New TV drama shows 'old and new Bradford' - writer

The writer behind a new BBC crime thriller filmed and set in Bradford has said he wanted to "show off" his home in its UK City of Culture year.

Virdee, adapted from a set of novels written by AA Dhand, will premiere at Bradford's St George's Hall on Thursday, before airing on the BBC on Monday.

The series will introduce DCI Harry Virdee - a police detective whose troubled home life stems from his Sikh family's disapproval of his marriage to a Muslim wife and the activities of his drug kingpin brother-in-law.

Dhand said it was "vital" local people were used to make the production, with his choice of filming locations coming from a desire to "show the contrast between old and new Bradford".

The writer, who grew up in the city and is the show's executive producer, said viewers would see places showing the decline of Bradford's mill industry along with the "fresh, colourful and vibrant" modern features.

"Bradford is a really beautiful city," he said.

"We go to City Park, where we have the biggest [urban] water fountains in England.

"This is juxtaposed in the series with the nightmarish ruins and mills that haven't been used for decades."

The title character's "love for his family and his city will be challenged" as the series progresses, according to Staz Nair, who played Harry Virdee.

"Harry is a man who will protect what he loves and who he loves at any cost," Nair, who previously appeared in Game of Thrones, said.

"This man lives by his own moral compass and his own moral code and will do whatever he has to do get the job done, even if that means surfing the line of the law."

London-born Nair said he enjoyed filming in Bradford and told how during one alleyway shoot a resident came out to offer the crew some chai tea.

"Bradford was so welcoming, and everyone was so excited to part of it and understand what was going on, so I think that really inspired us all to continually put everything into it," he said.

The first episode of Virdee airs on BBC One at 21:00 GMT on Monday, with all episodes available to stream on iPlayer earlier that day.

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