The Marlow Murder Club
Samantha Bond plays Judith Potts, a crossword setter in the Thames-side town of Marlow who teams up with two new friends to solve murders the police cannot. A puzzle setter using her skills on real crimes makes it a natural next watch for Ludwig fans.
Magpie Murders
Magpie Murders
Lesley Manville plays a book editor who discovers the final chapter of a bestselling mystery manuscript is missing, just as its author dies. Anthony Horowitz's mystery-within-a-mystery structure is ideal for viewers who like to solve along with Ludwig.
Bookish
Bookish
Mark Gatiss plays Gabriel Book, an antiquarian bookseller in 1946 London whose remarkable memory for literary and historical detail makes him an unconventional police consultant. Its eccentric, bookish hero and old-fashioned puzzles will appeal to anyone who loves Ludwig's cerebral approach.
