Production has begun on series 15 of Call the Midwife, with a two-part Christmas Special set in Hong Kong and Poplar, followed by eight new episodes airing from January 2026 on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The series, co-produced with PBS, sees senior Nonnatus House staff head to Hong Kong on a mercy mission, leaving younger midwives to cope alone. Sister Julienne embraces change, and the new series kicks off in 1971 with characters embracing Women's Lib.
In an exciting expansion, a prequel TV series set in Poplar during World War Two will be made for the BBC in 2026. Additionally, Neal Street, in development with BBC Film, is producing a Call the Midwife film set overseas in 1972, featuring iconic characters from the existing show. The new projects will be written and produced by the all-female team behind the current series: showrunner Heidi Thomas and executive producers Pippa Harris and Ann Tricklebank.
Heidi Thomas expressed her excitement about delving into the Blitz years, saying, 'The bombs fell, the babies kept on coming, and the Sisters kept on going.' She noted that the prequel will include familiar younger faces. Pippa Harris highlighted the show's enduring appeal, attracting a new younger generation, and said the time is right to expand the world with a film and prequel. Lindsay Salt of BBC Drama called the expansion 'incredibly exciting' for fans.
Further details about the prequel series and film will be released later this year. Series 15 will handle cases including premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis, and slavery.
