Latest news with #SisterJulienne
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.
Scotsman
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Call the Midwife film and WW2 spin-off announced
Call the Midwife is getting a WW2 set prequel and is heading to the big screen! 🤱 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Call the Midwife is heading to the big screen. A film has been confirmed by the BBC. While a WW2-set prequel show has been announced. Call the Midwife's 'iconic' characters are heading to the big screen, it has been announced. The BBC has laid out its plans for the future of the beloved historical drama. A spin-off series set during World War II, featuring younger versions of familiar faces, has also been confirmed. It is due to be released next year - as well as a regular season of the hit show. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Beeb has also offered up a few morsels about this year's Christmas special. It is quite the busy time for the inhabitants of Nonnatus House. Here's all you need to know: BBC confirms exciting plans for Call the Midwife Christmas special Once again fans will be treated to a double dose of festive action this year as a two-part special has been announced. And in a major twist, much of the action will take place away from Poplar. The 2025 Christmas special of Call the Midwife will be set in Hong Kong - as well as its usual London home. It will be followed by a regular season in January 2026. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A brief tease reads: 'When senior members of the Nonnatus House staff head to Hong Kong on a mercy mission, the younger midwives are left to cope alone. As the Christmas action shifts between the sun-drenched Far East and a snowy East End, Sister Julienne suddenly finds herself excited about the Order's future. Call the Midwife cast on set of 2025 Christmas special | Neal Street / Olly Courtney 'After years of battling change, she decides to embrace it, work with it, and see what love can do. This change of energy reverberates throughout series 15. The new series kicks off in 1971 with several of the ladies embracing Women's Lib and burning their bras outside Nonnatus House. 'As the year unfolds, we see the team handle cases including premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis and slavery.' Call the Midwife set for spin-off and a film However the news doesn't stop with an update on this year's Christmas special. The world of Nonnatus House will also be expanding. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A prequel TV series set in Poplar during World War Two will be made for the BBC in 2026. In addition, Neal Street, in development with BBC Film, are producing a Call the Midwife film. Not many details have been announced about the movie, except that it will be set overseas in 1972 and feature iconic characters from the show. Heidi Thomas OBE, creator and writer, says: '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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad '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.' She added: '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.'
Daily Record
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC Call The Midwife to take break as show announces two huge spin-offs
The long-running BBC drama will be put on hold after the next series as production switches to a prequel series, set during World War II, and a standalone movie, likely to be released in cinemas BBC's hit series Call the Midwife, a Sunday night favourite for chilly UK winters since 2012, is set to pause its usual programming after its upcoming series. Instead, audiences can look forward to a war-set prequel featuring younger incarnations of beloved characters and a separate feature film destined for cinema screens. Viewers will be transported back to the Blitz as the prequel delves into the lives of characters during World War II, potentially including younger portrayals of Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt), Dr Turner (Stephen McGann), and Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi). Fans may also see a return of Sister Evangelina, played by Pam Ferris until her character's death in season five. The forthcoming action predates the original series, which drew from Jennifer Worth's real-life tales of midwifery set in 1957, by at least 15 years. Meanwhile, the cinematic venture will feature familiar faces from the current lineup, with possible comebacks such as Miranda Hart as Chummy and Miriam Margolyes as Mother Mildred—alongside potential guest stars, reports the Mirror. There's industry buzz about Joanna Lumley gracing the habit, with one source exclaiming: "Joanna Lumley as a nun? Now that's something I'd like to see." Set in 1972, the motion picture will take the nuns and nurses away from Poplar as hospital births burgeon, possibly to exotic locales akin to Hong Kong—this year's two-part Christmas special setting—or South Africa, revisiting a past destination from 2016. The East End borough of Poplar, along with Nonnatus House, will remain a consistent element throughout the various new extensions of the franchise. Show insiders have emphasised that these fresh ventures do not indicate the conclusion of the original series, which they promise will continue "in due course" once the additional projects are completed. Dame Pippa Harris, Executive Producer, expressed: "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 shared her enthusiasm: "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." She further elaborated on the forthcoming prequel: "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." Discussing the upcoming movie, Thomas revealed: "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." The period drama will start its 15th series in January, set in 1971. Early scenes see the nurses of Nonnatus House embracing feminist protests, reflecting the women's lib movement that gained momentum at that time. Meanwhile, throughout the year, the medical team tackles various challenging cases such as placenta previa, tuberculosis, slavery, kidney cancer, and premature births. 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."
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.'
