BBC announces series return after millions found it 'hard to break up' with drama

The BBC has delighted fans by announcing the return of the The Split. The hugely popular series, written by Abi Morgan, has run for three successful series and the hit legal drama is set to return to screens to explore the themes of love, legacy, and modern marriage.

The end of the final series saw Hannah Defoe, played by Nicola Walker, and Nathan Stern, played by Stephen Mangan, attempting to divide up their 20 years together as they tried to navigate a good divorce, questioning whether that was even possible. The two-part special, which is set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later in the year, comes after the BBC announced a spin-off series called The Split Up was in the works. You can read more on this here.

Director of BBC Drama, Lindsay Salt, said: "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."

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The two-part special will join the Defoes two years on. A synopsis reads: "Formidable family lawyer Hannah Defoe 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 members 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.

Writer Abi Morgan said: "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." You can keep up to date with the latest TV and showbiz news by signing up to the newsletter here.