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Entertainment • Television

Call the Midwife

Call the Midwife is a British period drama television series based on Jennifer Worth’s memoirs.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Call the Midwife is a British period drama television series based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth. Set in London’s East End, it follows midwives, nurses, and nuns at Nonnatus House as they care for families in the 1950s and 1960s, with the setting later extending into the 1970s. The series premiered on BBC One on 15 January 2012 and has continued with annual Christmas specials.

Premise

The series follows a community of midwives, nurses, and nuns who visit expectant mothers in Poplar, London. It combines medical cases with domestic and social storylines set against post-war change.

Source material

Call the Midwife is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, especially her accounts of working as a midwife in the East End. The television series uses those memoirs as a starting point while also developing fictional characters and plots.

Broadcast history

The programme first aired in the United Kingdom on BBC One in January 2012. It has run for multiple series and has also featured annual Christmas specials.

Cultural impact

The drama became a long-running and widely watched BBC series and has been distributed internationally. It is known for combining historical detail with storylines about health, family life, and social change.

Key facts

  • The series is inspired by Jennifer Worth’s memoirs about her work as a nurse and midwife in East London.
  • It focuses on the staff of Nonnatus House, including midwives, nurses, and Anglican nursing nuns.
  • The show began on BBC One in 2012 and has continued with annual Christmas specials.
  • Its stories address childbirth and wider social and medical issues in post-war Britain.
  • The series is set primarily in the late 1950s and 1960s, with later seasons moving into the 1970s.
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Canadian context

The series has been available to Canadian audiences through international broadcast and streaming distribution, making it familiar to Canadian viewers of British television drama.

Frequently asked questions

Is Call the Midwife based on a true story?
It is based on Jennifer Worth’s memoirs, but the television series is a fictionalised drama rather than a direct true-story account.
Who created Call the Midwife?
The television series was created and written by Heidi Thomas.
Where is Call the Midwife set?
It is set mainly in Poplar, in London’s East End, at and around Nonnatus House.
When did Call the Midwife first air?
It premiered on BBC One on 15 January 2012.
What genre is Call the Midwife?
It is a British period drama with medical and social themes.

References

  1. PBS — https://www.pbs.org/call-the-midwife/about-the-show
    Supports: Series premise, source material, creator, and setting in Poplar/Nonnatus House.
  2. Neal Street Productions — https://www.nealstreetproductions.com/television/call-the-midwife
    Supports: Premiere date, production company, creator, setting, and long-running broadcast history.
  3. Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/call_the_midwife/s01
    Supports: Adaptation from Jennifer Worth’s memoirs and season-one premise.
  4. Wikipedia — https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_the_Midwife
    Supports: General series description, setting, and timeline.