Call the Midwife stars Rebecca Gethings and Renee Bailey have shared an exclusive update on the future of the beloved BBC drama. Despite season 15 airing in early 2026, a 16th season has not yet been confirmed. However, fans will still be able to follow the lives of the nurse-midwives and nuns of Nonnatus House in an upcoming prequel, Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms, set in Poplar, London, at the start of World War Two.
Cast Still in the Dark About Season 16
Rebecca Gethings, who has played Sister Veronica since 2023, revealed that the cast has not been told whether the show will be renewed. "We don't know! I hope at some point but they're busy doing the prequel right now," she told the Daily Express. Renee Bailey, who debuted as midwife Joyce Highland in the 2023 Christmas special, echoed the uncertainty.
Prequel Promises Heart and Historic Accuracy
Rebecca assured fans that the prequel will capture the same spirit that has made Call the Midwife so popular. "I think it will have the same heart that the show has. It will have historic accuracy. Call the Midwife is a social historical document as well as a drama so it will be very well researched," she said. Renee added, "I imagine it's going to be really in the spirit of Call the Midwife, everyone getting stuck in. I think it's going to be exciting, especially with the backdrop of the war."
High Stakes and New Characters
Rebecca declared, "The stakes will be very high." The prequel will introduce a new generation of characters, including three young secular midwives—Sybil, Olive, and Marianne—who face the challenges of the Blitz. The BBC synopsis describes a world without gas and air, penicillin, or a welfare state, where "courage, compassion and resilience triumph as the community unites in its efforts to survive."
Production Details
Filming for Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms began in June, helmed by showrunner Heidi Thomas alongside executive producers Pippa Harris and Ann Tricklebank. The cast includes Rebecca Gethings and Renee Bailey, though their roles in the prequel have not been specified. Rebecca expressed excitement about the casting: "As a viewer I will be tuning in. I'm really excited. We've seen the casting, I thoroughly approve. Everyone looks brilliant."
