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Exclusive: BBC plans to expand Abi Morgan’s divorce law series The Split are on hold.

Sources tell Deadline that preparations to shoot spin-off series, The Split Up, in Manchester this October have been paused indefinitely.

A BBC insider said there were editorial reasons for The Split Up being stood down, but they were not specific about why producers needed more time to resolve creative issues.

The BBC remains committed to the drama, which is produced by Sister’s northern arm and Morgan’s Little Chick Productions. A new shoot date has yet to be agreed.

Fewer than 10 people were working on The Split Up when it was postponed, though it is understood that others had turned down other projects to commit to the show in October. Casting was well underway.

The Split Up was created by Ursula Rani Sarma and chronicles Kishan Law, an elite British-Asian divorce...

Filming is underway in London on In the Shadows, starring BAFTA-winning actor Jasmine Jobson in the biopic about female boxing champion Ramla Ali.

Jobson recently won big at the television awards for her role in Top Boy. She plays Ali, a woman who secretly pursued her dream to become the first Somali-British professional boxing champion.

Alongside Jobson stars Finn Cole (Peaky Blinders, Last Breath) as her husband, Richard Moore, while Gershwyn Eustache Jr (Andor, Small Axe, Fortitude) plays Ali’s boxing coach. The real-life couple of Ali and Moore serve as executive producers.

“At its heart, In the Shadows is a unique love story woven into a rich family drama that showcases the challenges and triumphs of Ramla and Richard, a mixed-race couple,” a plot synopsis reads. “As they navigate racial and cultural barriers, their shared strength and mutual support sets them apart as role models for a new generation.

BAFTA-winning “Top Boy” star Jasmine Jobson — recently seen in Andrea Arnold’s Cannes-bowing “Bird” — is set to play trailblazing Somali-British professional boxer, model and Unicef Ambassador Ramla Ali in “In the Shadows.” She takes over from Letitia Wright, who was attached when the project was first announced last year.

Filming has now begun in London on the feature, which will also star Finn Cole (“Last Breath,” “Peaky Blinders,” “Fast & Furious 9”) as Ali’s husband, Richard Moore, while Gershwyn Eustache Jr (“Andor,” “Small Axe,” “Fortitude”) plays her boxing coach.

“In the Shadows” will mark the narrative feature debut of Emmy Award and three-time BAFTA-winning documentarian Anthony Wonke. The film is produced by BAFTA winner and Oscar-nomination producer Lee Magiday, Madeleine Sanderson (“Being AP,” “Fighting for a City”), and presented by Civic Studios (“Christmas Karma, Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust”). The film’s subject Ali will serve as an executive producer.

The final season may have concluded in 2022 but the BBC isn’t letting go of legal drama The Split just yet, with a Barcelona-set special greenlit three months after a Manchester spin off.

Abi Morgan’s show ended in 2022 after three seasons but the BBC has since ordered The Split Up in February and is now heading to Spain for a two-parter with Nicola Walker’s Hannah and family, while Toby Stephens is set to join the cast.

In the special, the Defoes are back and have gathered for a beautiful wedding at a vineyard, nestled in Catalonia’s wine region. Set across one sun soaked weekend, The Split special will encompass break-ups, reunions and plenty romance.

Stephens will play new character Archie Moore, while most of the original cast are set to return.

“In a world of brutal break ups and tantalising make ups,...

A podcaster, his assistant, and a journalist travel to Ireland to investigate a cold case in Netflix’s Bodkin. Described as a dark comedic thriller, the trailer reveals that the Irish townsfolk aren’t thrilled about being invaded by a podcast team and definitely aren’t ready to disclose all their secrets to strangers who are determined to dredge up unwelcome memories.

Will Forte stars as Gilbert Power, the podcaster; Robyn Cara plays Gilbert’s assistant, Emmy Sizerghy; and Siobhán Cullen stars as Dove, the investigative journalist who reluctantly joins forces with Gilbert. The cast also includes Chris Walley as Sean O’Shea and David Wilmot as Seamus. Pom Boyd, Fionnula Flanagan, Áine Ní Mhuirí, Charlie Kemp, Pat Shortt, Ger Kelly, Denis Conway, and John Olohan guest star.

Bodkin follows “a motley crew of podcasters who set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in a quaint, coastal Irish town.

The BBC has unveiled its biggest drama slate in years featuring a TV version of James Graham play Dear England starring Joseph Fiennes from The Crown producer Left Bank, Sex Education star Aimee Lou Wood’s debut writing project and a Rebecca Hall-starrer from Poor Things maker Element.

Unveiled at a glitz London do for press and producers, the 12-strong roster, which features some of Britain’s best and brightest talents, is the first from new Drama Director Lindsay Salt, who took over from A24’s Piers Wenger 18 months ago.

Scroll down for the full slate below, which features an adaptation of Sherwood creator Graham’s Dear England about the England soccer manager Gareth Southgate – the play of which has taken London by storm and recently transferred to the West End. Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale) will reprise his role as Southgate and Graham will pen the TV version, which...

The BBC have unveiled a new slate of star-studded dramas including the TV adaptation of James Graham’s football play “Dear England” starring Joseph Fiennes, a new co-pro with “Euphoria” producer A24 and the screenwriting debut from “Sex Education” star Aimee Lou Wood.

Director of BBC Drama Lindsay Salt revealed the 12-strong slate – which adds up to 66 hours of top TV – at a press event in London, U.K. on Wednesday evening. It includes two more series of Belfast-based police drama “Blue Lights.”

“Inflation, content and platform saturation, streamer retrenchment, the writers’ strike… It’s all fed a serious slowdown,” Salt said as she unveiled the diverse slate. “Five years ago, everyone was willing to make brave choices, to experiment, to try something a little unorthodox. I worry that risk-taking is becoming a dirty word… And that, in less than a decade, the industry might be moving from ‘peak TV...

Letitia Wright is stepping into the ring for In the Shadows, a drama based on the true story of Ramla Ali, the first Somali British professional boxing champion.

Altitude Film Sales is unveiling the title to buyers in Cannes next week. The company will release the project in the UK and Ireland in 2024.

The film tells the story of Ali who fled Somalia with her family as a young girl, seeking asylum in London from the civil war. As a teenager, she pursued her love of boxing but did so secretly as she knew her family would disapprove. Her determination to win led her to the England Novice National Championship, the Elite National Championships and the Great British Championships.

Ali became the first boxer, male or female, to represent Somalia at the 2020 Olympic Games and made history after winning the first ever professional female boxing match in Saudi Arabia. She...

’Dettori’ filmmaker Anthony Wonke directs.

Black Panther star Letitia Wright is to play Ramla Ali, the first Somali British professional boxing champion, in Anthony Wonke’s In The Shadows.

UK sales agent Altitude Film Sales is introducing the project to buyers at Cannes and its distribution arm will release the film in the UK and Ireland in 2024.

UK filmmaker Wonke’s credits includes Dettori. He will direct from a script by Ursula Rani Sarma. Film4 developed the script.

Lee Magiday of Sleeper Films and Madeleine Sanderson of Curate Films will produce alongside Wright and her 3.16 Productions.

The feature tells...

Projects include ‘Orange World’, the latest from ’Sunlight’ filmmaker Claire Dix.

Katie Holly’s Irish production company Blinder Films, the outfit behind Extra Ordinary, Mr Malcolm’s List, Love And Friendship and Dublin premiere Sunlight, has re-launched as Keeper Pictures, with an expanded team and a bustling slate of development projects.

Long-standing Keeper Pictures producer Yvonne Donohoe has been promoted to a newly created role, head of creative. Evan Horan, who was associate producer on Mr Malcolm’s List, has been promoted to producer. Amy Carroll has joined as development executive, previously working at South of the River and Kudos,...

The Stranger actress Dervla Kirwan has landed the lead role in Smother, the noir thriller produced by BBC Studios for Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

Kirwan, who features as the recurring character Corrine Price in Netflix’s The Stranger, will play family matriarch Val Ahern in Smother, which is penned by The Spanish Princess and Mr Selfridge writer Kate O’Riordan.

Ahern’s partner is found dead at the foot of a cliff the morning after a family party and as she unravels the circumstances that led to his demise, she discovers how his controlling, manipulative behavior impacted his children and siblings.

Other cast includes Niamh Walsh (Good Omens), Seána Kerslake and Gemma-Leah Devereux (Judy), who play Ahern’s daughters Jenny, Grace and Anna.

Stuart Graham (The Cure), Thomas Levin (Borgen), Hilary Rose (The Young Offenders) and Justine Mitchell (Cheat) also feature in the six-part series, which...

Exclusive: BBC Studios has secured its first commission from Irish public broadcaster RTÉ — a noir thriller from The Spanish Princess and Mr Selfridge writer Kate O’Riordan.

BBC Studios is partnering with Irish producer Treasure Entertainment to make Smother, a six-part series set on the rugged coast of County Clare in which a wife investigates the brutal death of her husband.

Val Ahern’s partner is found dead at the foot of a cliff the morning after a family party and as she unravels the circumstances that led to his demise, she discovers how his controlling, manipulative behavior impacted his children and siblings.

O’Riordan said it was a story about contemporary Irish women and the “challenges of modern motherhood.” She added: “In the aftermath of a tragic death, Val Ahern and her daughters will explore their difficult complex mother-daughter relationships while simultaneously dealing with the shocking realization that one of...

BAFTA award-winning and Oscar-nominated The Favourite producer Lee Magiday is set to produce the Film4 feature In the Shadows about Somali-born boxing champion Ramla Ali.

Pic will be produced under Magiday’s newly founded production company Sleeper Films and Madeleine Sanderson (Being AP) of Curate Films.

Emmy Award and three-time BAFTA winning documentary filmmaker Anthony Wonke (Syria: Children on the Frontline) will make his narrative fiction film debut. Playwright and screenwriter Ursula Rani Sarma (Robot and Scarecrow) is writing the screenplay. Film4 is backing the pic’s development, overseen by their Senior Commissioning Executive Julia Oh.

Ali fled Somalia with her family as a young girl, seeking asylum in London from the Civil War. As a teenager, she pursued her love of boxing, but did so secretly as she knew her family would disapprove. Her determination to win led her to the England Novice National Championship, the Elite National Championships and the Great British Championships,...

Producer Lee Magiday (“The Favourite”) under her new production shingle Sleeper Films, and Madeleine Sanderson of Curate Films are teaming for the drama “In the Shadows.”

The film is based on the true-life story of Somali-born boxer Ramla Ali. Ursula Rani Sarma will pen the screenplay; documentary helmer Anthony Wonke directs.

Film4 is backing development, overseen by senior commissioning executive Julia Oh.

The film follows Ali and her family, who fled Somalia during its civil war. They settled in London where she discovered her passion for boxing. Ali is now training for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Anthony Wonke makes narrative fiction feature directorial debut; Film4 backs development.

Producer Lee Magiday through her new production company Sleeper Films and Madeleine Sanderson (Fighting For A City) of Curate Films have teamed up to produce the In The Shadows.

Anthony Wonke will make his narrative fiction feature directorial debut on the story of Somali-born boxing champion Ramla Ali from a screenplay by Ursula Rani Sarma.

Film4 is backing development, overseen by senior commissioning executive Julia Oh.

Ali fled the civil war in Somalia with her family and sought asylum in London, where she discovered a passion for boxing as...