Spin-off of hugely popular BBC drama ‘paused indefinitely’

The Split’s spin-off has reportedly been ‘paused indefinitely’.

It was originally announced in February that fans would get to see the world of the popular BBC legal drama expand, and filming was expected to begin in Manchester next month, however, they’ll have to wait longer than originally expected.

A BBC insider claimed ‘editorial reasons’ are behind the delay for the series, entitled The Split Up.

No specific details were provided about why the team needed a longer amount of time to resolve creative issues.

The BBC and production group Sisters remain committed to the drama, with filming planned to begin at a later date, that is yet to be decided. The pause is simply to allow more space for the team to hone the creative direction.

The decision was made prior to the full casting and crewing up progress, so as to impact a minimum number of people.

Fewer than 10 were officially working on the series as it was still in this pre-production stage.

Ursula Rani Sarma is the creator behind The Split Up, which will be based at Kishan Law – a high-end Manchester-based British-Asian divorce firm. The family firm’s future and legacy will be thrown into disarray when a secret is exposed.

‘I watched The Split with admiration over the years, and I was honoured to be asked to create The Split Up: a spin-off which introduces a whole new family and city while still holding on to the warmth, humour and heartbreak of Abi Morgan’s original series,’ said Ursula at the time of the announcement.

Ursula continued: ‘To be able to place a contemporary British Asian family, helmed by brilliant women, at the heart of a primetime drama series is a dream come true for me as a writer who believes strongly in the importance of representation on our screens.’

The series would help to address the shortage of authentic British Asian screen stories on TV, which is particularly important right now after rioting in the UK opened up a conversation about how the industry could do more.

Fans do still have something to look forward to as there is new content coming from The Split universe – a two-parter later this year.

The show follows the lives of the three Dafoe sisters Hannah (Nicola Walker), Nina (Annabel Scholey), Rose (Fiona Button), and their mother Ruth (Deborah Findlay) who all work as divorce lawyers.

Set two years after the third season, the two-parter sees divorced Hannah entertain the idea of finding love again at a beautiful wedding in Catalonia’s wine region.

According to the BBC, the special will encompass ‘break-ups, reunions and like all good weddings, plenty of romance.’

Among a host of new actors, including Toby Stephens, and the four Dafoe women, cast confirmed for the returns for the Spanish extravaganza include Stephen Mangan, Ian McElhinney and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

Teasing what to expect from the two-parter, creator Abi Morgan said: ‘In a world of brutal break ups and tantalising make-ups, the Defoe family are invited to a destination wedding of their own, promising all that audiences have grown to love about The Split.

‘Problematic prenups, scandalous wedding crashers, and low-flying marriage proposals, as rom-com meets gone wrong, in a chaotic and riotous weekend that guarantees to crack open the heart, before the last of the guests have gone home.’

The Split, which is an authentic, multi-layered, witty examination of modern marriage and the legacy of divorce, first aired on the BBC in 2018 and ran for three seasons and 18 episodes until 2022.

The second series of The Split, which averaged over 6million viewers and over 19million streams, became the third most-watched drama series on BBC iPlayer in 2020.

Nicola and Stephen Mangan played top divorce lawyers Hannah and Nathan Stern, who had to negotiate their own separation in series three.

The Split is available to watch on BBC iPlayer