The BBC has announced that Call the Midwife will ring in Christmas 2024 with an extended two-part special – a first for the beloved series.
The special, set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, promises all the charm, drama, and heartwarming moments fans cherish, but spread across two 60-minute episodes instead of the usual 90-minute Christmas feature.
This year’s holiday instalment returns to Poplar in the chilly winter of 1969. The storyline hints at all the usual community spirit and dramatic tension, with a seasonal mix of joy and suspense. The Nonnatus House midwives are as busy as ever, delivering babies and caring for the neighbourhood as a lively funfair adds a pop of festive colour.
But along with the holiday cheer, Poplar faces the spectre of the Hong Kong flu – a pandemic that brings tension to the borough.
As local children rally behind the Blue Peter Christmas appeal and Trixie makes a quick stop back in Poplar to catch up with her brother Geoffrey, the neighbourhood’s usual holiday rituals unfold with an added twist. The residents are also on high alert after reports of an escaped prisoner spark fear of break-ins across the area.
Returning to the cast are Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan, Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne, Laura Main as Shelagh Turner, Helen George as Trixie Aylward, Cliff Parisi as Fred Buckle, Stephen McGann as Dr Turner, Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane, Megan Cusack as Nancy Corrigan, Annabelle Apsion as Violet Buckle, Georgie Glen as Miss Higgins, Zephryn Taitte as Cyril Robinson, Rebecca Gethings as Sister Veronica, Daniel Laurie as Reggie Jackson, Renee Bailey as Joyce Highland, Natalie Quarry as Rosalind Clifford, Alice Brown as Angela Turner, Francesca Fullilove as Colette Corrigan, April Rae Hoang as May Tang and Edward Shaw as Teddy Turner.
Call the Midwife creator Heidi Thomas, who’s been with the show since its beginning, shared her excitement about the two-part format, describing it as an “extra, unexpected present underneath the Christmas tree.”
Executive producer Dame Pippa Harris added that this special, written by Thomas, is designed to give fans a true Christmas treat.
This two-part special also sets the stage for what’s ahead in early 2025 when Call the Midwife returns with a new eight-episode series, bringing the series closer to a confirmed fifteenth series that will run into 2026.
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