Christmas ‘Call’: A holiday tradition continues for ‘Call the Midwife’
Apremiere holiday tradition continues on PBS with a special Christmas Day episode of the popular British drama series “Call the Midwife.” The midwives of Nonnatus House return to care for the babies and mothers of Poplar in London’s East End as they brave the coldest winter in 300 years. Settle down in front of the fire to catch what’s sure to be another heartwarming “Call the Midwife” holiday special, Monday, Dec. 25, on PBS.
Executive producer Pippa Harris revealed at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival that the special this year sees the characters experience the “Big Freeze” of the winter of 1962, which hit the U.K. with heavy snow and blizzards throughout December of that year. The busy midwives surely have a lot to handle between the extreme weather and their dedicated patient care. This year’s chilly theme is a far cry from 2016’s Christmas special, which sent the midwives to assist the struggling Hope Clinic in South Africa.
Actress Jenny Agutter (“Logan’s Run,” 1976) has portrayed Sister Julienne, the compassionate, steadfast Sister-in-charge of Nonnatus since the series’ conception. Sister Julienne is in full form this Christmas, and has tasked herself with reuniting a family for the holiday. “Royal Shakespeare Company: Henry IV” (2014) actor Jennifer Kirby, a relative newcomer to the show, returns as nurse Valerie Dyer, who helps a young couple with a traumatic birth during the winter storm. Nurse Dyer joined the midwives during season 6, when she rose to the occasion in assisting them after an explosion. As a former Army nurse and local Poplar girl, she was keen to become a midwife to care for her community, and soon joined the others at Nonnatus.
Also starring are Charlotte Ritchie (“Siblings”), Helen George (“Hotel Babylon”) and Emerald Fennell (“Chickens”), reprising their roles in the show as the midwives of Nonnatus House. Like Agutter, George has been with the show since the beginning, and her character Trixie Franklin has taken audiences on an emotional roller-coaster. Fans have seen Franklin through devastating breakups, alcoholism and treatment, and had the pleasure of watching her create meaningful friendships with the women of Nonnatus, helped by her nosey, busybody nature.
“Call the Midwife” doesn’t just tell stories of difficult and joyous births in London’s poverty-stricken East End. The show has expanded the narrative of the series beyond the source material of author and nurse Jennifer Worth’s Midwife book trilogy to explore issues facing the community of Poplar and beyond. Over its six seasons, the series has become known for tackling touchy topics with compassion. Nonnatus House has been the framing device for stories exploring faith, poverty, prejudice, disability and equality that are told through the midwives and members of their community. Though the series is set in 1950s and ‘60s London, the issues addressed have just as much impact and relevance today.
One such storyline handles homosexuality and how attitudes toward it in mid-century London affects one of the main characters on a very personal level. It is revealed that Patsy Mount’s (Fennell) close friendship with surgical nurse Delia Busby (Kate Lamb “Red Heart,” 2011) developed into a romantic relationship in season 4 of the show. The two experience the oppression of the time, forced to keep their relationship a secret from loved ones and out of the public eye. Like most tales told in “Call the Midwife,” the drama of Mount and Busby is balanced with happy endings. After being separated due to an injury, Busby returns to Mount and Nonnatus House to work as a nurse, train as a midwife and live with her girlfriend.
One of the most controversial episodes of the show tackled domestic abuse to mixed opinions from the au- dience upon its air date. Though the fans may have criticisms of the show, they are a driving force for creator Heidi Thomas. In an interview at BBC Showcase 2016, she recalled her nerves when the show began, saying: “I don’t think anyone was more surprised than us that we got eight million viewers on the air overnight.” She continued: “I think it’s not just the size of the audience, it’s the loyalty, the passion you get from them.” Those fans have contributed to series ratings for its entirety, keeping it enthusiastically renewed by its network and ensuring that they will receive more “Call the Midwife” for years to come, so long as showrunners have stories for the women of Nonnatus House to tell.
The stories Thomas tells through the characters of “Call the Midwife” have hit home for the writer in many ways. The series is a family affair for the creator, as her husband, actor Steven McGann (“Emmerdale”), portrays Dr. Patrick Turner in the show. McGann revealed in his autobiography that he first fell for Thomas after reading a script of hers, and the difficulty of seeing her through medical emergencies had a profound effect on the longmarried couple. Following her health scare, Thomas was inspired by her experience with the diligent nurses that she encountered throughout her recovery to create “Call the Midwife” with all of the heart that has kept audiences in love with the show over six years.
Save room this Christmas for PBS’s “Call the Midwife” holiday special, airing Monday, Dec. 25.