The BBC has cancelled detective drama Virdee after just one series, despite receiving rave reviews from viewers. The show, based on A A Dhand's novels, starred Game of Thrones actor Staz Nair as Bradford-based detective Harry Virdee, who investigates a killer targeting the local Asian community.
A source told The Sun that the drama failed to attract sufficient viewing figures to justify a second series. 'There was a lot of hope that Virdee would work because it was a deviation for a crime series and it did gain its own following,' they said. 'But the audience just didn’t come in sufficient numbers to make it a viable proposition for a second series.'
A BBC spokesperson confirmed the show averaged 3.3 million viewers during its run in February 2025. 'We’d like to thank Amit Dhand and the Virdee team for a brilliant series, we are really proud of the show and we are talking to Amit about future projects,' they said.
The series followed Nair's detective as he tracked down a killer while navigating his Sikh family's disapproval of his marriage to his Muslim wife Saima, played by Aysha Kala. The cast also included Manjinder Virk, Kulvinder Ghir, and Elizabeth Berrington.
Fans expressed disappointment, with one viewer calling the decision 'madness' on X, adding: 'Virdee was brilliant and had so much potential.' Another criticised the lack of promotion, saying: 'It seems the BBC didn’t promote it that much.'
