VIRDEE: BBC CRIME DRAMA AXED BY BBC AFTER ONE SERIES DUE TO LOW RATINGS

The BBC have reportedly axed crime drama Virdee, which is based on the best-selling novels by AA Dhand, after one series due to low ratings.

The series starred Staz Nair in the lead role of Bradford-based detective, Harry Virdee. He was joined by Aysha Kala (Criminal Record, Indian Summers) who plays Harry’s wife, Saima and Vikash Bhai (Crossfire, Limbo) as Saima’s brother, Riaz.

Set and filmed entirely in Bradford, Virdee tells the story of Detective Harry Virdee, a dedicated cop estranged from his Sikh family after marrying Saima, a Muslim woman.

A turf war is brewing in the underbelly of the city with the police losing its grip on gang rivalries as they spill out onto the streets of Bradford.  When a young dealer is murdered, Harry’s duty to uphold the law clashes with his links to members of the crime gangs. With his personal life in chaos, he must hunt down whoever is targeting those around him.  

Whilst the killer holds the entire city to ransom, Harry realises that he is going to need the help of his brother-in-law Riaz, a drugs kingpin who runs the largest cartel in the county. Pulled together in an alliance that could ruin them both, Harry must make a choice: save himself and his family or save his city. He will not be able to do both.

Virdee is available now on BBC iPlayer.