CALL THE MIDWIFE: SISTERS IN ARMS (BBC1 and iPlayer, December) will be set in Poplar during World War Two and features some well-loved characters as their younger selves and will be narrated by the older Sister Julienne, played by the ever-young Jenny Agutter.
A BBC spokesperson said: “In September 1939, Sister Monica Joan is in her prime, Sister Julienne and Sister Evangelina are young and zealous, and Nonnatus House is the beating heart of Poplar. Together with Sister Alice, and GP Dr Kit, the nuns dedicate their lives to mothers, babies and the poor. But there is no gas and air, no penicillin, no cure for TB, and no welfare state. Then war is declared – and life gets even harder.”
They continued: “The three young secular midwives who complete the team – Sybil, Olive and Marianne – receive a baptism of fire as the blackout and the Blitz take hold. While bombs rain from the sky, women give birth underground, families are shattered, children run wild, and whole streets are reduced to rubble. But courage, compassion and resilience triumph as the community unites in its efforts to survive.”
Former Corrie favourite Julie Hesmondhalgh (Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Broadchurch) will guest star as Sister Alice alongside Amy Booth-Steel (Down Cemetery Road, Doctor Who) who takes on the role of Sister Evangelina, Helen Schlesinger (Ted Lasso, Albion) as Sister Monica Joan and Helena Wilson (The Hills of California, The Custom of the Country) as Sister Julienne. Dr Kit Malhotra is played by Bally Gill (Slow Horses, Interview with a Vampire).
Heidi Thomas OBE, creator and writer, said: “Having loved and lived with the Sisters of Nonnatus House for so many years, I found myself longing to turn the clock back and tell the story of their finest hour – the Blitz. Who were Sister Monica Joan, Sister Julienne, and Sister Evangelina, when they were young? What did they do, how did they survive, and how did the conflict change them? Above all else, ‘Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms’ is about what happens when women go to war. It is about love and birth, separation and courage, lipstick and nylons (or the lack thereof!). But it is also a medical drama, set in a devastating landscape where even the nurses cannot know if they will live till morning.”
She added: “I thought I had cried all my tears when Sister Monica Joan died, at the end of ‘Call the Midwife’s’ 15th series. But the thought of her back on her bike, cycling through an air raid, set me off again, as did images of young Sister Julienne shaking when the sirens sound, and Fred Buckle still in his 20s, black with soot and sweat as a volunteer fireman. Then I’d be laughing at Sister Evangelina, in her element as an Air Raid Warden, or the juvenile Dr Turner turning up at a dance and being shy with girls.
“Sisters in Arms has been a joy to write – like returning to the family home and finding all the people I have ever loved made young again and filled with new energy. I can’t wait to start filming and look forward to sharing our new show with ‘Call the Midwife’s’ fantastic fans.”
No doubt there will be more great Christmas dramas to come…meanwhile it’s back to sport as this fantastic summer rolls on. The World Cup is in full swing, Wimbledon underway and the international rugby union games to come – there’s hardly time to catch your breath!
Talking of Wimbledon, one great, recommended documentary is CHRIS & MARTINA: THE FINAL SET (NETFLIX) which follows these two, amazing sportswomen – now firm friends – as they help each other battle their most frightening adversary – cancer!
I must admit that I never realised the two were originally friends as young teenage players but, after Martina’s defection in 1975 and her determination to become the best – beating world Number 1 Chrissie in the process – their relationship understandably cooled and they became bitter rivals – only becoming closer after retirement.
This raw documentary is tough to watch at times – seeing Chris Evert minus her trademark, blonde hair was particularly heartbreaking – and one can only admire the bravery and strength of these two incredible women. Truly inspirational!
Well, that’s it for now – catch you next week for some more TV chatter.
Stay safe and “C’mon England!”
Author: Steve
Editor of Hartlepool Life and author of TV Life