The Split Up review: A compelling and glamorous spin-off

The whiff of power and wealth is unmistakeable in this glossy BBC legal drama, just as it was in Abi Morgan’s popular BBC legal drama The Split, from which it derives its DNA.

Much like the original series – which first aired in 2018 and starred Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan as married divorce lawyers – this six-part show is centred around a successful law firm. This time, it’s set in Manchester and run by Dhruv Kishan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) and – to a certain extent – his wider family.

Written by Ursula Rani Sarma (Morgan is an executive producer), the series revolves around Kishan Law, where rising star Aria (Ritu Arya) is poised to take over from her father, Dhruv. But as he begins to wonder whether his daughter is ready to head up the firm, other names enter the fray – including, rather awkwardly, Aria’s fiancé Neal (Danny Ashok).

In this firm, they blithely talk in millions of pounds while negotiating A-list divorce settlements and pre-nups. But behind the wood-panelled doors and legal jargon there’s more intrigue, family secrets, resentments and deception than in a typical week in soapland.

This is also polished escapism, where you must suspend your disbelief at how the family manage to juggle their high-powered workload and hectic social lives (the Kishans go to a lot of smart parties, fancy restaurants and chic nightclubs) with family responsibilities (whether that’s raising children, placating in-laws or keeping daddy onside) and still find time to arrive at the office – probably after having worked out at the gym first – with perfect hair and make-up and wearing the most stylish outfit imaginable.

You’ll probably recognise many of the cast: as well as Arya (The Umbrella Academy) and Ashok (Dinosaur), Dimitri Leonidas (Those About to Die) as Aria’s former flame, and Shalini Peiris (The White Lotus) as a glamorous rival lawyer, guest stars also include Lenny Henry, Jane Horrocks, Jameela Jamil and Adam Woodward.

Each episode deals with a case du jour, which could be an acrimonious divorce or involve a financial settlement on an unborn grandchild but, although these always have a spicy twist to keep our interest, they tend to be despatched with efficient speed and professionalism by the lawyers so that we can focus on the juicy, personal issues that keep unsettling the Kishan clan. And they have a lot of personal issues.

For starters, about-to-retire Dhruv is struggling to hand over the reins. His reluctance to step back means he’s continually steamrollering daughter Aria, overriding her or wrong-footing her with his business decisions, which strangely she finds hard to contest. She is finding it equally hard to commit to her long-term relationship with fellow lawyer, Neal.

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Meanwhile, other members of the Kishan family are struggling to deal with a partner’s extra-marital affairs, low self-esteem and financial problems while everyone is desperately trying to keep it professional in the workplace.

The mix of elegance, success and sleaze is an addictive brew – as those who remember the days when we were glued to Dallas and Dynasty will know.

But it also contrasts the modern, calculated cut-and-thrust world of the law with the traditional values of a British Asian family. Watching people’s fractured relationships has never been so compelling – or so glamorous.

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