BBC responds to report that “brilliant” detective drama Virdee has been ‘cancelled’

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The BBC has addressed reports about the cancellation of Virdee, the crime drama filmed in Bradford and starring Staz Nair and Elizabeth Berrington. Although the show had a good audience, it appears a second series won’t be made.

In this crime thriller, actor Parminder Nair plays DCI Harry Virdee, a detective working in Bradford, West Yorkshire. He investigates a series of murders targeting the local Asian community while also navigating personal challenges and pressure from his Sikh family about his relationships.

Earlier this week, The Sun reported that the series was canceled after only six episodes aired between February and March 2025. The decision is believed to be due to low viewership.

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The BBC responded to inquiries with a statement to Digital Spy. While not directly saying the crime thriller was cancelled, their response strongly suggested it wouldn’t be returning.

We want to express our gratitude to Amit Dhand, Magical Society, and the Virdee team for creating such a fantastic series. We’re incredibly pleased with how the show turned out and are currently discussing future collaborations with Amit.

Fans will likely be disappointed by this news, as the series has generally received positive reviews. Currently, it has a user rating of 6.4 out of 10 on IMDb, based on over 1700 ratings.

One viewer shared that the show offered a fresh look at England they hadn’t experienced before, which they really enjoyed. They also praised the well-developed characters and the strong performances by a cast of unfamiliar actors.

One viewer agreed, though they had a few minor criticisms. They praised the show’s setting in Bradford and its unique characters, and thought the acting was strong. However, they felt a few elements could have been better.

Digital Spy gave the crime thriller a four-star review, highlighting its distinctive setting and writing. We said it “reminds us why we love detective shows, while also showing that a story can be culturally specific and still appeal to everyone.”

Virdee isn’t a standard detective show, and that’s a good thing – we hope to see more British TV like it! We were also very impressed with Nair’s performance as the lead detective.

Virdee is streaming on BBC iPlayer.

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2026-02-20 18:50