The Aporia · Glossy legal drama spin-off brings a splash of Bollywood to Manchester: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews BBC's The Split Up

Glossy legal drama spin-off brings a splash of Bollywood to Manchester: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews BBC's The Split Up

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Stevens, C. (2026, September 21). Glossy legal drama spin-off brings a splash of Bollywood to Manchester: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews BBC's The Split Up. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/tvshowbiz/article-16146857/Glossy-legal-drama-spin-brings-splash-Bollywood.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

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Christopher Stevens reviews BBC’s legal drama spin-off "The Split Up," set in Manchester with a new cast and Hindu cultural context. The series follows three siblings—Aria, Kav, and Leela—and mirrors the original's format by handling one divorce case each week for wealthy clients while exploring their complex personal relationships. Unlike the London-based version, this remake incorporates elements of Bollywood and emphasizes the family’s Indian heritage through cultural references and traditions, though it struggles with chemistry between some actors like Lenny Henry and Jane Horrocks who portray a satirical married couple.

Written by AI on 2026-09-21, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

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The BBC has remade its popular legal drama "The Split" as "The Split Up," setting it in Manchester instead of London and featuring a predominantly South Asian cast. The show revolves around the complex love lives of three siblings: Aria, who's about to marry her long-time sweetheart despite having an affair with new associate lawyer Luke; her married sister dealing with infidelity from her husband; and her gay brother navigating numerous relationships. The drama explores themes of family, culture, and personal struggles within a high-profile law firm in Manchester. While the premise is similar to the original London-based show, "The Split Up" emphasizes Hindu cultural elements and showcases a fresh narrative set against the backdrop of Media City, reflecting the growing diversity and influence of Manchester in British media.

Written for “Legal Drama Spinoff Review” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Christopher Stevens

9 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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🔮 Aran Murphy has been cast as Rick in Klara And The Sun, an adaptation of Nobel prize-winner Kazuo Ishiguro’s fantasy, which will be released in cinemas this Friday He plays Gabriel in Sky Atlantic's divorce drama War, the truculent son of a Hollywood actress and her billionaire husband (played by Sienna Miller and Dominic West) He has also been cast as Rick, by director Taika Waititi in his adaptation of Nobel prize-winner Kazuo Ishiguro’s fantasy Klara And The Sun, which is released in cinemas this Friday.

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2026-09-21 · assertive framing · Glossy legal drama spin-off brings a splash of Bollywood to Manchester: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews BBC's The Split Up

Also by Christopher Stevens

Attenborough the Extraordinary shows us more wonder we could never have imagined: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS' five-star review as Blue Planet returns with a stunning third series

2026-11-01 · Daily Mail

As Patrick Stewart dies aged 86, CHRISTOPHER STEVENS on the Star Trek captain from Yorkshire who conquered Hollywood at warp speed

2026-10-30 · Daily Mail

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2026-10-20 · Daily Mail

The spectacular rise of Cillian Murphy's son Aran, his fortunate (and bizarrely similar) two new roles... and why I'm not convinced it's all down to him inheriting his father's genius

2026-10-20 · Daily Mail

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 9 articles by Christopher Stevens →

Claims (22 extracted, 1 hedged)

Now that the Beeb is based in Media City, and Andy Burnham has opened a Number 10 North, it makes sense for every TV show based in London to head up the M6. asserted

show → base → M6

Remakes could include Gangs Of Manchester, Toast Of Manchester, Manchester's Burning and Inside The Tower Of Manchester. uncertain

Remakes → include → Manchester

The Split, that scandalously enjoyable romantic drama set at a top London family law firm, has made the journey north, too — reimagined with a completely new cast and retitled The Split Up. asserted

Split → set → cast

That should probably be pronounced The Split Oop. asserted

That → pronounce → ?

Superficially, it looks different. asserted

it → look → ?

The three siblings at the heart of the story are second–generation British, the children of ambitious patriarch Dhruv Kishan (Sanjeev Bhaskar), and great emphasis is placed on their Hindu culture. asserted

emphasis → place → culture

All the children have complicated love lives — one is married to an unfaithful husband, one is gay and promiscuous, and the central character Aria (Ritu Arya) is about to marry her long–time sweetheart... despite her fling with the firm's new associate lawyer, Luke (Dimitri Leonidas). asserted

character → have → lawyer

That set–up is practically identical to the original version, which ran for four series. asserted

which → run → series

So is the format, with the firm handling one divorce case each week for super–rich or celebrity clients. asserted

firm → handle → clients

Glossy legal drama spin–off brings a splash of Bollywood to Manchester: asserted

off → bring → Manchester

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews BBC's The Split Up asserted

STEVENS → review → Up

This time, Lenny Henry and Jane Horrocks play podcasters Alex and Tash, who have built their brand on the pretence of a perfect marriage. asserted

who → play → marriage

This is a trifle tarnished when Tash is caught by paparazzi with her lover, who is half her age... and female. asserted

who → catch → lover

As satire, it's an amusing idea, but ruined by the total lack of chemistry between Jane and Sir Len. asserted

it → ruin → Jane

I couldn't believe they'd ever exchanged more than small talk, let alone been married 40 years. asserted

they → believe → talk

She isn't afraid of trading in stereotypes to raise a smile, either. asserted

She → trade → smile

Dhruv launches into a speech about how he arrived in this country 'with just one change of clothes and £5 in my pocket', while his daughter rolls her eyes — she's obviously heard this story countless times. asserted

she → launch → story

The younger adults call any middle–aged woman 'Aunty', regardless of their relationship. asserted

adults → call → relationship

The aunties, knowing perfectly well that Kav (Arian Nik) is gay, gather round him, demanding, 'When are we going to find a lovely bride for you?' asserted

we → know → you

Dhruv's late wife died six months before this story begins, and a shrine to her memory in his home, her photo surrounded by pictures of the gods, is a constant physical reminder of her presence in all their minds. asserted

shrine → die → minds

The first episode builds to an engagement party that is a celebration of the family's Indian traditions, with sumptuous costumes and a dance routine for the whole cast. asserted

that → build → cast

Even Bollywood's gone to Manchester. asserted

Bollywood → go → Manchester

Glossy legal drama spin-off brings a splash of Bollywood to Manchester: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews BBC's The Split Up

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Claims (22 extracted, 1 hedged)