Filming has commenced on Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms, a three-part prequel series set in Poplar during World War Two. Created by Heidi Thomas and produced by BBC and Neal Street, the series is currently shooting at Longcross Studios in Surrey. A full-length series announcement is expected later.
The story unfolds in September 1939, following younger versions of beloved characters: Sister Monica Joan, Sister Julienne, and Sister Evangelina, alongside new nuns Sister Alice and local GP Dr Kit. Without gas and air, penicillin, or a welfare state, the Nonnatus House team faces immense challenges as war is declared and the Blitz begins.
Three secular midwives—Sybil, Olive, and Marianne—join the mission, delivering babies in underground shelters amid bombing raids. The series highlights courage and community resilience as families are shattered and streets reduced to rubble.
Guest stars include Julie Hesmondhalgh as Sister Alice, Amy Booth-Steel as Sister Evangelina, Helen Schlesinger as Sister Monica Joan, and Helena Wilson as Sister Julienne. Bally Gill plays Dr Kit Malhotra, while Martin McCann and Rachel O'Connell guest star as Tommy and Mary Moffat. Ben Rose portrays a young Dr Patrick Turner.
Heidi Thomas expressed her excitement: “I found myself longing to turn the clock back and tell the story of their finest hour—the Blitz. Sisters in Arms is about what happens when women go to war, blending love, birth, and medical drama in a devastating landscape.” Executive producer Dame Pippa Harris added that the series “echoes the original through engrossing medical stories, wit, and pathos, with a fresh layer of tension from the WWII backdrop.”
