It’s back at Christmas, but BBC have confirmed a major change
Call the Midwife fans have been left feeling divided as BBC teased the Christmas special which will be a spin-off from the beloved series.
At the end of the last series of Call the Midwife, viewers gave an emotional farewell as Sister Monica Joan sadly died after deciding to stop taking her medication.
This Christmas, Sister Monica Joan is set to make a return to screens, but not as viewers knew her. Call The Midwife’s prequel series will chronicle the early days of Nonnatus House.
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It was also recently announced that Julie Hesmondhalgh, who hails from Accrington, Lancs, would be joining Call The Midwife: Sisters In Arms, which will be a prequel to the original BBC series, set in Poplar in September 1939 during the outbreak of the Second World War.
New pictures released by the BBC show actresses Julie, who is best known for having played Hayley Cropper in the Salford-filmed Corrie, Helena Wilson, Ellie McKay, Liv Andrusier and Lizzie Back in their uniforms while taking part in the series for the first time.
Heidi Thomas, writer and showrunner, said: “Call The Midwife has a long and noble history of filming Christmas specials during heatwaves, and this year we welcomed the snow-machine back to the Nonnatus House set like an old friend.
“But I was surprised how many new emotions Call The Midwife: Sisters In Arms sparked. In particular, the evacuation of Poplar’s children, and the fear that they may not make it home for Christmas had us all in tears.”
A synopsis for the special from the BBC reads: “Sister Monica Joan is in her prime, Sister Julienne and Sister Evangelina are young and zealous, and Nonnatus House is the beating heart of Poplar.
“Together with Sister Alice, and local GP Dr Kit, the nuns dedicate their lives to mothers, babies and those in need. But there is no gas and air, no penicillin, no cure for TB, and no welfare state. Then war is declared – and life gets even harder. The three young secular midwives who complete the team – Sybil, Olive and Marianne – receive a baptism of fire as the blackout and the Blitz take hold.
“While bombs rain from the sky, women give birth underground, families are shattered, children run wild, and whole streets are reduced to rubble. But courage, compassion and resilience triumph as the community unites in its efforts to survive.”
An exact broadcast date has yet to be announced, but the special will be aired during the festive period. Emmy-winning actress Jenny Agutter, who stars in Call The Midwife as Sister Julienne, will narrate the special episodes as the older version of her character, while Helena, known for her work with the National Theatre, will portray her younger counterpart.
The spin-off will be helmed by the Call The Midwife creative team, including showrunner, creator and writer Heidi Thomas, who hailed the new show as “a joy to write”. She continued: “Having loved and lived with the sisters of Nonnatus House for so many years, I found myself longing to turn the clock back and tell the story of their finest hour – the Blitz.”
Now, fans of the beloved series appear to be somewhat divided when it comes to this Christmas special, drifting away from what viewers love ever so slightly.
One viewer penned: “New cast, but I do have mixed feelings” as another added: “I’ll definitely give it a go, just not sure if I will enjoy it as much as the original! But, can’t say until I have watched it all”.
Another fan agreed: “Yep! Will be interesting to see, keeping my fingers crossed that it has the same charm and thought added into it for that Christmas magic.”
However, others are already looking forward to it, as a viewer wrote: “Aww I cannot wait for this to air i do so miss Call the Midwife”, as another simply stated: “This will be brilliant”.
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