The 'Virdee' Trailer Introduces a New Detective to Bradford

The Industrial Revolution in Western culture was the death knell for a way of life that involved one’s extended family in the U.S., the U.K., and other European countries focused on advancing technology. But that culture is still alive and well, especially in South Asian communities. The expansion of British and American television highlights more diverse storytelling. The “family-oriented” way of life has become more prominent in mainstream culture, with shows like Ms. Marvel and Blue Beetle involving parents, siblings, and grandparents in the hero collective. Now that culture will be highlighted again in Virdee, the BBC’s first almost-all-South Asian-starring detective series.

Based on the best-selling series of crime novels by A.A. Dhand, whose titular detective, DI Harry Virdee (Staz Nair), is a British English Sikh investigator who lives and works in Bradford. Nair landed the role after original star Sacha Dhawan had to exit the series; he describes it as “a beautiful blend of genres. It’s the first time I’ve seen a series combining a crime thriller with a family drama and a heightened/Gotham-esque storyline about gangland politics. I think it’s an exciting and adventurous way to tell the story."

The family angle isn’t just due to how tight-knit South Asian communities can be in Western countries; it also delves into the religion and politics of the community via Virdee’s marriage to the love of his life. His wife, Saima, is Muslim, a fact that has caused most of his devout Sikh family to cut him off. It’s not a story one sees on the BBC very often (or on American TV much at all), and one of the many reasons the series is worth tuning into.