The BBC’s hugely popular historical medical drama Call The Midwife has been renewed for 3 more seasons it has been announced today. Series 7, 8 and 9 will consist of three 8 x 60 min series and 3 Christmas specials, and takes the nuns and midwives right into the mid-1960s.
Made by Neal Street Productions for BBC One, Call The Midwife has been one of Britain’s most popular drama series since it launched in 2012, and it continues to be the most watched drama series in the UK, with all five series to date gaining near or over 10m viewers per episode. The series has been praised for its compassionate and bold approach to issues including stillbirth, mental health, abortion, homosexuality, race and disability.
“Like a truly supportive parent, the BBC has nurtured our series from conception onwards,” commented Pippa Harris, Executive Producer for Neal Street Productions. “And this exceptional three-series commission further demonstrates their care and commitment. It’s a testament too to the passion, skill and creativity of Heidi Thomas, and to the dedication, talent and brilliance of our cast and crew.”
“I’m privileged to have Britain’s most popular drama series on BBC One, and this new three-series commission underlines our commitment to the show,” added Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content. “Call The Midwife continues to raise the bar with each new series and is really valued by audiences. The quality and ambition of the storytelling is credit to the excellence of writer Heidi Thomas, who has successfully brought the show into the 1960s with a diverse range of subjects.”
Call The Midwife returns on the 25th of December 2016 for the Christmas Special which sees the residents of Nonnatus House transported to the Eastern Cape of South Africa. After receiving an SOS call from Hope Clinic, a tiny mission hospital which is understaffed, underfunded, and with a poor water supply, they soon learn that the struggling clinic is faced with closure. Series 6 will then follow early in 2017.