BBC One has confirmed that a second series of Call the Midwife will air in early 2013.
Series creator Heidi Thomas has promised that the longer eight-episode run will "delve more deeply into the lives of [the show's] regular characters".
"Throughout series two, we continue to tell the gritty social and medical stories that so moved - and even shocked - the audience during our first outing," Thomas said.
"These are not easy stories to tell, but they are real, and important, and often shine a light on the way we live today."
Call the Midwife - which stars Jessica Raine and Miranda Hart - is based on the memoirs of the late British nurse Jennifer Worth.
"Series two - like series one - draws heavily on the original, best-selling trilogy of books by Jennifer Worth and blends her stories with original material to create a multi-layered whole," Thomas added.
The second series will be preceded by a Christmas special, in which an abandoned baby is discovered on the steps of the nuns' convent.
"When asked to bring the curtain up on a new series with a Christmas special, we jumped at the chance," Thomas continued. "At its heart Christmas has always been about love, hope, and generosity of spirit - all qualities we celebrate in Call the Midwife."
The drama was recently nominated for a 2013 Broadcast Award and will compete against the likes of This Is England '88 and Line of Duty in the category of 'Best Drama Series or Serial'.
This is in addition to the one-off Xmas special of course.
