The Split (TV series)
The Split is a British legal drama television series, written and created by Abi Morgan, that first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 24 April 2018. The six-part series, commissioned in August 2016,[2] follows the lives of the Defoe family, who all work in divorce law for the family firm, aside from eldest sister Hannah (Nicola Walker), who works for rival family law firm Noble & Hale and youngest daughter who is a child minder.[3] The series co-stars Stephen Mangan, Fiona Button, Annabel Scholey and Barry Atsma.[3]
The Split | |
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Created by | Abi Morgan[1] |
Written by |
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Directed by | Jessica Hobbs[1] |
Starring | |
Composer | Isobel Waller-Bridge |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 2 |
No. of episodes | 12 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producer | Lucy Dyke[1] |
Running time | 60 minutes (inc. adverts) |
Production company | Sister Pictures |
Distributor | BBC Worldwide |
Release | |
Original network |
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Picture format | 2:1 1080p |
Audio format | Stereo |
Original release | 24 April 2018 – present |
External links | |
Website |
Production for the first series began in July 2017 in London.[3] On 13 January 2017, SundanceTV announced that it would be partnering with the BBC to produce the series.[1] SundanceTV will thus hold exclusive rights for broadcast in the United States.[1] Series 1 was released on DVD on 4 June 2018.[4]
A second series was commissioned in May 2018[5] with production beginning in March 2019.[6] Series 2 saw the return of the Defoe family at newly merged law firm Noble Hale Defoe, with most of the original cast confirmed.[6] Donna Air and Ben Bailey Smith joined the cast for the second series as high profile clients for the law firm[7] and Damien Molony as the character Tyler Donaghue.[8] The first episode of series 2 aired in the UK on BBC One on 11 February 2020[9] and in the United States on Sundance TV beginning on 15 May 2020.[10] During filming Series 2, production visited Maidstone TV Studios to film a studio show segment.[11]
Cast
Main
- Nicola Walker as Hannah Stern, a divorce lawyer working for Noble & Hale[3]
- Stephen Mangan as Nathan Stern, Hannah's husband, a barrister[3]
- Fiona Button as Rose Defoe, Hannah's youngest sister.[3]
- Annabel Scholey as Nina Defoe, Hannah's younger sister, a fellow divorce lawyer for Defoe's, the family practice[3]
- Barry Atsma as Christie Carmichael, Hannah's former boyfriend who also works for Noble & Hale[3]
- Stephen Tompkinson as Davey McKenzie, a millionaire divorcing his wife (series 1)[3]
- Meera Syal as Goldie McKenzie, Davey's wife and his company's secretary (series 1)[3]
- Anthony Head as Oscar Defoe, Hannah's long lost father (series 1)[3]
- Deborah Findlay as Ruth Defoe, Hannah's mother, the director of the family firm[3]
- Rudi Dharmalingam as James Cutler, Rose’s fiancé, later husband[3]
- Donna Air as Fi Hansen, a famous presenter divorcing her husband (series 2)[12]
- Ben Bailey Smith as Richie Hansen, Fi's husband (series 2)[12]
Supporting
- Chukwudi Iwuji as Alexander 'Zander' Hale, director of Noble & Hale [3]
- Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Glen Peters, the vicar performing Rose and James' wedding ceremony (series 1)[3]
- Maggie O'Neill as Yvonne Duchy, Goldie's best friend, who is having an affair with her husband (series 1)[3]
- Josette Simon as Maya, Oscar Defoe's second partner (series 1)
- Mathew Baynton as Rex Pope, a stand-up comedian [3]
- Elizabeth Roberts as Liv Stern, Hannah and Nathan's elder daughter[3]
- Mollie Cowen as Tilly Stern, Hannah and Nathan's younger daughter[3]
- Toby Oliver as Vinnie Stern, Hannah and Nathan's son[3]
- Ellora Torchia as Maggie Lavelle, a paralegal at Noble & Hale[3]
- Brenock O'Connor as Sasha, Liv Stern's boyfriend (series 1)
- Damien Molony as Tyler Donaghue, Zander's fiancé (series 2)
- Ian McElhinney as Prof Ronnie, a friend of Hannah Stern's mother (series 2)
Episodes
Series | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||||
1 | 6 | 24 April 2018 | 29 May 2018 | ||
2 | 6 | 11 February 2020 | 17 March 2020 |
Season 1 (2018)
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.K viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Jessica Hobbs | Abi Morgan | 24 April 2018 | 6.89[13] | |
Hannah represents the ex-wife of top stand-up comedian Rex Pope (Mathew Baynton) who has engaged in a legal battle to try to prevent him from using material referencing her in his new stand-up arena tour, and also takes on one of her mother's former clients, Davey McKenzie (Stephen Tompkinson), who has initiated divorce proceedings against wife Goldie (Meera Syal) after more than twenty years of marriage. Hannah's long-lost father, Oscar (Anthony Head) also returns after a thirty year absence to reclaim his stake in the family business. | |||||||
2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Jessica Hobbs | Abi Morgan | 1 May 2018 | 5.62[13] | |
Hannah tries to negotiate the pre-nup of Premier League footballer Diallo Diapo (Thierry Mabonga), who has a chequered history of adultery, but proceedings are hindered by the arrival of Diallo's lawyer, who just happens to be Christie's pregnant ex-wife Lauren Brooker (Ruth Bradley). Meanwhile, Oscar tries to win back the affection of his children by wining and dining them at a swanky London hotel, and the McKenzie divorce grows increasingly bitter when further relevations boil to the surface. | |||||||
3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Jessica Hobbs | Abi Morgan & Jane Eden | 8 May 2018 | 5.38[13] | |
Hannah represents Jaynie Lee (Tamara Lawrance), a high-flying businesswoman whose frozen embryos are under threat from her husband as deliberations over their divorce settlement threaten to turn ugly. Goldie discovers that Davey has an illegitimate child that he fathered ten years ago. Oscar's return continues to drive a wedge into the Defoe family dynamic. Nathan drunkenly tries to accost Nina after revealing that he no longer has sex with Hannah, and after losing her engagement ring, Rose finds herself in a compromising position with vicar Glen (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith). | |||||||
4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Jessica Hobbs | Abi Morgan | 15 May 2018 | 5.26[13] | |
The marriage of foreign secretary Emma Graham (Claire Rushbrook) and her husband Bill (Nicholas Gleaves) threatens to collapse when a 'wikileaks' style data breach of the names of members of an extra-marital affairs website threatens to reach the tabloids. Ruth holds a dinner party in celebration of Rose's impending nuptials, but the evening descends into disaster when a drunken Nina fails to watch her mouth and berates both Rose and Nathan for their marital indiscretions. | |||||||
5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Jessica Hobbs | Abi Morgan & Louise Ironside | 22 May 2018 | 5.69[13] | |
Rose's engagement to James is left in tatters and Hannah struggles to pick up the pieces of her own marriage as the fallout from Nina's revelations continue. Nina discovers that the family business is effectively bankrupt and urges Ruth to sell while the market is still viable. Goldie turns down a settlement offer from Davey, but events take an unexpected turn when the pair end up spending the night together. Nina turns to Rex Pope for comfort, while Hannah is forced to confront her feelings for Christie after discovering that Nathan's indiscretions amount to more than just signing up to a dating website. | |||||||
6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Jessica Hobbs | Abi Morgan | 29 May 2018 | 5.54[13] | |
D-Day arrives for the McKenzies as their bitter divorce finally comes to a head, but Hannah is left torn between her head and her heart after learning that losing the case could potentially spark the end of Defoes. James and Rose's wedding day goes off without a hitch, but after learning that Christie is to take up a new job in Chicago, the celebrations force Hannah to finally make a decision about the future of her marriage. |
Season 2 (2020)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.K viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Paula Van Der Oest | Abi Morgan | 11 February 2020 | 6.46 | |
Hannah meets a TV presenter who needs her help, Ruth comes to terms with a different pace of life, and Zander introduces an unsettling new colleague to the firm. | |||||||
8 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Paula Van Der Oest | Abi Morgan | 18 February 2020 | 4.82 | |
As Hannah prepares Fi Hansen for her divorce, she feels increasingly stressed by the double life she is leading with Christie. | |||||||
9 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Paula Van Der Oest | Abi Morgan and Matt Jones | 25 February 2020 | N/A | |
Hannah’s personal and professional lives collide when Nathan helps out with the Hansen case, as she desperately tries to cover up evidence of her affair with Christie. | |||||||
10 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Joss Agnew | Abi Morgan and Matt Jones | 2 March 2020[14] | N/A | |
Secrets come out and lies unravel as Hannah deals with the fallout from her anniversary party, while the Noble Hale Defoe team attend an awards ceremony for Ruth. Meanwhile, there's a nasty surprise in the Hansen case as Fi makes a revelation to Hannah that threatens to undermine their case. | |||||||
11 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Joss Agnew | Abi Morgan | 10 March 2020 | N/A | |
As the Hansen case escalates, and with the revelation of Hannah and Christie’s affair out in the open, Hannah tries to make amends and rebuild her marriage. | |||||||
12 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Joss Agnew | Abi Morgan | 17 March 2020 | N/A | |
After Hannah's heartbreaking confession to Nathan about the night before their wedding, their marriage is in turmoil. |
References
- Schwindt, Oriana (13 January 2017). "SundanceTV Partners With BBC One for Abi Morgan's 'The Split'". Variety.
- Tartaglione, Nancy (24 August 2016). "BBC One Orders Drama 'The Split' From Abi Morgan; Thandie Newton Joins 'Line Of Duty' Season 4 – Edinburgh". Deadline.com.
- Petski, Denise (28 June 2017). "'The Split': SundanceTV & BBC One Round Out Cast For Abi Morgan Drama Series". Deadline.com.
- "The Split". 4 June 2018 – via Amazon.
- The Split series 2 BBC air date, cast, trailer, plot by Emma Nolan, May 30, 2018
- "BBC - Second series of Abi Morgan's original BBC One drama The Split begins production - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk.
- "Donna Air lands role in The Split as second series goes into production". Radio Times.
- "NEW TV ROLE EXCLUSIVE: Damien Molony joins BBC One legal drama 'The Split'". 11 July 2019.
- "BBC One Sets Premiere Date For 'The Split' For Season 2". 29 January 2020.
- Lyons, Margaret (21 May 2020). "How Much Watching Time Do You Have This Weekend?". New York Times. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office The Split article".
- Selby, Jenn (11 February 2020). "The Split season 2 cast: who stars with Nicola Walker in the new series, and when it starts on BBC One tonight". i News. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
- "BBC One on Twitter". BBC One. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
External links
- The Split at BBC Programmes
- The Split at IMDb