May 3 2024 – Pictured: Annabel Scholey, Nicola Walker and Fiona Button on the set of The Split - Barcelona

"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." — Abi Morgan

The BBC and SISTER are delighted to announce that production has begun on a two-part special of The Split, created and written by multi-award winning Abi Morgan, and set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later in the year. After the success of three series of The Split, the hit legal drama returns to our screens to explore the themes of love, legacy, and modern marriage, through a sparkling cast of characters that audiences know and love. The special will be distributed internationally by BBC Studios.

We left the final series with Hannah and Nathan attempting to divide up their twenty years together, and trying to navigate their way through a “good divorce”, questioning whether that is even possible.

Two years on, formidable family lawyer Hannah Defoe (Nicola Walker) and her family are back and have gathered for a beautiful wedding at a magnificent vineyard, nestled in Catalonia’s wine region. Set across one sun soaked weekend, The Split will encompass break-ups, reunions and like all good weddings, plenty of romance. As the sun rises over the glorious Spanish countryside, Hannah is compelled to banish the ghosts of her past and open herself up to the possibility of love again. Can she find the courage to take the leap into a new future?

Amongst a host of new characters including Toby Stephens (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Black Sails) as Archie Moore, cast confirmed to return for the Spanish extravaganza include Nicola Walker, Stephen Mangan, Annabel Scholey, Fiona Button, Deborah Findlay, Ian McElhinney, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Elizabeth Roberts and Alex Guersman.

Abi Morgan says, “In a world of brutal break ups and tantalising make ups, the Defoe family are invited to a destination wedding of their own, promising all that audiences have grown to love about The Split. 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.”

Sister Co-Founder Jane Featherstone and Executive Producer Lucy Dyke say, “It is a joy to reunite with Abi and our wonderful Split team for this two-parter for the BBC One and iPlayer. 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 rollercoaster 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 says: “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.”

The two-part special will air ahead of the forthcoming spin-off series The Split Up, which was recently announced for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

The Split Special is written by Abi Morgan (River, Suffragette, The Hour), directed by Giulia Gandini (Shetland), and produced by Jennie Fava (The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin). Executive produced by Jane Featherstone (Chernobyl, Giri-Haji, This is Going to Hurt), Lucy Dyke (The Split, Black Mirror, Ripper Street), and Abi Morgan, it is a Sister production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. BBC Studios will distribute internationally and have successfully sold series one, two and three of The Split to nearly 120 territories globally as well as local format adaptations of the series in four countries including Italy and Turkey.

Transmission details will be announced in due course.