''Call the Midwife'' is a BBC period drama series about a group of nurse

midwives A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; c ...

working in the

East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have univ ...

in the late 1950s and 1960s. The principal cast of the show has included Jessica Raine,

Miranda Hart Miranda Katherine Hart Dyke (born 14 December 1972) is an English actress and writer. Following drama training at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Hart began writing material for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and making appearances in va ...

Helen George Helen Elizabeth George (born 19 June 1984) is an English actress, best known for playing Trixie Franklin on the BBC drama series ''Call the Midwife''. In 2015, she participated in the thirteenth series of BBC One's ''Strictly Come Dancing''; ...

, Bryony Hannah,

Laura Main Laura Main (born 8 March 1981) is a Scottish actress known for her role as Sister Bernadette (later Dr. Turner's wife Shelagh Turner) in the BBC One drama series ''Call the Midwife''. Early life and education Laura Main was born in Aberdeen. ...

Jenny Agutter Jennifer Ann Agutter (born 20 December 1952) is a British actress. She began her career as a child actress in 1964, appearing in '' East of Sudan'', ''Star!'', and two adaptations of '' The Railway Children''—the BBC's 1968 television seria ...

Pam Ferris Pamela Ferris (born 11 May 1948) is a Welsh actress. She has starred in numerous British television series, including ''Connie'' (1985), '' The Darling Buds of May'' (1991–1993), '' Where the Heart Is'' (1997–2000), '' Rosemary & Thyme'' ...

, Judy Parfitt, Cliff Parisi,

Stephen McGann Stephen Vincent McGann (born 2 February 1963) is a British actor, best known for portraying Dr Patrick Turner in the BBC One medical period drama series ''Call the Midwife''. He is one of a family of acting brothers, the others being Joe, Pa ...

, Ben Caplan, Daniel Laurie,

Emerald Fennell Emerald Lilly Fennell (; born 1 October 1985) is an English actress, filmmaker, and writer. She has received many awards and nominations, including an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, one Screen Actors Guild Award, and nominatio ...

, Victoria Yeates,

Jack Ashton Jack Ashton is a British actor, best known for playing Rev. Tom Hereward in the BBC television series, ''Call the Midwife ''Call the Midwife'' is a BBC period drama series about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London i ...

Linda Bassett Linda Bassett (born 4 February 1950) is an English actress. Her television credits include Victoria Wood's '' dinnerladies'' (1999), '' Lark Rise to Candleford'' (2008–11), '' Grandma's House'' (2010–12) and '' Call the Midwife'' (2015–pres ...

, Charlotte Ritchie,

Kate Lamb Kate Lamb (born 18 January 1988) is a Welsh actress best known for playing Nurse Delia Busby in the BBC drama series ''Call the Midwife'' from 2015 to 2017. Early life Lamb was born in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

Jennifer Kirby Jennifer Ann Kirby (born 18 August 1988) is an English television and stage actress. She is best known for her role as Nurse Valerie Dyer on the BBC One period drama ''Call the Midwife''. She joined the show in series six and played Valerie unti ...

, Annabelle Apsion and

Leonie Elliott Leonie Samantha Elliott is an English actress, best known for her role as Lucille Anderson in the BBC series ''Call the Midwife''. She also starred as Cherry Patterson in the Lenny Henry comedy-drama '' Danny and the Human Zoo''. Early life Elli ...

. The series is produced by Neal Street Productions, a production company founded and owned by the film director and producer

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was knighted in the 2020 New Years Honours List. That s ...

, ''Call the Midwife'' executive producer

Pippa Harris Dame Philippa Jill Olivier Harris (born 27 March 1967) is a British film and television producer/executive. She co-founded Neal Street Productions in 2003 with Sam Mendes and Caro Newling. Harris was a script editor at ITV and Channel Four befo ...

, and Caro Newling. The first series, set in 1957, premiered in the United Kingdom on 15 January 2012. The series was created by Heidi Thomas, originally based on the memoirs of

Jennifer Worth Jennifer Louise Worth RN RM (; 25 September 1935 – 31 May 2011) was a British memoirist. She wrote a best-selling trilogy about her work as a nurse and midwife practising in the poverty-stricken East End of London in the 1950s: '' Call the ...

who worked with the

Community of St. John the Divine The Community of St. John the Divine (CSJD) is an Anglican religious order of nuns within the Church of England. Founded in London in 1848, the community is now based in Marston Green, Solihull, England. Originally a nursing order, the CSJD ...

, an Anglican religious order, at their convent in the East End in London. The order was founded as a nursing order in 1849. The show's storylines has extended beyond the memoirs to include new, historically sourced material. For the most part it depicts the day-to-day lives of the midwives and those in their local neighbourhood of Poplar, with certain historical events of the era having a direct or indirect effect on the characters and storylines. ''Call the Midwife'' achieved high ratings in its first series, making it the most successful new drama series on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

since 2001. Ten more series of eight episodes each have aired subsequently year-on-year, along with an annual Christmas special broadcast every

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

since 2012. It is also broadcast in the United States on the PBS network, with the first series starting on 30 September 2012. Critical reception has been mostly positive, and the series has won numerous awards and nominations. It has been praised for tackling topical subjects and contemporary social, cultural and economic issues, including nationalised healthcare, infertility, teen pregnancy, adoption, the importance of local community,

miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemica ...

and

stillbirth Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. The term ...

s, abortion and unwanted pregnancies,

birth defects A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can ...

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse

, common

illnesses A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

, epidemic disease,

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

incest Incest ( ) is human sexual activity between family members or close relatives. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by affinity ( marriage or stepfamily), ado ...

, religion and faith,

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagoni ...

and

prejudice Prejudice can be an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived (usually unfavourable) evaluation or classification of another person based on that person's per ...

same-sex attraction Same sex may refer to: * A phrase used in the discussion of sex Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spe ...

and

female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

. Some aspects of

love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

—maternal, paternal, filial, fraternal, sisterly, romantic, or the love of friends—are explored in every episode.

Plot

The plot follows newly qualified midwife Jenny Lee, as well as the work of midwives and the nuns of Nonnatus House, a nursing convent and part of an

Anglican religious order Anglican religious orders are communities of men or women (or in some cases mixed communities of both men and women) in the Anglican Communion who live under a common rule of life. The members of religious orders take vows which often include t ...

, coping with the medical problems in the deprived Poplar district of London's desperately poor East End in the 1950s. The Sisters and midwives carry out many nursing duties across the community. However, with between 80 and 100 babies being born each month in Poplar alone, the primary work is to help bring safe childbirth to women in the area and to look after their countless newborns. The first series, set in early 1957, tackles the "Baby Boom", issues of poverty in the East End and post-war immigration. The second series set in 1958 depicts the introduction of gas and air as a form of pain relief, unexploded ordnance, an outbreak of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

, a baby born with

spina bifida Spina bifida (Latin for 'split spine'; SB) is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the spine and the membranes around the spinal cord during early development in pregnancy. There are three main types: spina bifida occulta, men ...

, and ends with the condemning of the Nonnatus House building. The third series, set in 1959, depicts

cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. Ot ...

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe sy ...

, caring for the terminally ill, and midwifery in a prison context. The Child Migrants Programme, the threat of

nuclear warfare Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a theoretical military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear ...

(including emergency response guidelines issued by local

Civil Defence Corps The Civil Defence Corps (CDC) was a civilian volunteer organisation established in Great Britain in 1949 to mobilise and take local control of the affected area in the aftermath of a major national emergency, principally envisaged as being a Co ...

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, ...

, and

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium '' Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, a ...

among sex workers are addressed in 1960-set fourth series, with a patient with

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several d ...

, the effects of thalidomide, the introduction of the contraceptive pill and impact of

stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...

in the fifth set in 1961. The sixth series, set in 1962, touches on domestic violence, an explosion at the local docks, interracial marriage,

, mental health, and introduces Reggie, a recurring character who has

Down syndrome Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual d ...

. The seventh series, set in 1963, introduces the first major character of colour, Nurse Lucille Anderson, as well as

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

, racial abuse,

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria '' Mycobacterium leprae'' or '' Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve d ...

, and

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...

featuring in storylines. The eighth series, set in 1964, covers the topic of abortion (which was not legalised until 1967), sickle cell disease, babies born with

cleft lip and cleft palate A cleft lip contains an opening in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate occurs when the palate (the roof of the mouth) contains an opening into the nose. The te ...

, and

intersex Intersex people are individuals born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical b ...

people. Set in 1965, the ninth series addresses

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

, a blind expectant mother, and the continued role and relevance of Nonnatus House in the community. The tenth series, set in 1966, compares the practice at Nonnatus House with the private Lady Emily Clinic in

Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world ...

, PKU,

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

, and the controversy of abortion on the eve of legalisation. Christmas special episodes also explore the conditions in a mission in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

, the

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coas ...

, and the order orphanage.

Cast and characters

''Call the Midwife'' is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, featuring narration – and an on-screen appearance in the 2014 Christmas Special – by

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, tw ...

as an older Jenny. * Jessica Raine as Nursing Sister Jennifer "Jenny" Lee (series 1–3) *

as Sister Julienne *

as Sister Evangelina (series 1–5) * Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan *

as Nurse Beatrix "Trixie" Franklin * Bryony Hannah as Nurse Cynthia Miller (later Sister Mary Cynthia) (series 1–6) *

as Matron Camilla "Chummy" Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne (later Noakes) (series 1–4) *

as Sister Bernadette (later Nurse Shelagh Turner) *

as Dr Patrick Turner * Cliff Parisi as Frederick "Fred" Buckle * Ben Caplan as Police Constable (later Sergeant) Peter Noakes (series 1–6) * Max Macmillan as Timothy Turner (series 3–; recurring series 2) *

Dorothy Atkinson Dorothy Caroline Atkinson (born 1966) is an English actress and singer. She has appeared in several plays by playwright Alan Ayckbourn and in films by Mike Leigh, including ''Topsy-Turvy'', ''All or Nothing'', and ''Mr. Turner'', which premiere ...

as Auxiliary Nurse Jane Sutton (series 2) *

as Nurse Patience "Patsy" Mount (series 3–6; guest series 2) * Victoria Yeates as Sister Winifred (series 3–8) *

as the Rev Tom Hereward (series 4–7; recurring series 3) * Charlotte Ritchie as Nurse Barbara Gilbert (later Hereward) (series 4–7) *

as Nurse Phyllis Crane (series 4–present) *

as Nurse Delia Busby (series 5–6; recurring series 4) *

as Nurse Valerie Dyer (series 6–9) * Annabelle Apsion as Violet Gee (later Buckle) (series 7-; recurring series 4–6) *

Jack Hawkins John Edward Hawkins, CBE (14 September 1910 – 18 July 1973) was an English actor who worked on stage and in film from the 1930s until the 1970s. One of the most popular British film stars of the 1950s, he was known for his portrayal of mil ...

as Christopher Dockerill (series 6–7) *

as Nurse Lucille Anderson (later Robinson) (series 7–present) * Fenella Woolgar as Sister Hilda (series 8–present) * Ella Bruccoleri as Sister Frances (series 8–present) * Daniel Laurie as Reggie Jackson (series 10–; recurring series 6–9) *

Georgie Glen Georgie Glen is a Scottish actress, known for her film and television work in both dramatic and comedic roles. Among her most popular performances are the running characters of Miss Higgins in the BBC One period drama series ''Call The Midwife ...

as Miss Millicent Higgins (series 10–; recurring series 8–9) * Zephryn Taitte as Cyril Robinson (series 10–; recurring series 8–9) * Olly Rix as Matthew Aylward (series 10-present) * Megan Cusack as Nurse Nancy Corrigan (series 11–; recurring series 10)

Episodes

Production

Locations

A number of historic sites in the south of England have been used as

filming locations A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage. In filmmaking, a location is any place where a film crew wi ...

for scenes in ''Call the Midwife''. The ship in the opening titles is the Shaw, Savill & Albion Line liner in dry dock at the King George V Dock and the road is Saville Road,

Silvertown Silvertown is a district in the London Borough of Newham, in east London, England. It lies on the north bank of the Thames and was historically part of the parishes of West Ham and East Ham, hundred of Becontree, and the historic county ...

, east London. Many of the exterior scenes are shot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham standing in for East London streets and buildings. In the first two series, Nonnatus House was filmed at St. Joseph's Missionary College in

Mill Hill Mill Hill is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is situated around northwest of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until 1965, when it became part of Greater London. Its population counted 18,4 ...

, North London until the building was converted to luxury flats at which point a new Nonnatus House set was created at Longcross Studios in Surrey where sets were built for the new Nonnatus and interior sets. is used for scenes on ships during the series and the order's mother house is filmed in West Wittering. A reconstructed

prefab house Prefabricated homes, often referred to as prefab homes or simply prefabs, are specialist dwelling types of prefabricated building, which are manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled. ...

at the

Chiltern Open Air Museum Chiltern Open Air Museum (COAM) is an independent open-air museum of vernacular buildings and a tourist attraction located near Chalfont St Peter and Chalfont St. Giles in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. Its collection consists ...

in Buckinghamshire has also been used as a filming location.

Commissioning

On 11 February 2013, Ben Stephenson, BBC Controller for Drama, announced that he had commissioned a 2013 Christmas special, and a third series of eight episodes to be broadcast in 2014. The fourth series aired in the US in 2015, finishing its eight-episode run on 17 May. A Christmas special also aired in 2015. A fifth series was commissioned for 2016, shortly after series four filming was completed. A sixth series was commissioned, which included a 2016 Christmas episode set in South Africa. On 23 November 2016, the BBC announced a three-year deal with Neal Street Productions, commissioning a seventh, eighth, and ninth series, each with a Christmas special. On 4 March 2019, the BBC announced it had commissioned two further series and Christmas specials, through to an eleventh series in 2022, moving the plot into the late-sixties. On 13 April 2021 – five days before series 10 was due to start broadcasting on

and with the 11th series about to begin filming – the BBC announced that two more series had been commissioned, keeping the show on air until 2024. Series 12 and 13 will each comprise eight one-hour episodes as well as a Christmas special.

Soundtrack

For the first three series of the programme the score and the title theme used was composed by Peter Salem and since series four the music has been composed by Maurizio Malagnini. The orchestral score, mainly comprising strings and piano accompanies the emotional moments of the series, with Malagnini calling it a diary of the emotions of the series, while more upbeat moments are often accompanied by music appropriate to the setting year. The score was performed by the London Chamber Orchestra. There have been two albums released with music from the series: a 2012 released ''Call the Midwife: The Album'' consisting of period appropriate songs and score tracks from the first series by Salem and a second ''Call the Midwife: Original Soundtrack Album'' released in 2018 featuring highlights from Malagnini's score from series 4-7.

Release

Broadcast

In May 2012,

BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetises BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadca ...

and the American Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) announced that the first series of ''Call the Midwife'' would premiere in the United States on 30 September 2012. BBC Worldwide also sold the programme to SVT (Sweden);

NRK NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest ...

(Norway);

RÚV Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) (pronounced or ) ( en, 'The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service') is Iceland's national public-service broadcasting organization. Operating from studios in the country's capital, Reykjavík, as well as regional ce ...

(Iceland); Yle (Finland);

AXN White AXN White is a channel operated by Sony Pictures Television International Networks Europe. Its programming is focused on comedy and romantic television series and movies. The channel was launched in Portugal on 14 April 2012 and in Spain on 7 Ma ...

(Spain; Portugal); ERT (Greece); ABC in Australia and TVNZ 1 in New Zealand, where its debut recorded a 35% share of the audience – 20% above average. In July 2012 BBC Worldwide announced it sold the global Video on Demand rights of the programme to

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

. The second series of ''Call the Midwife'' was sold to PBS for transmission from 31 March 2013 and to SVT (Sweden) for transmission from 19 May 2013. In February 2013, BBC Worldwide reported that ''Call the Midwife'' had been sold in over one hundred global territories, with global sales contributing to the UK's position as the second largest TV exporter behind the United States. In February 2017, it was reported that the BBC had exported ''Call the Midwife'' to 237 global territories. A second series of eight episodes aired in the UK in early 2013. The series achieved a consolidated series average of 10.47 million viewers. A third eight-part series aired in the UK from January 2014, with a consolidated average of 10.53 million. On 28 February 2014, BBC confirmed that ''Call the Midwife'' had been commissioned for a 2014 Christmas special and fourth series, to air in 2015. On 3 November 2014, BBC announced that an eight-episode fifth series had been commissioned; it began airing on 17 January 2016; the fifth series takes the story into 1961. The sixth series began airing in the UK on 22 January 2017, taking the drama into 1962. Series seven, again consisting of eight episodes, began airing on Sunday, 21 January 2018, with episode one viewed by 9.87 million viewers. It was the No.1 rated programme on UK TV for all weeks of its transmission, ending 11 March 2018. The eighth series premiered on 13 January 2019.

Home media

The first series was released in a Region 2, two-disc set on 12 March 2012. Series two was released on 1 April 2013 in the UK (region 2) with a collector's edition, ''Call the Midwife Collection'', containing series one, two, and the 2012 Christmas Special, released on the same date. In the United States, the first series was released on DVD and

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...

on 6 November 2012. Series two was released on DVD and

on 18 June 2013. Series three was released on

on 20 May 2014. Series four was released on

on 19 May 2015.

Reception

Critical response

A second series was immediately commissioned after the opening episode attracted an audience of nearly 10 million viewers. The second episode increased its audience to 10.47 million, while the third continued the climb to 10.66. Episode four's rating reached 10.89 million. In the United States, the series one transmission on PBS drew an average household audience rating of 2.1, translating into three million viewers – 50 percent above PBS's primetime average for the 2011–12 series. The autumn 2012 PBS broadcast of the first series received widespread critical acclaim, earning a

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

score of 8.0. ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' declared that "this immensely absorbing drama is worth any trouble it takes to catch up with its singular pleasures", while ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' stated that "the cast is marvelous, the gritty, post-war set pieces are meticulously recreated". ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...

'' called the series "a delight to watch", while the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...

'' described it as "sentimental, poignant and often heartbreaking". Maane Khatchatourian of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

'' wrote, "Just what the doctor ordered." The second series opened with a record overnight audience of 9.3 million UK viewers, going on to achieve a consolidated series average of 10.47 million viewers. This was almost 2 million above the slot average, and by some distance the most popular UK drama in every week of transmission. When viewing figures from BBC's iPlayer video streaming service and a narrative repeat were included as part of the BBC Live Plus 7 metric, the total number of viewers per week was found to be almost 12 million.

Caitlin Moran Catherine Elizabeth Moran (; born 5 April 1975) is an English journalist, author, and broadcaster at '' The Times'', where she writes three columns a week: one for the Saturday Magazine, a TV review column, and the satirical Friday column "Cele ...

in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'' called this "an iron hand in a velvet glove", while Allison Pearson in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'' lauded its ability to "tickle the middle of the brow while touching the most anguished parts of the human condition". In particular, commentators have noted the attention given to female social issues in the drama's post-war, pre-pill setting. Alison Graham in the ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves ...

'' dubbed ''Call the Midwife'' "a magnificently subversive drama" and "the torchbearer of feminism on television," while

claimed the series encapsulated "how unbelievably terrifying, dreary and vile it was to be a working-class woman 60 years ago." After the departure of Jessica Raine as Jenny Lee at the end of the third series, Jennifer Worth's family stated that ''Call The Midwife'' no longer resembled Worth's stories.

Accolades

References

External links

* * *
PBS: Call the Midwife

Broadcast: Midwife delivered across Europe

* ttp://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/international/bbcw-eyes-vod-push-after-netflix-buys-call-the-midwife/5044735.article/ BBC Worldwide sells Call the Midwife Video on Demand rights to Netflix
TV Choice Magazine: Interview with Pam Ferris and Jessica Raine

The Guardian: Interview with Miranda Hart

Call the Midwife Tour

Call the Midwife, Season 11
{{Authority control 2012 British television series debuts 2010s British drama television series 2020s British drama television series 2010s British medical television series 2020s British medical television series BBC high definition shows BBC television dramas Christianity in popular culture English-language television shows Lesbian-related television shows Nuns in fiction Television series by All3Media Television series set in the 1950s Television series set in the 1960s Television shows based on non-fiction books Television shows set in London Television shows shot in Kent Works about midwifery Call the Midwife (franchise)