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Renewed: Call the Midwife

Call the Midwife has been renewed for a fifth season, taking the the nuns and midwives into 1961.

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5cmdUK Drama Call the Midwife has been renewed for a fifth season by the BBC, taking the the nuns and midwives into 1961.

It will consist of a Christmas special in 2015 plus 8 x 60 minute episodes in 2016.

The series continues to be one of the most watched drama series in the UK, with 11.4m people tuning in to watch the opening episode of series three.

Pippa Harris, Executive Producer for Neal Street Productions said; “We’re delighted that the BBC have commissioned a fifth series of Call the Midwife. The international success of the show is testament to the passion, dedication and skill of Heidi Thomas and the wonderfully talented cast and crew who have created a truly brilliant fourth series for our loyal viewers to enjoy on screen very soon.”

Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama commissioning, says: “Call the Midwife is one of UK’s most popular dramas and in series four Heidi Thomas’ writing meets new heights. I’m delighted to be commissioning a new series from Pippa Harris and Neal St Productions.”

A Christmas special airs in the UK next month and series four follows in January 2015. Joining the regular cast are Linda Bassett (East is East, Lark Rise to Candleford) as Nurse Phyllis Crane and Charlotte Ritchie (Life Of Riley, Fresh Meat) as Nurse Barbara Gilbert.

Vanessa Redgrave will appear for the first time as Jennifer Worth in the Christmas special episode.

Creator Heidi Thomas is also developing a series about nurses in the US, to focus on a team working in the Appalachian Mountains in the 1920s.

Call the Midwife now premieres in Australia on the BBC First channel, and is tipped to follow on ABC a year later.

One Response

  1. Raine (pictured) left after S3.

    She was the leading character playing Jenny, the author of the memoirs it is based on, and whose future-self narration by Redgrave ties it all together.

    Redgrave will be appearing in Christmas special to ease the transition.

    How it rates after this will be more important that how it rated in the previous series.

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