The BBC spin-off of ‘The Split,’ which was to be shot in October, has been cancelled.
EXCLUSIVE: BBC plans to expand Abi Morgan’s divorce law series The Split are on hold.
Sources tell Deadline that preparations to shoot spin-off series, The Split Up, in Manchester this October have been paused indefinitely.
BBC Insiders said that The Split Up was canceled for editorial reasons, but did not elaborate on why the producers needed additional time to solve creative issues.
The BBC is still committed to the drama produced by Sister Productions’ northern arm and Morgan Little Chick Productions. There is still no new shooting date.
The Split Up was delayed because fewer than 10 people worked on it. However, it’s believed that some others turned down other projects in order to work on the show. Casting had already begun.
The Split Up is written by Ursula Rani Sarma, who also wrote Smother, Delicious. It chronicles Kishan Law in Manchester, a prestigious British-Asian divorce law firm that’s thrown into chaos by a secret family.
The show could help to address the lack of authentic British Asian screen story after the riots in the UK raised concerns about the TV industry failing the community.
Sarma, who is a writer and believes in the importance for representation on screens, said when The Split Up was announced by Sarma in February: “To have a British Asian family led by brilliant women at the center of a drama series in prime time, it’s a dream of mine as a writer.”
The Split Up is a BBC Drama production commissioned by Lindsay Salt. Lucy Dyke is the executive producer, along with Jane Featherstone and Morgan, Sarma and Lucy Richer. Sumrah Muhammad was named producer. BBC Studios is handling the international distribution.
The Split was a three-season drama that aired in the U.S. on Sundance TV, and sold to more than 120 countries.
It will be back for a special two-part episode set in Barcelona. Toby Stephens joins the cast as Toby Stephens, Nicola Walker is back in the role of divorce lawyer Hannah Stern. Morgan is the creator of Netflix’s Benedict Cumberbatch show Eric and Oscar winner The Iron Lady.
