Production started on series 13’s Call the midwife in the UK.
This will feature a 90-minute Christmas special this year followed by 8×60-minute episodes in 2024.
The recent announcement of two more series (14 and 15) means that the Neal Street drama will run until 2026.
All regular cast return for Series 13: Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan, Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne, Laura Main as Shelagh Turner, Helen George as Trixie Aylward, Cliff Parisi as Fred Buckle , Stephen McGann as Dr. Turner, Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane, Megan Cusack as Nancy Corrigan, Annabelle Apsion as Violet Buckle, Georgie Glen as Miss Higgins, Zephryn Taitte as Cyril Robinson, Olly Rix as Matthew Aylward, Rebecca Gethings as Sister Veronica, Daniel Laurie as Reggie Jackson, Max Macmillan as Timothy Turner, Alice Brown as Angela Turner, Francesca Fullilove as Colette Corrigan, April Rae Hoang as May Tang and Edward Shaw as Teddy Turner.
In the first episode, Nonnatus House kicks off a new pupil midwife training programme, welcoming pupil midwives Joyce Highland and Rosalind Clifford. Both are excited about this new stage in their careers and move into Nonnatus House, sharing a room.
Joyce Highland is from Trinidad and aspires to become a director of a British hospital. Hardworking, fiercely brilliant and deeply kind, she has a traumatic past that she can’t hide forever.
Rosalind Clifford is young, warm, passionate and funny. She may seem naive at times, but she has an inner toughness that will lead her to make some life-changing decisions.
Renee Bailey (Rebel Cheer Squad, state of mind) joins the series as Joyce and Natalie Quarry (Doctors) plays Rosalind.
Series 13 continues to explore complex medical and personal situations in midwifery and district nursing shifts. It is now 1969 and more babies are being born in the hospital than ever before. Pressure on maternity beds remains extremely high across the country, but Poplar fares better than most thanks to the work of Nonnatus House and the popularity of home births under the auspices of nuns.
This series will see stories from within the Sylheti and Nigerian communities and from across the port. Poor housing continues to blight areas of Poplar, presenting complex social and health challenges to the Nonnatus team. It will also explore issues related to cerebral palsy, congenital hip dysplasia, tetanus, porphyria and tuberculosis.
Heidi Thomas OBE, creator and writer says; “After so many years, our beloved regulars are like family to me – and our wonderful fans tell me so often that they feel the same way. I know they will be as excited about that 13 series as I am Call the midwife it’s filled with beautiful moments that celebrate the young, the old, and the precious bonds that unite them.
“After Trixie’s spectacular wedding, the Nonnatus House community feels more united than ever, but life in Poplar has never been a fairy tale. As 1969 unfolds we will see change and challenge rock the world of our beloved nuns, nurses, doctors and midwives.
“Newcomers Joyce and Rosalind arrive with a lot to learn and a lot to give. Yet, just as man prepares to walk on the moon, we see him grappling with life’s eternal questions. Who we are? What is love? And where do we belong?
Call Australia midwifery screens on BBC First/Binge and ABC.
