BBC drama Virdee cancelled after just one series

The BBC has cancelled detective play Virdee aft conscionable 1 series.

Game of Thrones prima Staz Nair played nan Bradford-based bull successful nan BBC adjustment of A A Dhand’s books, pursuing detective Harry Virdee arsenic he tracked down a slayer targeting nan area’s Asian community.

While fans hailed nan February 2025 bid arsenic a “brilliant” watch, Virdee won’t beryllium backmost for a 2nd series.

A root told The Sun connected Thursday (19 February) that nan play didn’t bring successful nan viewing figures that bosses were hoping for. “There was a batch of dream that Virdee would activity because it was a deviation for a crime bid and it did summation its ain following,” they said.

“But nan assemblage conscionable didn’t travel successful capable numbers to make it a viable proposition for a 2nd series.”

A spokesperson for nan BBC told The Independent that nan show averaged 3.3 cardinal viewers during its run, adding: “We’d for illustration to convey Amit Dhand and nan Virdee squad for a superb series, we are really proud of nan show and we are talking to Amit astir early projects.”

The series, based connected Dhand’s Virdee caller City of Sinners, followed Nair’s detective arsenic he tracked down nan Bradford slayer while besides dealing pinch his Sikh family’s feelings astir him marrying his Muslim woman Saima (played by Shameless’s Aysha Kala).

Midsomer Murders prima Manjinder Virk, Goodness Gracious Me’s Kulvinder Ghir and Waterloo Road’s Elizabeth Berrington appeared successful nan show pinch Nair, who is champion known for playing Qhono connected Game of Thrones and William Dey successful Supergirl.

The cancellation news will travel arsenic a rustle to fans, who person described nan BBC’s determination to discontinue Virdee arsenic “madness”. One spectator wrote connected X: “Virdee was superb and had truthful overmuch imaginable nan BBC should re show it premier clip and see. Even only fools and horses didn’t deed nan people successful its first series.”

Another claimed that they didn’t spot overmuch promotion for nan show up of its debut successful February past year, writing: “Virdee was beautiful good. But it seems nan BBC didn’t beforehand it that much, I saw it erstwhile it aired but I’m judge that's only because I noticed it connected iPlayer.”

While Nair won’t beryllium returning arsenic Virdee, he is group to enactment alongside Paul Bettany successful upcoming play Harvest Moon, which follows a young boy who tries to reunite his separated parents during nan pandemic.