The Split Up has arrived on the BBC, with the spin-off an acclaimed drama filmed and set in Greater Manchester.
Released in 2018, The Split was written and created by Abi Morgan. Airing for three seasons on the BBC, it concluded with a two-part special set in Barcelona in 2024. With the original series focusing on a family firm's divorce, The Split Up is doing the same but in Manchester instead of London.
Plot and cast of The Split Up
The series follows the Kishan Law family, who are trying to balance their inner drama as they navigate the charged world of high-net-worth divorce law. It follows Aria Kishan (The Umbrella Academy's Ritu Arya), who is poised to take over Kishan Law, the powerhouse family firm set up by her father Dhruv (Unforgotten's Sanjeev Bhaskar).
Outside of work, Aria faces scrutiny in her relationship too as her wedding to long-term partner Neal (Dinosaur's Danny Ashok) looms. Already struggling to make it down the aisle, things are thrown further astray when Aria's former secret flame, Luke (Those About to Die's Dimitri Leonidas) unexpectedly takes a job at Kishan Law.
Its synopsis reads: “Aria stands on the brink of inheriting her family firm, but with the family still grieving the recent death of Aria's mother, Dhruv begins to question whether his daughter can, or should, take on the responsibility of running Kishan Law single handedly.
“Alongside her siblings Maya (Virdee's Aysha Kala) and Kav (Film Club's Arian Nik), whose own relationships and loyalties are far from straightforward, Aria must ask herself: who should you live your life for?”
Filming locations in Greater Manchester
As seen with the hit film Finding Emily earlier in the year, nothing beats getting to spot places you recognise on screen. The Split Up does just that and some.
The bulk of the series was filmed at Leigh Town Hall, which was transformed into Kishan Law's office. Located in the Wigan district, Leigh is located around 18km away from the city centre. Built in 1907, Leigh Town rests in Civic Square at the junction with Market Street, facing Leigh parish church. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth famously visited the town hall to meet local soldier, Private Alfred Wilkinson in 1938 to award him the Victoria Cross for his efforts in the First World War.
Serving as the headquarters of the Municipal Borough of Leigh but it ceased to be the local seat of government when the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan was formed in 1974. Refurbishing work began in 2019 on the town hall after the council secured a grant of £1.3 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Back in November last year, camera crews were spotted filming scenes for The Split Up around the Greater Manchester market town of Altrincham. The popular cafe So Marrakech was closed for the day while crews took over. On top of this, the show's cast and crew were seen in the Gay Village on Canal Street. Lead character Aria's brother Kav's sexuality is said to be a major theme across the course of the series.
Creator on choosing Manchester
Speaking to Manchester Evening News about filming here, creator Ursula Rani Sarma said: “We looked at different cities and Manchester came through with a lovely mix of vibrancy. The Split is an aspirational world and The Split Up is the same. We wanted to have boujee restaurants, lovely apartments and homes.
“The landscape of the city really struck me as a beautiful aesthetic combination of the old and new alongside each other. There's points you can stand and look across where you've got the old red brick houses, and then skyscrapers shooting up. A lot of this show is about legacy and generational inheritance, it felt like it was the perfect backdrop.
“We kept into it as much as we could. I did a walking tour of Manchester early on in the process and we came up with writers to try and get a sense of the geography. Canal Street features, places that people familiar to the city will recognise. Also places which sell the city in a really vibrant way.
“We really wanted it [Manchester] to feel like a very present aspect of the show, in a way where people might go 'is that Manchester'. To sell its glossy shiny parts, but to lean into the heritage of some of the incredible stone buildings.”
All six episodes of The Split Up will be available on BBC iPlayer on Sunday, September 19. Episodes will air on BBC One at 9pm on Sundays and Mondays from that same date.
