THE SPLIT UP: BBC ORDERS 'THE SPLIT' SPIN-OFF SERIES

The BBC has commissioned The Split Up, a new six-part series featuring the high-stakes world of Manchester’s divorce law circuit, where one family of lawyers, the Kishans, reigns supreme.

Produced by Northern SISTER in association with Little Chick for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, The Split Up’s story and characters are created by Ursula Rani Sarma (Smother, Delicious) and based on The Split created by Abi Morgan, who will executive produce alongside Sarma and The Split alumni, Lucy Dyke, Jane Featherstone and producer Sumrah Mohammed.

Kishan Law is a British-Asian high net worth family law firm in Manchester, noted for its clientele and its reputation. They are the ‘go to firm’ for Manchester’s elite who come to them for their excellence, integrity, and discretion. But the future and legacy of Kishan Law hangs in the balance when a family secret from the past comes to light, throwing their professional and personal lives into turmoil.

The Split Up (6 x 60) explores the weight of parental expectations, the forces that keep families together and the truths that tear them apart. Welcome to Kishan Law. Welcome to the family.

Ursula Rani Sarma says: “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...

"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. It has been a joy to work alongside Abi as well as Lucy Dyke, Jane Featherstone and Sumrah Mohammed at SISTER to bring it to glorious life.”

Abi Morgan says: “After the success of The Split, it’s been great to see The Split Up take shape in lead writer Ursula Rani Sarma’s capable hands, reinvigorating all that audiences love...

"A new legal family, grabbing at life in a new city, battling new legal cases, as the professional and personal deliciously collide. A brilliant new cast of characters caught in the messiness of love, marriage, deception and divorce, make it their own. It is ripe to be taken into the hearts of anyone who loved the show.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama adds: “Abi Morgan’s The Split is one of our most loved and talked about dramas and a favourite with viewers, and The Split Up, set in Manchester and brilliantly written by Ursula Rani Sarma, promises to be just as compelling. The Split Up is as full of joy, heartbreak and intrigue as the original, with a fantastic new family we’ll fall in love with.”

The Split Up’s story and characters are created by Ursula Rani Sarma and based on The Split created by Abi Morgan.