BBC shares 'profoundly emotional' update about the future of Call The Midwife as show boss pays tribute to loyal fans
Fans hoping to be whisked back into the streets of Poplar will be pleased to learn that filming has commenced for series 15.
The broadcaster has confirmed a two-part Call The Midwife Christmas special is being prepared and will be set in Hong Kong and the East End.
It will be followed by eight new hour-long episodes from January 2026 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The new instalments will launch into 1971 and the nurses will tackle several issues including 'premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis and slavery'.
At the start, senior members of the Nonnatus House staff head to Hong Kong on a mercy mission.
The broadcaster has confirmed a two-part Call The Midwife Christmas special is being prepared and will be set in Hong Kong and the East End
While they're away, the younger midwives are left to help the local community alone.
Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) experiences a huge change in mindset and the 'energy reverberates throughout series 15'.
What's more, the women's liberation movement is in full swing and several ladies burn their bras outside of the convent.
In another treat for viewers, a Call The Midwife film is also set to be produced and will be based in 1972.
While a prequel series is also in the works for next year and will dive into the streets of Poplar during World War Two.
Heidi Thomas OBE, creator and writer, said: 'The opening of new doors at Nonnatus House feels profoundly emotional, and yet just right.
'I have never run out of stories for our midwives, and I never will. But having wept, laughed, and raged my way from 1957 to 1971, I found myself yearning to delve into the deeper past.'
She reflected how the East End during the Blitz was 'extraordinary' and 'filled with loss, togetherness, courage and joy'.
Heidi added: 'The bombs fell, the babies kept on coming, and the Sisters kept on going.'
The writer teased what was in store for the prequel and said: 'There will be so much in the prequel for our wonderful, loyal fans, including the appearance of some familiar (if much younger!) faces.
'As the classic Call the Midwife series moves further into the 1970s, it also seems the perfect time for our much-loved regulars to take a short break from Poplar and test themselves in an unfamiliar landscape.
'The rise in hospital births, and changes in the NHS, have clipped their wings, and this is their chance to take flight and work out what really matters.
'Whilst the location of the film remains top-secret, I can say it is going to look absolutely fantastic on the big screen!'
Beeb boss Lindsay Salt described the show as a 'jewel in the BBC's crown'.
While executive producer Dame Pippa Harris added: 'In an increasingly competitive viewing environment not only have our loyal fans stayed with us for 14 years, but they've been joined by a new, younger generation who have also fallen in love with our characters and the challenges they face.
'Emboldened by this warmth and enthusiasm, now feels like the right time to expand our world and take our nuns and midwives onto the big screen with our movie, and back in time with the prequel!'
More information about the upcoming film and prequel series are set to be released later in the year.
It comes after Call The Midwife became the UK's biggest drama series and this year's series averaged 7.8million views.
While 2024's Christmas special hit 8.9million viewers.
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