Production underway on Call the Midwife S13

Production has commenced on series 13 of Call the Midwife in the UK.

This will feature a 90 minute Christmas special this year followed by 8×60 minute episodes in 2024.

The recent announcement of a further two series (14 and 15) means that the Neal Street drama will be on air until 2026.

All the regular cast return for series 13: Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan, Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne, Laura Main as Shelagh Turner, Helen George as Trixie Aylward, Cliff Parisi as Fred Buckle, Stephen McGann as Dr Turner, Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane, Megan Cusack as Nancy Corrigan, Annabelle Apsion as Violet Buckle, Georgie Glen as Miss Higgins, Zephryn Taitte as Cyril Robinson, Olly Rix as Matthew Aylward, Rebecca Gethings as Sister Veronica, Daniel Laurie as Reggie Jackson, Max Macmillan as Timothy Turner, Alice Brown as Angela Turner, Francesca Fullilove as Colette Corrigan, April Rae Hoang as May Tang and Edward Shaw as Teddy Turner.

In the first episode, Nonnatus House kicks off a new pupil midwife-training scheme, welcoming pupil midwives Joyce Highland and Rosalind Clifford. Both are excited by this new stage in their careers and move into Nonnatus House, sharing a room.

Joyce Highland hails from Trinidad, and aims to become Matron of a British hospital. Hardworking, fiercely bright, and deeply kind, she has a traumatic past that she cannot conceal forever.

Rosalind Clifford is young, warm, passionate and funny. She may seem naive at times, but has an inner steeliness that will lead her to make some life-changing decisions.

Renee Bailey (Rebel Cheer Squad, Mood) joins the series as Joyce and Natalie Quarry (Doctors) plays Rosalind.

Series 13 continues to explore complex medical and personal situations on the midwifery and district nursing rounds. It is now 1969 and more babies are being born in hospital than ever before. Pressure on maternity beds remains extremely high across the country but Poplar is coping better than most due to the work of Nonnatus House and the popularity of home births under the auspices of the Sisters.

This series will see stories from within the Sylheti and Nigerian communities and from around the docks. Poor housing continues to blight areas of Poplar presenting complex social and health challenges to the Nonnatus team. It will also explore issues surrounding Cerebral Palsy, Congenital Hip Dysplasia, Tetanus, Porphyria and TB.

Heidi Thomas OBE, creator and writer says; “After so many years, our much loved regular characters are like family to me – and our wonderful fans so often tell me that they feel the same. I know they will be as thrilled as I am that Series 13 of Call the Midwife is full of beautiful moments that celebrate the young, the old, and the precious ties that bind them.

“After Trixie’s spectacular wedding, the Nonnatus House community feels more tightly-knit than ever, but life in Poplar has never been a fairy tale. As 1969 unfolds we will see change and challenge rock the world of our beloved nuns, nurses, medics, and midwives.

“Newcomers Joyce and Rosalind arrive with much to learn, and much to give. And yet even as man prepares to walk on the moon, we see them grappling with life’s eternal questions. Who are we? What is love? And where do we belong?”

Call the Midwife screens in Australia on BBC First / Binge and ABC.