First look at The Split as hit BBC drama returns in new sun-soaked location
Divorce lawyer sisters - the Defoes - will be back on our screens but not in London
FANS of The Split are getting hot and bothered about the return of the hit legal drama.
The Defoe sisters are returning for a new two-part special and there’s a twist in store.
The last season, which was on screen’s two years ago, focused on the breakdown of divorce lawyers Hannah Stern (played by Nicola Walker) and Nathan Stern’s (Stephen Mangan) marriage.
This time round the hit TV series returns for a two-part programme which show bosses revealed will be set in sunny Barcelona and that ‘love might be in the air.’
In The Split – Barcelona, the whole cast is back for a destination wedding.
The new series will follow Hannah and her sisters Nina (Annabel Scholey) and Rose (Fiona Button) as they join their domineering mother Ruth (Deborah Findlay) in a Catalonia vineyard where the wedding is set.
Fans of The Split will also be reunited with returning cast including Ian McElhinney, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Elizabeth Roberts and Alex Guersman.
New pictures have been revealed that show the first glimpse of new character Toby Stephens as eligible family lawyer Archie Moore, and glamorous hosts Alvaro (Manu Fullola) and Valentina (Romina Cocca).
Watching a loved up couple say ‘I do’, stirs feelings in Hannah about her own failed marriage.
And there’s nothing like a holiday to spark romance as the main characters realise they still have feelings for one another.
Nick and Hannah had been husband and wife 20 years until they realised they couldn’t overcome their marital woes.
Show writer Abi Morgan revealed: “In a world of brutal break ups and tantilising make ups, the Defoe family are invited to a destination wedding of their own, promising all that audiences have grown to lve about The Split.
“Problematic prenups, scandalous wedding crashers and low flying marriage proposal, as rom com meets gone wrong, in a chaotic and riotous weekend that guarantees to crack open the heart, before the last of the guests have gone home.”
Director Lindsay Salt added: “We know the Splits millions of fans found it hard to break up the Defoes, so before we delve into the heady world of the Split Up, we couldn’t resist an extra treat in the form of these esquisite, sun-drenched specials from the wonderful Abi Morgan.
The show is in priduction and show bosses have said fans will be able to watch it on BBC One and iPlayer later this year.
Meanwhile, a spin-off series set in Manchester called the Split Up is being filmed too.
BBC crime dramas
The BBC is reopening case files on an all-star line-up of crime dramas this summer.
Here’s a refresher on the popular programmes which span six decades.
- Campion: Aired from 1989 to 1990, this detective drama series was adapted from novels by Margery Allingham and stars Peter Davison.
- Dalziel And Pascoe: A gritty detective drama series about a mismatched pair of policemen, based on the award-winning books by Reginald Hill. Aired from 1996 to 2007.
- Death In Paradise: A misanthropic detective inspector is assigned to a Caribbean island against his will. Premiered in 2011 and is still on air to this day.
- Happy Valley: Created by Sally Wainwright, this northern noir follows Sarah Lancashire as Sgt Catherine Cawood – tough, defiant and facing her traumatic past.
- Hinterland: Welsh drama starring Richard Harrington. Brooding DCI Tom Mathias uncovers secrets – and links to his troubled past amid mountainous terrain and close-knit villages. Aired from 2013 to 2016.
- Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Based on the novels of Elizabeth George, this drama series is about upper-crust DI Thomas Lynley and working class DS Barbara Havers. Aired from 2001 to 2007.
- Jonathan Creek: Starring comedian Alan Davies, this comedy-drama series follows a inventor of magic tricks who is often called in to solve puzzling murders. Aired from 1997 to 2016.
- Law & Order: Originally broadcast in 1978, this four-part drama series is about the British judicial system. Stars include Peter Dean and Derek Martin.
- Life On Mars: Beguiling science-fiction police drama following a Manchester policeman who travels back to 1973 following a car accident. Stars John Simm and Philip Glenister. Aired from 2006 to 2007.
- Line Of Duty: Created by Jed Mercurio, this drama follows the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anticorruption unit. Stars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar, aired from 2012 to 2021.
- Luther: Crime drama series starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther. Aired from 2010 to 2019, with a follow-up film released in 2023.
- New Tricks: Warm-hearted drama following an eccentric group of old-fashioned detectives. Starring Dennis Waterman, Amanda Redman, Alun Armstrong and James Bolam. Aired from 2003 to 2015.
- Sherlock: Benedict Cumberbatch stars a modern day Sherlock Holmes, teaming up with Martin Freeman‘s war veteran Dr Watson to solve impossible crimes. Aired from 2010 to 2017.
- Shetland: Detective drama starring Douglas Henshall, Ashley Jensen and Alison O’Donnell, showcasing the dark side of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Premiered in 2013 and is still on air to this day.
- The Cops: Set in the fictional northern town of Stanton, this acclaimed, provocative police drama stars Katy Cavanagh, Rob Dixon and John Henshaw. Aired from 1998 to 2001.
- Waking The Dead: With a cast including Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston and Wil Johnson, this series follows a cold case team who unearths sleeping secrets, but sometimes the past is best left buried. Aired from 2000 to 2011.
- Wallander: Starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, Kurt Wallander is unable to unsee the dark crimes he’s tasked to investigate while Wallander’s job comes at a cost to his family and relationships. Aired from 2008 to 2016.
The first three series of The Split are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.