Call the Midwife ran for fifteen seasons on BBC One, ending its final episode on 8 March 2026. It follows a group of nurse midwives working in the poverty-stricken East End of London during the 1950s, based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth. The show created by Heidi Thomas reached a score of 7.6 out of 10 from critics.
Trailer, via BBC.
The Setting
The series takes place in Poplar, a deprived district of London’s East End. Between eighty and one hundred babies are born there each month. The midwives and nuns of Nonnatus House, a nursing convent tied to the Anglican religious order founded in 1849, handle births, nursing duties and the medical problems of the local community.
The Cast
Vanessa Redgrave voices Jennifer Worth, while Jenny Agutter plays Sister Julienne. Judy Parfitt appears as Sister Monica Joan, and Molly Vevers is Sister Catherine. Rebecca Gethings is Sister Veronica, Natalie Quarry is Nurse Rosalind Clifford, and Linda Bassett is Nurse Phyllis Crane. Renee Bailey plays Nurse Joyce Highland, Stephen McGann plays Dr Patrick Turner, Laura Main plays Nurse Shelagh Turner, Georgie Glen is Miss Millicent Higgins, and Cliff Parisi is Fred Buckle.
Agutter, George, Main, Parisi and McGann remain from the first episode, which aired on 15 January 2012.
What Each Season Covers
| Season | Year Set | Main Themes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1957 | Baby Boom, poverty, post-war immigration |
| 2 | 1958 | Gas and air, unexploded ordnance, tuberculosis, spina bifida |
| 3 | 1959 | Cystic fibrosis, polio, end-of-life care, midwifery in prison |
| 4 | 1960 | Child Migrants Programme, nuclear warfare, LGBT rights, syphilis among sex workers |
| 5 | 1961 | Typhoid, thalidomide, the contraceptive pill, strokes |
| 6 | 1962 | Domestic violence, dock explosion, interracial marriage, female genital mutilation |
| 7 | 1963 | First major character of colour |
The Verdict
Call the Midwife succeeds by grounding its historical sweep in the daily work of its characters. The show rarely lets politics overshadow the personal, and the warmth of its central relationships carries even through its darkest episodes. The writing draws heavily on Jennifer Worth’s memoirs, but the series has also extended beyond them to include new, historically sourced material.
The ensemble cast, anchored by Agutter’s steady presence as Sister Julienne, gives the show a human center. The show’s willingness to confront difficult subjects — including syphilis, female genital mutilation and the Child Migrants Programme — sets it apart from lighter period dramas.
Final Word
Call the Midwife earns its reputation as one of British television’s most reliable dramas. It balances warmth with historical weight, and its fifteen-season run has made it a cultural fixture.
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