All six episodes of The Split Up are now on BBC iPlayer and, in the best possible way, it feels a world apart from main series The Split. Both are about families involved in divorce law, but the shape of their family dynamics look entirely different.

The new spin-off follows the Kishan family firm, with Aria (Ritu Arya) poised to take over leadership from her father Dhruv (Sanjeev Bhaskar). However, the death of Aria's mother six months prior causes Dhruv to hesitate.

Add in a workplace love triangle, complicated siblings, and a messy divorce trial walking through their doors every week, and you've got a pretty delicious watch. But, I quickly wondered whether viewers would become preoccupied with the show's (excellent) South Asian representation — so much so that it overshadowed what actually happens in each episode.

Based on press and public reactions to its opening weekend, I was right. The Daily Mirror has reported that fans have "switched off" in droves, while comment section of the YouTube trailer (which you can catch up with below) is sporting exactly the kind of racist rubbish you'd expect from the internet.

However, before any episodes were released, I asked the cast how they felt about others making The Split Up's focal point its representation — and, as expected, their answers were even more insightful than I could have expected.

'The Split Up goes beyond representation'

"Ursula [Rani Sarma, writer] beautifully said that The Split Up goes beyond representation, and there's a universality in how we all feel human," star Arya told me. "I couldn't agree more. It's all about how we bring our authentic selves to the table... I find that a lot more interesting to talk about."

I love how simple yet effective this answer is, but it's Bhaskar's take that I'm the most interested in. Long-time fans of his will know that he was the star and co-creator of the 2001 comedy chat show The Kumars at No. 42, which followed a British Indian family supporting the fictional Sanjeev's dreams to be a TV presenter.

More than two decades on, I still can't believe that Meera Syal, who later married Bhaskar, was the woman playing his grandmother.

"I've got some experience in terms of representation versus family because of The Kumars at No. 42," he said. "That did pretty well around the world even though it was about a British Asian family interviewing guests in their London home. The reason for that was because it was a family... and everyone understands that.

"In terms of people tuning into The Split Up, if they decide to look at representation, that's more of a political issue. Most people will see a family and see themselves reflected in that. The Split did so well, and at no point did I watch it and think of it as a matriarch having nothing to do with me. I watched it as a drama. I think people who will enjoy this will not be thinking about representation."

I couldn't have said it any better myself — and trust me, The Split Up is a drama not to be missed.

In the UK, we're exceptionally good at producing legal dramas. From Silk to Kavanagh QC, we've been offering the world a strictness and sense of traditionalism that the likes of Law & Order just can't touch.

Nowhere was this more apparent that The Split, one of the most popular dramas on BBC iPlayer in recent years. Exploring the world of divorce law, we follow the Defoes, a family of sisters working as divorce lawyers, who come face-to-face with their past after their estranged father returns to the fold.

The series came to an end in 2024, but two years later, spinoff The Split Up is ready to take up the mantle. This time, we're following Kishan Law, a powerhouse British South Asian family law firm.

Aria (Ritu Arya) is poised to take over leadership from her father Dhruv (Sanjeev Bhaskar), but the death of Aria's mother six months prior causes Dhruv to hesitate. Add in a workplace love triangle, complicated siblings and a messy divorce trial walking through their doors every week, and we've got something to get our teeth into.

It's a brilliant and delicious watch — so much so that I binged all six episodes in one sitting. Speaking to writer Ursula Rani Sarma, I learned that she already has ideas for more (though no official renewal has been made). On top of that, they're not ruling out a Nicola Walker cameo further down the line.

'If a storyline created that opportunity, we could 100% do it'

"My personal hope is for three seasons minimum," Sarma tells me. "I feel like I'm only just getting started with writing these characters and their journeys. As I was coming up with these storylines for season 1, I also had ideas for seasons 2 and 3 in my head."

This last statement alone immediately makes The Split Up worth investing in. We're living in an age of routine TV cancellations and one-season miniseries, so for Sarma to be taking the time to think further ahead means there's a natural richness that (surely) the BBC can't say no to.

"The three-season arc also emulates The Split," she continues. "But of course, that turned around and surprised everyone with a special. It's endless, my hopes and dreams for this family."

No spoilers, but we leave The Split Up at a place where enough is resolved and left unspoken simultaneously — which, frankly, is exactly where you want be heading into another season.

But what about a direct crossover? "I don't think anything's off the table," Sarma adds. "It was really important for the first series to establish this family to hopefully make audiences fall in love with them in the same way. To build that up without wondering what would happen if Hannah [Walker] were to walk in.

"But this is the gift of being part of The Split. If a storyline created that opportunity, we could 100% do it. Its cast are clearly so fond of that show."

That's the sense of optimism I like to see... now I just need to keep my fingers crossed.