The Split Up Trailer Reveals Manchester Legal Family Drama 2026

Key Points

• The BBC has unveiled a new trailer for The Split Up, which is going to be a spin-off drama of The Split and will consist of six episodes.
• The upcoming series was shot in Manchester and revolves around the Kishan Law family.
• The Split Up stars Ritu Arya as Aria Kishan and Sanjeev Bhaskar as her father Dhruv.
• The plot is about a law firm run by a family who handles divorce cases of rich people.
• Aria is about to take charge of the firm while handling family bereavement, pressure at work and problems in her wedding.
• The BBC will air the series from Sunday, September 20 via BBC One with episodes broadcasting at 9 pm on Sunday and Monday.
• All the six episodes of the series will premiere on BBC iPlayer from that day.
• The series stars Danny Ashok, Dimitri Leonidas, Aysha Kala, Arian Nik, Lenny Henry, Jane Horrocks and Jameela Jamil.
• The Split Up is penned and created by Ursula Rani Sarma, who is behind Bodkin and Delicious.
• Television audiences are able to stream all the three series and the Barcelona special of The Split on BBC iPlayer.

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) September 10, 2026- The BBC released a new trailer for The Split Up on Thursday, introducing a new family, legal firm and set of personal conflicts in the Manchester-filmed spin-off of The Split.

The six-part legal drama follows the Kishan family, who run Kishan Law, a prominent firm serving wealthy clients in Manchester. The series focuses on the tension between professional responsibility and family loyalty as the firm prepares for a possible change in leadership.

The trailer introduces Aria Kishan, played by Ritu Arya, as a rising legal professional who is approaching a major turning point in both her career and personal life. She is expected to take over the family business founded by her father, Dhruv Kishan, played by Sanjeev Bhaskar.

However, Aria’s succession is not straightforward. According to a BBC representative quoted in the Manchester Evening News report, Dhruv begins to question whether his daughter is ready to manage Kishan Law independently after the family suffers the death of Aria’s mother.

The new series is expected to retain the emotional focus associated with The Split while introducing a British South Asian family at the centre of the story.

When will The Split Up be released on BBC One and iPlayer?

The BBC is scheduled to premiere The Split Up on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on Sunday, September 20, 2026.

All six episodes are expected to become available on BBC iPlayer on the launch date. BBC One will broadcast the episodes at 9pm on Sundays and Mondays, according to the Manchester Evening News report.

This release pattern gives viewers two ways to follow the drama. Those who prefer to watch the full series immediately will be able to use BBC iPlayer, while traditional television viewers can watch the episodes across the scheduled BBC One broadcasts.

The programme’s six-part format also places the new series in a similar legal-drama space to its predecessor, although the story is led by a new family and takes place in a different professional and cultural setting.

Who is in The Split Up cast?

Ritu Arya leads the cast as Aria Kishan. The actor is known for roles including The Umbrella Academy. In the new drama, Aria is positioned as the next generation of the Kishan Law firm and faces pressure to prove that she can take responsibility for the business.

Sanjeev Bhaskar plays Dhruv Kishan, Aria’s father and the founder of Kishan Law. Bhaskar is known for Unforgotten, and his character appears to be central to the question of whether Aria is prepared to inherit control of the firm.

Danny Ashok plays Neal, Aria’s long-term partner. Their wedding is approaching, but the relationship becomes more complicated when a figure from Aria’s past returns to her professional life.

Dimitri Leonidas plays Luke, Aria’s former secret love. Luke’s arrival at Kishan Law creates a personal and professional complication at a time when Aria is already facing pressure over her future, her family and her relationship.

The cast also includes:

• Aysha Kala as Maya Kishan.
• Arian Nik as Kav Kishan.
• Mawaan Rizwan.
• Sindhu Vee.
• Shalini Peiris.
• Tom Forbes.
• Lenny Henry.
• Jane Horrocks.
• Jameela Jamil.

The BBC has indicated that several recognisable performers will appear as guest stars, including Henry, Horrocks and Jamil.

What is the story of The Split Up?

The Split Up follows the Kishan Law family as they attempt to maintain control of their firm while dealing with difficult personal circumstances.

The business specialises in high-net-worth divorce law, meaning the family’s professional work involves wealthy clients, complex relationships and disputes involving significant financial interests. These cases provide the setting for the series, but the central conflict remains within the Kishan family itself.

Aria is expected to inherit the firm from her father. At the same time, the family is mourning the loss of her mother, and Dhruv is uncertain about whether Aria can manage the organisation alone.

The BBC representative said the family’s story would examine the question of who people should live their lives for. The statement also referred to the complicated relationships and loyalties involving Aria and her siblings, Maya and Kav.

Aria’s personal life is placed under similar pressure. She is preparing to marry Neal, her long-term partner, but Luke’s arrival at Kishan Law brings back a secret relationship from her past. That conflict is likely to affect both her engagement and her position within the family business.

The trailer therefore establishes several connected storylines: succession, grief, family loyalty, romantic conflict and the pressure of handling high-profile divorce cases.

Who created the new Split spin-off?

The Split Up has been created and written by Ursula Rani Sarma. Sarma is recognised for her work on Bodkin and Delicious.

The original The Split was written and created by Abi Morgan. It first aired in 2018 and followed the Defoe family, whose members were connected to the divorce-law profession in London.

The BBC’s new series is not centred on the Defoe family. Instead, it introduces the Kishans and moves the story to Manchester, while continuing to explore relationships shaped by divorce law and family conflict.

The change allows the spin-off to establish its own characters, setting and family structure. It also places a British South Asian family at the heart of a mainstream legal drama.

How is The Split Up connected to The Split?

The connection between the two series comes through their shared focus on family life and divorce law. The Split followed the Defoe family and explored the personal consequences of working in the legal industry, particularly within family and divorce law.

The original series starred Nicola Walker as Hannah Defoe, who worked for a competing family-law practice rather than the firm associated with her family. Other members of the original cast included Stephen Mangan, Fiona Button, Annabel Scholey, Deborah Findlay and Barry Atsma.

The Split ran for three seasons. It later returned with a two-part special set in Barcelona in 2024.

The Manchester Evening News report described The Split Up as a new spin-off rather than a continuation of the Defoe family’s story. The new drama has a different central family, new characters and a new location, but it aims to maintain the emotional concerns of the original programme.

The BBC has described the series as combining the emotional core of The Split with new narratives, settings and characters.

What happened in the original series?

The Split centred on the Defoe family, whose members were connected to divorce law through their family firm. Hannah Defoe worked at Noble & Hale, a competing family-law practice, while other members of the family remained linked to the Defoe firm.

The original drama examined the impact of professional disputes on family relationships. Its central characters were required to manage difficult legal cases while also dealing with personal decisions, romantic relationships and tensions between relatives.

The series became known for combining courtroom and legal-office storylines with domestic and emotional drama. Its return in the Barcelona special gave viewers an additional story involving the established characters before the BBC introduced The Split Up.

All three seasons of The Split, along with the Barcelona special, are currently available on BBC iPlayer for viewers who want to revisit the original series before watching the spin-off.

Why is the Manchester setting important to The Split Up?

Manchester provides the setting for the new series and is part of its identity as a separate drama from the London-based original.

The Kishan family serves Manchester’s elite through its specialist legal firm. This gives the programme a local setting while allowing it to explore high-value divorce cases and the wider pressures placed on a family-owned business.

The move from London to Manchester also helps establish a different social and professional environment. Rather than returning to the Defoe family, the spin-off presents a new family whose cultural background, relationships and responsibilities shape the story.

The BBC has described the drama as offering a fresh perspective through its portrayal of a British South Asian family. The setting and family structure are therefore central to the series rather than simply being a change of filming location.

What did the BBC say about the new series?

A BBC representative said Aria was close to inheriting her family’s firm but that Dhruv questioned whether she was ready to take on the responsibility of running Kishan Law alone.

The representative also highlighted the roles of Aria’s siblings, Maya and Kav, whose relationships and loyalties are described as complicated. The family must deal with bereavement while also considering how much responsibility should be placed on Aria.

According to the BBC statement reported by the Manchester Evening News, the series will combine the emotional aspects of The Split with new narratives and characters. The broadcaster also said the drama would explore the divisions that can affect families and the people they love.

These comments indicate that the series will focus on family relationships as much as legal cases. The firm’s clients and cases provide the professional framework, while the emotional story is built around the Kishans’ internal conflicts.

Background to the development

The Split was created by Abi Morgan and first aired in 2018. The drama followed the Defoe family and focused on divorce law, family loyalty and the effect of legal disputes on personal relationships.

The original programme ran for three seasons and featured Nicola Walker, Stephen Mangan, Fiona Button, Annabel Scholey, Deborah Findlay and Barry Atsma. A two-part special set in Barcelona was released in 2024.

The Split Up introduces a new legal family, the Kishans, and moves the action to Manchester. Ursula Rani Sarma is responsible for the new series, which has been presented as a spin-off rather than a direct continuation of the Defoe family’s story.

The new programme also expands the representation at the centre of the drama by following a British South Asian family operating a high-profile divorce-law firm. Its story begins with Aria’s potential succession, the death of her mother and the return of a former secret love.

How could The Split Up affect viewers and fans of the original drama?

For fans of The Split, the new series offers a familiar type of emotional legal drama while providing new characters and a different family story. Viewers will not need to follow the Defoe family to understand the central conflict, as the Kishans are introduced as the main characters.

The availability of all six episodes on BBC iPlayer could appeal to viewers who prefer to watch a complete series at their own pace. BBC One’s Sunday and Monday schedule, meanwhile, gives audiences a traditional weekly broadcast option.

The Manchester setting and British South Asian family at the centre of the drama may also broaden the programme’s appeal to viewers looking for legal and family stories beyond the London-based format of the original series.

The series’ likely impact will depend on how effectively it establishes its own identity. If the Kishan family’s professional and personal conflicts connect with viewers, The Split Up could develop a separate audience while also attracting fans of the original drama. Its launch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer will give the programme access to both broadcast and streaming audiences.