"The opening of new doors at Nonnatus House feels profoundly emotional"
The BBC has announced some exciting news for long-running drama Call the Midwife.
Not only is season 15 officially in production, the broadcaster has also revealed that "the world of Nonnatus House will be expanding", with a first-ever prequel series and a film.
An official press release shared that the spin-off will be set in Poplar during World War Two and will debut in 2026.
There is no release window just yet for the Call the Midwife film, but the story will take place in 1972 and the "iconic characters" from the show will be taking the adventure overseas.
In an official statement, creator and writer Heidi Thomas OBE shared her decision behind the expansion, saying: "The opening of new doors at Nonnatus House feels profoundly emotional, and yet just right.
"I have never run out of stories for our midwives, and I never will. But having wept, laughed, and raged my way from 1957 to 1971, I found myself yearning to delve into the deeper past. The Blitz years in the East End were extraordinary - filled with loss, togetherness, courage and joy.
"The bombs fell, the babies kept on coming, and the Sisters kept on going. There will be so much in the prequel for our wonderful, loyal fans, including the appearance of some familiar (if much younger!) faces."
The new projects will be written, created and produced by Thomas and executive producers Pippa Harris and Ann Tricklebank, who will begin work on "series 16 together in due course".
Season 15, debuting in January 2026, will be preceded by the show's second ever two-part Christmas special, which will be set in Hong Kong and Poplar.
The synopsis for the upcoming Christmas special and season reads: "When senior members of the Nonnatus House staff head to Hong Kong on a mercy mission, the younger midwives are left to cope alone.
"As the Christmas action shifts between the sun-drenched Far East and a snowy East End, Sister Julienne suddenly finds herself excited about the Order's future. After years of battling change, she decides to embrace it, work with it, and see what love can do.
"This change of energy reverberates throughout series 15. The new series kicks off in 1971 with several of the ladies embracing Women's Lib and burning their bras outside Nonnatus House. As the year unfolds, we see the team handle cases including premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis and slavery."
