The BBC has released first-look images from the set of Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms, confirming that filming has wrapped on the three-part special set to air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this Christmas.
The newly released pictures show Julie Hesmondhalgh, Helena Wilson, Ellie McKay, Liv Andrusier, and Lizzie Back on set for the first time. The special rewinds the clock to the Second World War, a departure from the main series' 1970s setting.
Prequel Synopsis: War and Midwifery
Set in September 1939, the synopsis describes Sister Monica Joan in her prime, with Sister Julienne and Sister Evangelina young and zealous. Nonnatus House is the beating heart of Poplar, where the nuns, alongside Sister Alice and local GP Dr Kit, dedicate themselves to mothers, babies, and those in need—but without gas and air, penicillin, or a cure for TB, and no welfare state. When war is declared, life becomes even harder.
The three young secular midwives—Sybil, Olive, and Marianne—face a baptism of fire as the blackout and Blitz take hold. Women give birth underground, families are shattered, children run wild, and streets are reduced to rubble, but courage and resilience triumph as the community unites to survive.
Returning Faces and Showrunner's Tears
Jenny Agutter, the original Sister Julienne, returns as narrator, and Ami Metcalf, who appeared in the first Christmas special as Lynette Duncan, also makes a comeback.
Writer and showrunner Heidi Thomas OBE shared: “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.”
Previous series of Call the Midwife are available now on BBC iPlayer.
