The cast of Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms have completed filming on the three-part special arriving on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this Christmas. First-look pictures show Julie Hesmondhalgh, Helena Wilson, Ellie McKay, Liv Andrusier, and Lizzie Back on set.
Emotional Filming
Heidi Thomas OBE, writer and showrunner, revealed the emotional impact of filming: "Call the Midwife has a long and noble history of filming Christmas specials during heatwaves, and this year we welcomed the snow-machine back to the Nonnatus House set like an old friend. But I was surprised how many new emotions Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms sparked. In particular, the evacuation of Poplar's children, and the fear that they may not make it home for Christmas, had us all in tears."
Setting and Story
Based on the memoirs of nurse and midwife Jennifer Worth, the original series began in 1957. The fifteenth series, broadcast earlier this year, was set in 1971 and showed NHS reforms threatening Nonnatus House. The prequel turns back time to the Second World War.
In September 1939, Sister Monica Joan is at her peak, Sister Julienne and Sister Evangelina are youthful and passionate, and Nonnatus House serves as Poplar's vital centre. Alongside Sister Alice and local GP Dr Kit, the nuns devote themselves to mothers, infants, and the vulnerable. Yet there's no gas and air, no penicillin, no remedy for TB, and no welfare state.
War and Resilience
Then war breaks out. The three young secular midwives - Sybil, Olive, and Marianne - face a trial by fire as the blackout and the Blitz grip the nation. As bombs cascade, women deliver babies in underground shelters, families are torn apart, and entire roads are transformed into debris. Yet bravery, kindness, and determination prevail as the neighbourhood bands together.
Jenny Agutter returns as narrator, and Ami Metcalf, who appeared in the inaugural Christmas special as Lynette Duncan, also returns. Call the Midwife is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
