By Michaela Gordoni
The BBC has plans to release a CALL THE MIDWIFE movie and prequel TV series set during World War II.
The original 15-season series is set in the 1950s-1970s. The movie will be set in 1972 at an overseas location and will have many characters from the original show, the BBC announced last week.
The prequel series will give a deeper glimpse into Poplar, East London, during wartime.
Executive producers Dame Pippa Harris and Ann Tricklebank and showrunner Heidi Thomas will write, create and produce the movie and series.
Thomas said the series will feature “some familiar (if much younger) faces.”
“The Blitz years in the East End were extraordinary — filled with loss, togetherness, courage and joy,” she said. “…the bombs fell, the babies kept on coming, and the Sisters kept on going.”
She added that the characters won’t be sticking around in East London for the movie but will find themselves in a foreign place. While the film’s location is a secret, she said it will look “absolutely fantastic” on cinema screens.
“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,” Thomas said. “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.”
Related: CALL THE MIDWIFE Creator Promises ‘Beautiful Moments’ in Season 13
Harris noted the new projects are meant to target younger fans of the franchise.
She said, “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!”
Season 15 comes out this winter. It will start with a two-part Christmas special that sees the characters going to Hong Kong on a mission. The BBC also ordered Season 16.
Thousands of fans shared their excitement for the new projects on social channels.
“Absolutely incredible announcements. Just goes to show that even after all these years people still want more Call the Midwife and who can blame them,” one fan said. “To get a prequel and a film is amazing ❤️”
“I’m so tickled about the new shows and a movie!!” another fan commented. “Thank you for being a bright light in these uncertain times.”
Both the prequel and the movie will begin filming in 2026. The BBC hasn’t announced release dates yet.
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