Call The Midwife 'to end after 15 series as the cast of long-running BBC drama begin to film final scenes'

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

Beloved BBC series Call The Midwife will reportedly come to a close with its 15th series this year.
The heartwarming show first aired in 2012 and has since put out 14 series, totalling to more than 100 episodes following the nurses and nuns in Poplar.
A Christmas special for this year has already been announced, with the cast currently at work filming for series 15 to air next year.
However, according to The Daily Star, the season will be the show's last, as bosses want the popular drama to 'go out on a high'.
A source told the publication: 'After years of drama and countless births, Call The Midwife is coming to an end. The team have decided it's time to draw the show to a close and bow out.
'This is the last we'll see of these much-loved characters. Storylines will tie up a lot of loose ends. It's a bittersweet time for the cast and crew. They're all sad it's coming to an end, but they want to make sure the show gets the ending it deserves.'
However, the insider teased that there could be a special return episode one day in the future, saying: 'The writers are also open to the idea of reviving Call The Midwife for a special one day in the future. It's a case of never say never.'
Earlier this year, the show's creator, Heidi Thomas hinted the longstanding drama may take a break from production in the future.
She told Radio Times in February: 'Those of us who are most invested with the show, cast and producers alike, who have been there since the beginning, it is our lives.
'I don't believe Call the Midwife will ever end. But I do think we might take a break at some point.'
The screenwriter added that there was an 'ongoing conversation' each year where they discuss if there is an 'end point' to the show and what they want to 'work towards'.
'So if we do take a break, it will be with a view to looking at other aspects of Call the Midwife,' Heidi explained, before hinting that a spin-off may be on the cards too.
In May, the BBC 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.
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.
Speaking about the prequel, Heidi 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.