Filming has begun on a brand new prequel series to beloved drama Call The Midwife, taking viewers back to Poplar during World War II. The three-part Christmas special, entitled ‘Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms’, is now in production at its studio home in Longcross, Surrey, with further details of a potential full-length series to be announced in due course.According to the BBC, the prequel is being helmed by the current ‘Call the Midwife’ creative team, with showrunner Heidi Thomas returning as executive producer Pippa Harris and Ann Tricklebank, who are also serving as producers. The series will feature some well-known characters from the original show as younger ones, and is narrated by Jenny Agutar, who played older sister Julienne in the main series.
What will ‘Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms’ show?
The prequel is set in September 1939, at a time when Sister Monica Joan is in her prime, Sister Julienne and Sister Evangelina are young and enterprising and the beating heart of Nonnatus House Poplar. The story follows nuns and midwives as they dedicate their lives to mothers, babies and the poor, but without the modern medical resources viewers know from the original series. No gas, no penicillin, no cure for tuberculosis, no welfare state.
Cast of ‘Sisters in Arms’
Julie Hesmondhalgh stars as Sister Alice, Amy Booth-Steele as Sister Evangelina, Helen Schlesinger as Sister Monica Joan and Helena Wilson as Sister Julienne. Bally Gill plays local GP Dr Kit Malhotra, while Martin McCann and Rachel O’Connell play Tommy and Mary Moffat.
What Heidi Thomas had to say about the prequels
Creator and writer Heidi Thomas reflects on the development of the series. “After loving and living with the sisters of Nonnatus House for so many years, I found myself longing to turn back the clock and tell the story of their finest hour, the Blitz,” she said. “Above all, ‘Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms’ is about what happens when women go to war. It’s about love and birth, separation and courage, lipstick and nylons or the lack thereof. But it’s also a medical drama, set in a devastating landscape where even the nurses don’t know if they’ll live until morning.”Thomas also spoke about the emotional journey of writing the prequel, describing rediscovering characters he created years ago. “Sisters in Arms was a joy to write, like coming back to the family and finding the people I love young and full of new energy”.
‘Call the Midwife’ legacy
The original ‘Call the Midwife’ is one of the most popular dramas on British TV and is among the top five most watched dramas across all UK channels and streamers since January 2023. Between 2012 and 2026 the series was in the top five most watched dramas on the BBC every year. The prequel is a thrilling addition to the realm that has captivated audiences for over ten years.
