What’s next for Call the Midwife? Recently, the BBC announced production has begun on season seven and the next Christmas special of the UK TV series.

The historical drama, which airs on PBS in the U.S., revolves around a group of nurse midwives in the Poplar district of London’s poor East End. The cast includes , Miranda Hart, Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris, Judy Parfitt, Helen George, Bryony Hannah, Laura Main, Stephen McGann, Cliff Parisi, Ben Caplan, Emerald Fennell, and Victoria Yeates.

The upcoming season of Call the Midwife will introduce a new character—Nurse Lucille Anderson (Leonie Elliott), “the first West Indian midwife to feature as a regular character in the series.” The Christmas special, which is set in 1963, will premiere this coming December. Meanwhile, season seven will debut on BBC One in 2018. PBS has not yet announced a U.S. premiere date.

Read more info below:

Made by Neal Street Productions for BBC One, the award-winning drama series has begun filming for a Christmas Special in 2017 and new series of eight episodes in 2018.
Joining as a new cast member is Leonie Elliott (Wonderous Oblivion, Danny And The Human Zoo, Black Mirror), who plays Nurse Lucille Anderson, the first West Indian midwife to feature as a regular character in the series. Elegant, funny and clever, Lucille is swift to settle in and brings a fresh new energy to life at Nonnatus House. Through her eyes we explore the experiences of Caribbean nurses who came over in the 1960s to support the growing NHS.

Written by Heidi Thomas, the Christmas Special opens with Poplar under a thick blanket of snow, as the midwives face the challenge of the coldest winter for 300 years. The winter of 1963 saw temperatures plunge to a record low and the whole country brought to a standstill due to the severe weather. Battling against snow, ice, power cuts and frozen pipes, the midwives strive to provide the best possible care for their patients.

Valerie helps a young couple, newly arrived in London, who experience a traumatic birth, and Sister Julienne strives to reunite a family torn apart by a tormenting father. Anita Dobson guest stars as Mabel.

In series seven the nuns and nurses find themselves tested both personally and professionally as never before. All around them they see the old East End vanishing, as slum clearances make way for bold new tower blocks to accommodate expanding communities. Their work brings them into contact with a wide range of challenging issues, from Leprosy, Tokophobia and Stroke, to Huntingdon’s Chorea, Cataracts, and unmarried mothers.

Trixie’s romance with Christopher continues to develop, whilst Tom and Barbara enjoy life as a married couple. Nurse Crane finds her authority questioned from an unexpected quarter, and Sister Monica Joan is forced to accept her failing faculties. And life for the Turners is turned upside down when Shelagh decides to employ an au pair!

Additional series seven cast include: Jenny Agutter (Sister Julienne), Linda Bassett (Nurse Crane), Judy Parfitt (Sister Monica Joan), Helen George (Trixie), Laura Main (Shelagh Turner), Charlotte Ritchie (Barbara), Victoria Yeates (Sister Winifred), Jennifer Kirby (Valerie), Stephen McGann (Dr Turner), Jack Ashton (Tom), Cliff Parisi (Fred), Annabelle Apsion (Violet), Max Macmillan (Timothy) and Jack Hawkins (Christopher).

Made by Neal Street Productions for BBC One, Call The Midwife has been one of Britain’s most popular drama series since it launched in 2012, and it continues to be one of the most watched dramas in the UK, with all six series to date gaining over 10m viewers. More than 11m people watched Call the Midwife series six, episode three and the series itself rated even higher than series five. Call The Midwife has recently been voted the Best Drama of the 21st Century in the BFI and Radio Times Festival Audience Poll.

Executive Producer Pippa Harris says: “We can’t wait to introduce the audience to our new midwife Lucille, played by the hugely talented and captivating Leonie Elliott. From her first audition Leonie managed to embody the essence of this elegant, intelligent, witty character whom Heidi Thomas has created with her customary skill. Lucille is a fantastic addition to the Nonnatus House team and we know she will be warmly welcomed by the nuns and midwives.”

Heidi Thomas, Creator, Writer and Executive Producer, says: “The friendships, struggles and triumphs of women remain at the heart of Call the Midwife as we swing into 1963. With new mums ranging from a stripper to an Asian child bride, series seven will see our beloved Nonnatus House team stretched to the limit, as they face a series of medical, social and emotional challenges.”

Call the Midwife is created and written by Heidi Thomas, Executive Producers are Pippa Harris and Heidi Thomas. Executive Producer for the BBC is Elizabeth Kilgarriff, with Ann Tricklebank as Producer. The Christmas Special and episode one will be directed by Syd Macartney (Last Tango In Halifax, The Syndicate, A Love Divided).

Call the Midwife is a Neal Street Production for BBC/PBS.

What do you think? Are you a fan of Call the Midwife? Are you excited for the new season and Christmas special?