BBC1
Now that the Beeb is based in Media City, and Andy Burnham has opened a Number 10 North, it makes sense for every TV show based in London to head up the M6.
Remakes could include Gangs Of Manchester, Toast Of Manchester, Manchester’s Burning and Inside The Tower Of Manchester. Why not An American Werewolf in Manchester?
The Split, that scandalously enjoyable romantic drama set at a top London family law firm, has made the journey north, too — reimagined with a completely new cast and retitled The Split Up. That should probably be pronounced The Split Oop.
Superficially, it looks different. The three siblings at the heart of the story are second–generation British, the children of ambitious patriarch Dhruv Kishan (Sanjeev Bhaskar), and great emphasis is placed on their Hindu culture.
But the essential story is the same. All the children have complicated love lives — one is married to an unfaithful husband, one is gay and promiscuous, and the central character Aria (Ritu Arya) is about to marry her long–time sweetheart… despite her fling with the firm’s new associate lawyer, Luke (Dimitri Leonidas).
That set–up is practically identical to the original version, which ran for four series. So is the format, with the firm handling one divorce case each week for super–rich or celebrity clients.
Glossy legal drama spin–off brings a splash of Bollywood to Manchester: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews BBC’s The Split Up
The three siblings at the heart of the story are second–generation British, the children of ambitious patriarch Dhruv Kishan (Sanjeev Bhaskar)
This time, Lenny Henry and Jane Horrocks play podcasters Alex and Tash, who have built their brand on the pretence of a perfect marriage.
This is a trifle tarnished when Tash is caught by paparazzi with her lover, who is half her age… and female.
As satire, it’s an amusing idea, but ruined by the total lack of chemistry between Jane and Sir Len. I couldn’t believe they’d ever exchanged more than small talk, let alone been married 40 years.
Much more convincing is writer Ursula Rani Sarma’s emphasis on the family’s deep cultural traditions. She isn’t afraid of trading in stereotypes to raise a smile, either.
Dhruv launches into a speech about how he arrived in this country ‘with just one change of clothes and £5 in my pocket’, while his daughter rolls her eyes — she’s obviously heard this story countless times.
The younger adults call any middle–aged woman ‘Aunty’, regardless of their relationship.
The aunties, knowing perfectly well that Kav (Arian Nik) is gay, gather round him, demanding, ‘When are we going to find a lovely bride for you?’
But the show’s Indian references are not all trivia and trimmings. Dhruv’s late wife died six months before this story begins, and a shrine to her memory in his home, her photo surrounded by pictures of the gods, is a constant physical reminder of her presence in all their minds.
The first episode builds to an engagement party that is a celebration of the family’s Indian traditions, with sumptuous costumes and a dance routine for the whole cast. Even Bollywood’s gone to Manchester.
