The Split to Return with Two-Part Special

The Split, created and written by Abi Morgan (River, Suffragette, The Hour), is set to return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year with a two-part special after the success of its three seasons.

The special takes place two years after the series finale and is set across one weekend, as family lawyer Hannah Defoe, played by Nicola Walker, and her family gather for a destination wedding in Catalonia and experience breakups, reunions and romance.

Walker, Stephen Mangan, Annabel Scholey, Fiona Button, Deborah Findlay, Ian McElhinney, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Elizabeth Roberts and Alex Guersman are set to return. Toby Stephens (Percy Jackson and the Olympics, Black Sails) is joining the cast.

The two-part special will air ahead of the upcoming spin-off series, The Split Up. It is written by Morgan and directed by Giulia Gandini (Shetland). SISTER is producing the special, and BBC Studios will handle international distribution.

“In a world of brutal breakups and tantalizing makeups, the Defoe family are invited to a destination wedding of their own, promising all that audiences have grown to love about The Split,” Morgan said. “Problematic prenups, scandalous wedding crashers and low-flying marriage proposals as rom-com meets gone-wrong in a chaotic and riotous weekend that guarantees to crack open the heart before the last of the guests have gone home.”

“It is a joy to reunite with Abi and our wonderful Split team for this two-parter for the BBC One and iPlayer,” said Jane Featherstone, co-founder of SISTER, and Lucy Dyke, executive producer. “We have missed the Defoe family and their messy, complex lives, so we couldn’t be more excited to send them to beautiful Barcelona for a glorious, romantic weekend. In this chapter, Abi explores the often terrifying prospect of facing new romance after divorce and promises a roller coaster of emotions along the way. And welcoming the brilliant Toby Stephens to our ensemble as lawyer Archie Moore, it’s safe to say, sparks are going to fly.”

Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, added, “We know The Split’s millions of fans found it hard to break up with the Defoes, so before we delve into the heady world of The Split Up, we couldn’t resist an extra treat in the form of these exquisite, sun-drenched specials from the wonderful Abi Morgan.”