The festive season in Poplar is officially locked in, as ‘Call the Midwife’ returns to BBC One and iPlayer with a two-part Christmas Special this December, followed closely by the UK premiere of Season 15 in January 2026.
This year’s festive trip sees the long-running drama celebrate Christmas with two episodes, beginning on Christmas Day, before the main series picks up the story in the new year.
Christmas Special 2025 – When Poplar Meets Hong Kong
The Christmas storyline splits its time between wintry Poplar and sun-drenched Hong Kong. As the residents prepare for the festive period, Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi (EastEnders)) and Violet Buckle (Annabelle Apsion (Shameless)) travel to Hong Kong to visit her son. Carrying parcels for the Sisters, their arrival is quickly overshadowed when a large building collapses in a landslide, with casualties feared.
Back home, Sister Hilda (Fenella Woolgar (Hetty Feather)) confirms the news, prompting a hastily organised rescue mission. A team from Nonnatus House makes emergency plans to travel to Hong Kong, leaving the younger midwives to cope on the home front as Christmas unfolds.
The story continues on Boxing Day, picking up the aftermath of the rescue effort and its emotional toll on both sides of the world.
Season 15 – Returns in January 2026
Following the Christmas Specials, ‘Call the Midwife’ returns with Season 15, kicking off in 1971. The new series sees several of the women embracing Women’s Lib, including some rather public bra-burning outside Nonnatus House, while the team handles challenging cases ranging from premature birth and placenta previa to tuberculosis and kidney cancer.
Season 15 also reflects a shift in energy for the Order, as Sister Julienne begins to embrace change rather than fight it, a theme that ripples throughout the series.
A Very Big Future For ‘Call the Midwife’
Beyond Season 15, the BBC and PBS have already ordered Season 16, alongside an ambitious expansion of the ‘Call the Midwife’ universe. This includes a World War Two-set prequel series arriving in 2026, and a feature film set overseas in 1972 featuring iconic characters from the TV show.
Creator and writer Heidi Thomas has previously described the expansion as a chance to explore both the deeper past and an unfamiliar future for the midwives, while keeping the emotional heart of the series firmly intact.
With the show continuing to pull in millions of viewers and regularly dominating the Christmas ratings, it remains one of the BBC’s most reliable drama powerhouses.
UK Premiere Dates
- ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas Special Part One airs Thursday, 25th December 2025 at 8.15pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
- ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas Special Part Two airs Friday, 26th December 2025 at 8.30pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
- ‘Call the Midwife’ Season 15 premieres Sunday, 11th January 2026 at 8pm on BBC One.
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