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The cast and crew of Call the Midwife are getting back to work. Filming on season 10 of the BBC/PBS series has begun. The show, which films in London, was supposed to start production on its new season in the spring, but that was put on hold due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

With cameras set to roll, fans can look forward to an all-new Call the Midwife Christmas special. In past years, the annual special has aired on Christmas Day on both PBS and BBC.

What to expect from the ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas special 

Call the Midwife Christmas special 2019
Call the Midwife 2019 Christmas special | Courtesy of Neal Street Productions

Details about the 2020 Call the Midwife Christmas special were revealed on the show’s Facebook account on August 18. Here’s the plot summary: 

It is December 1965. Everyone at Nonnatus House is looking forward to traditional celebrations with all the trimmings, but nothing goes quite to plan. Sister Monica Joan is rushed to hospital, and Trixie is incensed to receive a subscription to a Marriage Bureau as a Christmas gift. Meanwhile, a surprise reunion for Shelagh involves her in a deeply moving birth, and the Circus arrives in Poplar, bringing new friendships, new experiences, and an exciting adventure for Nurse Crane!

“Everyone is overjoyed to be whisking the dust sheets off Nonnatus House and getting back to filming after lockdown,” said writer and executive producer Heidi Thomas in a statement. “It is a particular thrill to be able to deliver the Christmas Special on time, just as we promised at the start of the pandemic.”

Fans are thrilled ‘Call the Midwife’ is returning  

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Fans of the show — which tells the story of a group of nuns and midwives working in an impoverished London neighborhood in the 1950s and 1960s — were thrilled to learn the show was still on track to air its annual holiday episode. Several commented that they feared the pandemic meant a special wasn’t in the cards this year. 

“Oh my goodness, this has made my day … I feared we wouldn’t have a Christmas special,” ” one person commented on the Facebook update.

“With everything we have missed and lost this year it’s nice to have something positive to look forward to. My favorite thing to do on Christmas night!” another commented. 

The show’s executive producer wants to ‘bring some joy’ to people’s lives

Call the Midwife’s executive producer Dame Pippa Harris said in a statement that she sees the upcoming season as a way to celebrate the contributions of frontline healthcare workers. 

“Our midwives and nurses may not be the front-line heroes of today’s NHS, but by getting back to work, they, and we, hope to bring some joy and respite into people’s lives,” she said. “In such difficult times, the values of Call the Midwife seem more resonant than ever. In series 10 we will continue to celebrate the skill and bravery of the UK’s NHS whilst bringing laughter and love into our homes.”

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