Call The Midwife Returns for a Festive Twist!
This Christmas, Nonnatus House’s beloved nuns and midwives are back—only this time, with a surprising twist. The new two-part special from creator Heidi Thomas leaps between snowy 1950s East End Poplar and the sunny streets of 1970s Hong Kong.
Inspired by Jennifer Worth’s famous Call The Midwife trilogy, the festive special follows senior staff on a mercy mission to Hong Kong, leaving the younger midwives to hold the fort. Expect plenty of drama, heartwarming moments, and classic Christmas spirit as two very different worlds collide.
New Christmas Special Sets the Stage for 2026 Series 15
The double-bill Christmas special will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this festive season. It paves the way for the much-anticipated 15th series, dropping in January 2026 with eight brand-new hour-long episodes.
Favourite faces like Jenny Agutter (Sister Julienne), Laura Main (Shelagh Turner), Helen George (Trixie Aylward), Stephen McGann (Dr Turner), and Annabelle Apsion (Violet Buckle) all return. Agutter, 72, hints the special is packed with “a great deal of displacement.”
“The scripts reveal this extraordinary division of worlds. The mission, the ground itself, has slipped away,” Agutter says. “Even at Nonnatus House, people feel out of place.”
Laura Main adds the split settings add a fresh buzz to the show.
“It’s completely new territory – half the cast in Hong Kong, while the Poplar scenes feel fresh and different. It’s a Poplar Christmas like we’ve never seen before,” she reveals.
Behind the Scenes: Mischief, Mayhem & Midwifery
Writer Heidi Thomas, 63, wanted to shake things up by separating the characters for the festive special.
“I wanted to explore what happens when we separate the characters. There’s something lovely about the multi-generational friendships, so why not divide them?”
She also promised some cheeky fun while the nuns are away.
“We’ve never had a proper Seventies party in Nonnatus House—with booze and Nurse Rosalind out late. It was the perfect chance for a little ‘while the cat’s away, the mice will play’ vibe.”
Stephen McGann, who filmed the Hong Kong scenes in sweltering heat, joked:
“It was mad! We thought the locals would be used to it, but they said the conditions were awful. To us, it was wonderful. The balance between both locations really works.”
Snowy Scenes & Warm Christmas Wishes
Annabelle Apsion, aka Violet, shared her festive cheer for the new episodes.
“I just love being married to Father Christmas (Fred Buckle) and wish I was Mrs. Christmas,” she laughs. “The specials capture the heart of Christmas — warmth, connection and appreciating each other.”
She adds the snowy East End setting brings just the right holiday magic to the saga.
Don’t miss the two-part Call The Midwife Christmas special on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this festive season!
