‘The Split Up’ Teaser Puts Ritu Arya in a Precarious Position
The BBC has released the first trailer for 'The Split' spinoff, 'The Split Up.'
Fans of Nicola Walker may remember The Split, which debuted on the BBC in 2018, the same year the first two seasons of the Masterpiece hit Unforgotten first arrived in the U.S. Walker starred as Hannah Stern, the eldest daughter of the Defoe family of divorce lawyers, and the only one who does not work at the family’s firm, having chosen their rivals, Noble & Hale. By the second season, the firms had merged into Noble Hale Defoe; after Season 3 was released, it was announced that the series would end with a Christmas special in 2024.
Like many British dramas in the late twenty-teens, the series spent time on multiple American streaming services. The first two seasons languished unwatched on Sundance Now before AMC Global moved the series to AMC+/BBC America for the third and final season. The show’s full run has since settled on Hulu, following the Christmas special finale. But despite Walker’s popularity, both AMC’s and Hulu’s inability to market their British offerings has left the series underwatched in the U.S.
Thankfully, the show was a big hit in the U.K., which is why the BBC has commissioned a spinoff of The Split, The Split Up. Featuring a completely new cast of characters and a new firm, the series nevertheless managed to find a continuity hook via Unforgotten, casting Walker’s longtime co-star Sanjeev Bhaskar as Dhruv Kishan, the paterfamilias of Kishan Law, whose eldest daughter, Aria Kishan (played by The Umbrella Academy’s Ritu Arya), is poised to take over the firm.
Here’s the new series’ synopsis:
In The Split Up, the death of Aria’s mother has cast a new light over succession plans for Dhruv, who has begun to wonder if his daughter can, or should, take on this responsibility single-handedly. Aria’s relationship is placed under scrutiny too, with the wedding to long-term partner Neal on the horizon, but with their personal and professional lives so entwined, it’s unclear if their relationship can withstand any more pressure - a problem further compounded when a former secret flame arrives in Manchester unexpectedly.
Alongside her siblings Maya and Kav, whose own relationships and loyalties are far from straightforward, Aria must navigate the splits that divide family and those we love – and ask herself: who should you live your life for?
Ritu Arya, Sanjeev Bhasker, and Aysha Kala in 'The Split Up' (BBC/Sister)
Alongside Arya and Bhaskar, the series also stars Aysha Kala (Virdee) and Arian Nik (Film Club) as Aria’s siblings, Maya and Kav; Danny Ashok (Dinosaur) as firm partner and Aria’s fiancé, Neal; and Dimitri Leonidas (Those About To Die) as Luke, the new hire who is also secretly Aria’s ex.
The supporting cast includes Sindhu Vee (Starstruck), Shalini Peiris (The White Lotus), Tom Forbes (Queenie), and Mawaan Rizwan (Juice). Since the series is also a divorce-case-of-the-week show, it will also bring a bevy of guest stars, including Lenny Henry (Three Little Birds), Jane Horrocks (COBRA), and Jameela Jamil (The Good Place).
Aysha Kala, Ritu Arya, Danny Ashok, Dimitri Leonidas and Arian Nik in 'The Split Up'
The Split Up was conceived of by Ursula Rani Sarma (Bodkin), based on Abi Morgan’s The Split. Sarma is also the lead writer on the series, with Sumerah Srivastav (Missing You), Kaamil Shah (Sparks), and Sonali Bhattacharyya (Doctors) also penning episodes. Directors Shamim Sarif (Murdoch Mysteries) and Khurrum M Sultan (Vera) split helming duties with Natasha Romaniuk producing. Sarma, Sarif, and Morgan all executive produce, alongside Jane Featherstone and Bryony Arnold, with Nawfal Faizullah for the BBC.
The Split Up is expected to debut on the BBC before the end of 2026. It does not yet have an American distributor, but we’re hoping whoever scoops this up will secure the rights to the original series and put both shows in front of the audience they deserve.
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