Call the Midwife stars reveal all on ‘dark, Dickensian’ Christmas Special saying ‘life can be difficult’
CALL the Midwife fans might not get a cheery and happy Christmas this year as the festive special airs on BBC One.
This year will see Call the Midwife celebrating Christmas in 1969, and in true Poplar fashion it will see the communities coming together.
However it’s not all sweetness and light, as one of the stars revealed it will be a ‘dark’ Christmas.
Actress Jenny Agutter, who has played Sister Julienne since the series first began, revealed to the Radio Times: “For me, when I read it, I was very touched by it. It’s quite Dickensian.
“It is quite dark, but in with that is a lot of humour and a lot of humanity, and that’s what lightens it.
“It’s just the recognition that we’re in difficult times, we’ve been in difficult times, we always were in difficult times. It just recognises that.”
Laura Main, who plays former nun and now doctor’s wife Shelagh Turner, added that it felt right to have light and shade at Christmas as she shared: “I think it also feels really apt as a Christmas story to not just be full of joy and cheer, because life doesn’t stop for Christmas.
“Life can be difficult, and so that’s reflected in the story.
“To take a moment to think of others, and see people serving others, is a nice message at Christmas.”
Agutter added “Well, the homeless family is absolutely soul-destroying, just watching that happen, people evicted from their places. And we know that’s happening today.
“As you say, life goes on and Christmas doesn’t make it easier. It is for some, but not for everybody.”
This year will see two episodes air from the Poplar midwives this Christmas, as the BBC synopsis revealed: “As Poplar also prepares for a carol concert, the neighbourhood is gripped by the news of an escaped prisoner and fears grow that he may be in the local area after a spate of break-ins.
“The Turner children are caught up in the fever surrounding the Blue Peter Christmas appeal to collect dinky cars and scrap metal.
“Trixie makes a fleeting visit to Nonnatus House and is delighted to see her brother Geoffrey, and Miss Higgins has her grandson Harry stay for Christmas.
“Violet hosts a mince pie competition but the Buckles’ preparations for Reggie’s homecoming are thrown into turmoil.”
Call The Midwife: A breakdown
Call The Midwife first came onto the airwaves in 2012 and has been seen by millions. But what is it about?
Series one: Set in early 1957 and it explored the ‘Baby Boom generation, which included themes of poverty and post-war immigration.
Series two: Set in 1958 and it showed gas and air being introduced for pain relief for the first time. It ended with the Nonnatus House building being condemned.
Series three: Set in 1959 and it depicted gruesome conditions such as cystic fibrosis, polio and it showed the midwives in the context on prisons.
Series four: Set in 1960 under the threat of nuclear warfare and the emergency response guidelines issued by the local Civil Defence Corp. Other themes included LGBT rights, and syphilis.
Series five: Set in 1961 and it shows the care of patients with conditions such as Typhoid and strokes. We also saw the effects of thalidomide, the introduction of the contraceptive pill.
Series six: Set in 1962 and domestic violence was at the centre of the season. Other themes included FGM (female genital mutilation), mental health issues and interracial marriage. It was also notable for the introduction of Reggie, a recurring character with Down Syndrome.
Series seven: Set in 1963 and we see Nurse Lucille Anderson for the first time. We also see the show address conditions such as dementia, huntington’s disease, leprosy and meningitis
Series eight: Set in 1964 and it bravely covered the issue of abortion, which was not legal for another three years in 1967. Sickle cell disease, cleft lip, cleft palate and intersex people also featured.
Series nine: Diptheria was at the centre of the ninth instalment in 1965, and it was notable for featuring a blind expectant mother. But the role of Nonnatus House within the community also came into question.
Series ten: Set in 1966, Nonnatus House has a rival in the form of the private Lady Emily Clinic in Mayfair. PKU, diabetes and the controversy surrounding abortion were central themes.
Series eleven: Set in 1967 amid the housing crisis and a scabies epidemic. The show was rocked by a train crash right next to Nonnatus House.