Latest news with #JennyAgutter
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BBC drops first look at Call The Midwife Christmas special - and there's a VERY worrying sign
The BBC has dropped a first look at the Call The Midwife Christmas special - and there is a very worrying sign. The broadcaster has confirmed filming is underway for the festive episode of the beloved period drama series about midwives working in London 's East End from the fifties to the seventies. The programme's official Instagram account shared a snap of the cast on set on Wednesday, all in decidedly breezier linen looks than usual. It came after it was announced earlier this year the Christmas special would be set both in Poplar, as normal - and in Hong Kong. Fans were delighted by the update, taking to the comments section to express their excitement. But eagle-eyed observers noted there were three notable absences from the cast picture - raising questions about the extent of their involvement in the special. Nurses Trixie Aylward (Helen George), Rosalind Clifford (Natalie Quarry) and Joyce Highland (Renee Bailey) were not seen in the Hong Kong cast picture. It suggests viewers can count them out of those storylines - and keep their fingers crossed they will see enough of them on screen back in Poplar. But one fan favourite who does appear to feature in the Hong Kong storylines by their presence in the cast snap are GP Dr Turner (Stephen McCann). He is joined by Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), Sister Hilda (Fenella Woolgar) and nurse Shelagh Turner (Laura Main). Handyman Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi) and his wife Violet (Anabelle Apsion) also appear to have joined the gang on their adventure. The exact storyline of the Christmas special is not yet known. It will run in advance of the fifteenth series of the programme, set to begin in early 2026, with a sixteenth instalment commissioned to follow. Excitingly, a film and prequel series are also on their way. The caption of the Instagram post read: 'NEWS! Cast Begins Christmas Filming in Hong Kong! 'Earlier this year, it was revealed that the 2025 Call the Midwife Christmas Special would be set in both Poplar and Hong Kong – and so last week, members of our team quietly jetted off to film the far eastern elements of the festive story! 'What better way to mark the beginning of an exotic filming adventure than with a traditional clapperboard shot! 'Our team report that the weather is rather hot and humid, but morale is very high, and the work rather exciting…' Teasing additional filming updates, it said: 'Over the next days, we'll be bringing you news and updates on the progress of our cast in Hong Kong so do keep a look out! xxx' And reassuring fans the show would be on screens for some time to come, it added: 'Call the Midwife returns with a new Christmas Special and Series 15 in 2026 xx' Fans were absolutely ecstatic to see the post, commenting, 'This is so exciting!', and, 'I am beyond thrilled at this new special coming!' Another said: 'OMG I am a huge fan and from Hong Kong. Great fun shooting in my city and can't wait for the new season. Sending love.' Other dedicated viewers added, 'Very exciting news', and, 'Best show, cast and crew'. The major filming update comes after a period of uncertainty for Call The Midwife, which had been dogged by rumours it was set to be axed. It first aired in 2012 and has so far run for 14 series with numerous festive episodes - so its cancellation would mark an enormous shake-up for the BBC. With speculation rife, show bosses were forced to address the rumours - thankfully clarifying the fate of the TV stalwart was certain. 'The BBC would like to reassure fans that Call The Midwife will remain at the heart of the BBC for years to come', the broadcaster said. 'As previously announced, there are two Christmas specials, a new series, a film and prequel series, before a sixteenth series in due course. 'Call the Midwife isn't going anywhere.' The cast for the prequel series, which will be set during World War Two, is yet to be confirmed. But the programme's creator and writer Heidi Thomas has previously said: 'The opening of new doors at Nonnatus House feels profoundly emotional and yet just right. 'I have never run out of stories for our midwives and I never will. 'But having wept, laughed, and raged my way from 1957 to 1971, I found myself yearning to delve into the deeper past. 'The Blitz years in the East End were extraordinary - filled with loss, togetherness, courage and joy. 'The bombs fell, the babies kept on coming and the Sisters kept on going. 'There will be so much in the prequel for our wonderful, loyal fans, including the appearance of some familiar (if much younger!) faces. 'As the classic Call the Midwife series moves further into the 1970s, it also seems the perfect time for our much-loved regulars to take a short break from Poplar and test themselves in an unfamiliar landscape. 'The rise in hospital births, and changes in the NHS, have clipped their wings, and this is their chance to take flight and work out what really matters. 'Whilst the location of the film remains top-secret, I can say it is going to look absolutely fantastic on the big screen!' The next series of the main show will launch into 1971 and the nurses will tackle several issues including 'premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis and slavery'. At the start, senior members of the Nonnatus House staff head to Hong Kong on a mercy mission. While they are away, the younger midwives are left to help the local community alone. Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) experiences a huge change in mindset and the 'energy reverberates throughout series 15'. What's more, the women's liberation movement is in full swing and several ladies burn their bras outside of the convent. The film will be set a year later, in 1972. BBC boss Lindsay Salt has described the show as a 'jewel in the BBC's crown'. Executive producer Dame Pippa Harris has also previously said: 'In an increasingly competitive viewing environment not only have our loyal fans stayed with us for 14 years, but they've been joined by a new, younger generation who have also fallen in love with our characters and the challenges they face. 'Emboldened by this warmth and enthusiasm, now feels like the right time to expand our world and take our nuns and midwives onto the big screen with our movie, and back in time with the prequel!' Based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, Call The Midwife has been consistently popular ever since its first series. It is the UK's biggest drama series, averaging 7.8million viewers this year while the 2024 Christmas special drew in a whopping 8.9million spectators. The programme has also won big at awards ceremonies over the years. Some of its gongs including National Television Awards for Best Female Drama Performance, for Miranda Hart, and Best Period Drama.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Call the Midwife bosses hit back at star's mistreatment claim
Call the Midwife bosses have refused to accept a former star's criticism of the BBC drama. The period drama has become one of the most watched shows in the UK since its launch in 2012, with the series following a group of midwives working in the East End of London in the 1950s, 1960 and 1970s. Throughout its time on air, the show has starred Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris, Jessica Raine and Stephen McGann – but one actor who doesn't reflect positively on their experience is Olly Rix. The actor, who currently appears in Casualty, played Matthew Aylward from series 10 to 13. The 13th series of the show aired in early 2024, and saw Rix's character relocate from London to New York. Rix has now claimed that he wasn't 'treated with much integrity or respect' during his time on the series – and said that he tries to avoid talking about the show due to his ill feeling towards it. 'It's hard for me to talk about that show,' he told Hello!, adding: 'I don't love talking about it.' He continued: 'I'm very fortunate. Most jobs, I think of very fondly but you do, of course, leave them in the past and move on and develop new work. With that project in particular, I didn't like the way it ended and I didn't think they treated me with much integrity or respect, and I didn't like that. Rix added that he felt it was 'best left in the past and not discussed much more.' The show's makers have now hit back at Rix's suggestion he was mistreated on the show, with a spokesperson telling The Independent: 'We don't accept this. 'Call the Midwife is a drama that prides itself on providing a supportive, inclusive and nurturing filming environment, and we are known for the family atmosphere on our set. Series 15 is currently filming and we look forward to sharing this exciting new series with our beloved audience.' The Call the Midwife franchise is about to expand, with a new prequel series set to follow a two-part Christmas special and eight-episode 15th series, which will debut in January 2026. It has also been confirmed that a Call the Midwife film, featuring 'iconic characters form the existing TV show', is also in production. It will be set in 1972 and released in 2027.
ABC News
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Call The Midwife: Series 13 Episode 1
Skip to main content Period Drama British Relationships It's 1969. More babies than ever are being born in hospital and pressure on maternity beds is high. But Poplar is coping well due to the popularity of home births under the auspices of the Sisters. New series starts Sunday 10 May at 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV. Jenny Agutter, Judy Parfitt, Helen George, Laura Main, Stephen McGann, Cliff Parisi, Linda Bassett, Annabelle Apsion, Daniel Laurie, Georgie Glen, Zephryn Taitte, Rebecca Gethings
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What we know about Call the Midwife series 15 and its 2025 Christmas specials
Call the Midwife is one of the BBC's best loved shows so it shouldn't be a surprise that the production will be returning for a 15th series. The show follows the lives and work of nurses and midwives in Poplar, in London's East End, and the cases and experiences they face over different time periods. The BBC has shared new details about the upcoming series as well as the two-part 2025 Christmas special, after it was also announced that a prequel series and movie are in the works. Here is everything that we know so far about both. Some characters of Call the Midwife will be swapping Poplar for Hong Kong, with the series following the exploits of the nurses in both locations in the two-part Christmas special later this year. The two episodes follows senior members of Nonnatus House heading to Hong Kong for a mercy mission, while the younger midwives are tasked with keeping things running as usual in the East End. The story will flip between the two with Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) finding new meaning in her work. Sister Julienne will be excited about the prospect of the Order's future and will finally be able to embrace change after battling against it for so long. And by working with it she will come to realise how important love is too, something that will prove important in series 15. Series 15 of the BBC show will return to the characters in 1971, with the women starting to embrace change with things like the Women's Liberation Movement. This will have some interesting consequences over the course of the series, with the characters said to even burn their bras outside Nonnatus House in support of the movement. That's not all, as the midwives will also face an array of intriguing cases including premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis and slavery. It's safe to say there is a lot happening in the upcoming series. Reflecting on what's to come in the show, creator Heidi Thomas said: "As the classic Call the Midwife series moves further into the 1970s, it also seems the perfect time for our much-loved regulars to take a short break from Poplar and test themselves in an unfamiliar landscape. "The rise in hospital births, and changes in the NHS, have clipped their wings, and this is their chance to take flight and work out what really matters." Production has officially begun on series 15 of Call the Midwife, and the series will return with eight new episodes in January 2026. The show will return to its home of BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and an official return date will likely be revealed after the Christmas specials. Speaking of, an airdate has not yet been confirmed for the Call the Midwife Christmas specials, but they are likely to air on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as that is timeslot the show's previous two-parter was given in 2024. The BBC will confirm further details in due course. Call the Midwife is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC's Call the Midwife expands universe with two huge spin-offs
The TV series will be paused to allow filming of a 1940s prequel featuring younger versions of key cast plus a film set in 1972 It's been a TV staple for Sunday night viewers across the UK's cold winter months since 2012. But the BBC 's much-loved drama Call the Midwife will take a break from BBC1 after the next series while production switches to a prequel series, set during the war, plus a standalone movie, for cinema release. The prequel, set during the Blitz years of World War II. will feature younger versions of many favourite current characters, likely to include Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt), Dr Turner (Stephen McGann) and Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi). It could also feature Sister Evangelina, the character played by Pam Ferris until the nun's death during the fifth series. The action will take place at least 15 years earlier than the debut series, based on the memoirs of real-life midwife Jennifer Worth, which was set in 1957. In contrast, the feature film will star the current cast and is likely to include some returning favourites, such as Miranda Hart as Chummy and Miriam Margolyes as Mother Mildred, and may also feature big-name guest stars. One insider said: 'Joanna Lumley as a nun? Now that's something I'd like to see.' The movie will be set abroad, in 1972, as the rise in hospital births gives the nuns and nurses a chance to take their skills further afield. Possible locations include Hong Kong, which is where this year's two-part Christmas special will be set, or South Africa, last visited in 2016. The one constant across all the different versions of the franchise will be the East End borough of Poplar, and Nonnatus House. Insiders stressed that the new projects did not herald the end for the main series, which will resume 'in due course' after the other projects are made. Executive producer Dame Pippa Harris said: 'It now feels like the right time to expand our world and take our nuns and midwives onto the big screen with our movie, and back in time with the prequel.' Writer Heidi Thomas explained: 'I have never run out of stories for our midwives, and I never will. But having wept, laughed, and raged my way from 1957 to 1971, I found myself yearning to delve into the deeper past. 'The Blitz years in the East End were extraordinary - filled with loss, togetherness, courage and joy. The bombs fell, the babies kept on coming, and the Sisters kept on going. There will be so much in the prequel for our wonderful, loyal fans, including the appearance of some familiar (if much younger!) faces.' And speaking about the movie, she added: 'It seems the perfect time for our much-loved regulars to take a short break from Poplar and test themselves in an unfamiliar landscape. Changes in the NHS have clipped their wings, and this is their chance to take flight. Whilst the location remains top-secret, I can say it is going to look absolutely fantastic on the big screen.' In January the 15th series, set in 1971, will kick off with some of the regulars burning their bras outside Nonnatus House as they embrace the women's lib movement. As the year unfolds, they handle cases including premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis and slavery. BBC drama boss Lindsay Salt said: 'Whether you've been watching from the very start or joined us for one of the more recent series, this is an incredibly exciting time to be a Call the Midwife fan.'
