Call the Midwife
Former Coronation Street star Paula Lane plays a mum whose daughter has worrying symptoms…
SUNDAY 16 May, 8pm BBC1 Drama
Former Coronation Street actor Julia Haworth pops up as Doris, the controlling mother of teenager Jeanette, who’s pregnant with her first child. Doris has ambitious plans for her daughter to go to university, so wants the baby put up for adoption… Also look out for another former Corrie actor, Paula Lane (AKA Kylie Platt), who guest stars as an expectant mum.
Sunday, 8pm BBC1 Drama
Dr Turner and Sister Julienne are reminded this week of the importance of childhood screening programmes when the daughter of one Poplar resident shows symptoms of a rare medical condition.
Expectant mum Vera Sands’ pregnancy is progressing well but Sister Julienne
(Jenny Agutter) is concerned about Vera’s four-year-old daughter,
Elaine, who’s still in nappies and doesn’t appear to be developing like other children her age.
Sister Julienne confides in Dr Turner (Stephen Mcgann) and, as he examines Elaine, Vera admits she suspected her daughter had a problem but was hoping she would grow out of it…
‘Vera sees it that she’s failed,’ reveals former Coronation Street actor Paula Lane, who plays her. ‘She blames herself and isn’t wanting to admit there’s something wrong.’
Dr Turner arranges for Elaine to have tests, and when Elaine is then diagnosed with a rare illness, which could have
been detected with a simple test after she was born, Vera’s attentions turn to the baby she’s carrying…
‘When it’s confirmed, Vera then has this major concern that maybe her unborn child will be suffering from the same condition as well,’ says Paula. ‘It’s heartbreaking.’
Although Paula – who played Corrie’s Kylie Platt – describes working on Call the Midwife as a wonderful experience, she couldn’t wait to ditch the giant prosthetic bump she had to wear as pregnant Vera!
‘The bump was so uncomfortable,’ she reveals. ‘You automatically arch your back and find yourself waddling. I was like, “I don’t want to go back to wearing this thing ever again!”’