BBC series “Call the Midwife” ushers in the 1970s in Poplar when it premieres Season 14 in North America Sunday, March 30, on PBS.
Laura Main, Stephen McGann and Annabelle Apsion in “Call the Midwife”
Nuns, nurses and Nonnatus: ‘Call the Midwife’ returns to PBS for 14th season
By Dana Simpson
When it comes to long-run-
ning scripted British television series, several titles rush to mind. From popular sci-fi/fantasy series “Doctor Who,” which boasts 40 complete seasons and several specials since its premiere in November 1963, to ongoing ensemble cast series like “EastEnders” (40 seasons), “Emmerdale” (54 seasons) and “Coronation Street” (66 seasons), it is clear that the U.K. has a lush culture of appointment television, which remains alive and well to this day.
Another series that appears to be joining the U.K.’s ranks of long-running televised content is “Call the Midwife,” the medical period drama that began its run on BBC One in 2012. Headed into its 14th season on Sunday, March 30 — a number of seasons that would border on astounding in nearly any other market — “Call the Midwife” is available to watch on PBS or to stream via the PBS Passport streaming service. For those who hold a BritBox subscription, Season 14 of “Call the Midwife”
has been available since its U.K. premiere in January.
“Call the Midwife” focuses on “the nurses, midwives and nuns from Nonnatus House,” reads the official PBS description, “who visit the expectant mothers of Poplar, providing the poorest women with the best possible care.” The series is based on the memoirs of the late British nurse Jennifer Worth, who practiced in one of East London’s most impoverished areas in the 1950s. And while the BBC series began its first season set in 1957, 14 seasons later the women of Poplar are ushering in a new era: the 1970s. According to PBS, in this newest season, “chaos erupts as the Isle of Dogs bid for independence. Amid the turmoil, the midwives work tirelessly to keep Nonnatus House running while addressing complex social and health challenges.”
While looking ahead to the excitement and challenges of portraying another new decade within the series, Thomas reflected that “we are a family behind the scenes, on the screen and in
front of the telly, and I’m thrilled that we’re all heading into the 1970s together.”
To call the cast of “Call the Midwife” a “family” is hardly an overstatement, as much of the cast has returned year after year to tell the many harrowing medical tales of the women in the community of Poplar. From attending to teenaged, geriatric and complicated pregnancies of all kinds, to other on-the-job duties such as caring for patients with sexually transmitted diseases, psychiatric illnesses and those who require emergency attention, there is hardly much time left for the women of Nonnatus House to have to any sort of personal life. Nevertheless, Season 14 sees plenty of out-of-office romance, protests and personal troubles for these hardworking women.
Returning to the screen for the series’ 14th season are Judy Parfitt (“Ever After: A Cinderella Story,” 1998), Rebecca Gethings (“The Thick of It”) and Jenny Agutter (“An American Werewolf in London,” 1981) as Sisters Monica Joan, Veronica and Juli-
enne, respectively; Linda Bassett (“Kinky Boots,” 2005) as Nurse Crane; Laura Main (“Murder City”) as Shelagh Turner; Helen George (“The Three Musketeers,” 2011) as Trixie Aylward; Megan Cusack (“The Cherry Orchard,” 2020), who is scheduled to leave before Season 15, and emerging talent Francesca Fullilove as Nancy and Colette Corrigan. Also returning are Cliff Parisi (“From Hell,” 2001) and Annabelle Apsion (“Lolita,” 1997) as Fred and Violet Buckle, alongside Stephen McGann (“Emmerdale Farm”) as Dr. Turner and Georgie Glen (“Waterloo Road”) as Miss Higgins. Andrea Irvine (“Red Rock”), meanwhile, joins the cast as Esther Noble. Likewise, Trinidadian-born midwife Joyce Highland (Renee Bailey, “Rebel Cheer Squad: A Get Even Series”), who joined the cast of characters last season as a midwifery pupil and is now a full-fledged English nurse, returns to the cast alongside this season’s newest member: nun and midwife Sister Catherine, a nun in training played by Molly Vevers (“The Rig”).
What’s Available NOW On
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“Bachelorette” (March 31)
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“The Divorce Insurance”Season 1 (March 31) Employees at a life insurance company gather to devise a groundbreaking divorce insurance product in this Korean dramedy series. Their reasoning: divorce is the biggest disaster most people will encounter in their lifetime. Through the process of creating their divorce insurance product and trying to put a price on divorce, they learn more about themselves and love.
“Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America” (April 3)
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“The AbsentMinded Professor” (Available Now)
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“Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer” (March 31)
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“Devil May Cry”Season 1 (April 3)
In this animated adaptation of the popular Capcom game and from the vision of Adi Shankar, sinister forces are at play to open the portal between the human and demon realms. In the middle of it all is Dante (voiced by Johnny Kong Bosch), an orphaned demonhunter-for-hire, unaware that the fate of both worlds hangs around his neck.
“Ronin” (Available Now) Hired by a woman named Deirdre (Natascha McElhone), an international team of experts including Sam (Robert De Niro), an ex-intelligence officer, Vincent (Jean Reno) and Gregor (Stellan Skarsgard) are tasked with stealing a valuable briefcase. But, as the operation gets underway, several team members are found to be untrustworthy, and everyone must complete the mission with a watchful eye on everyone else.
“Jurassic World: Chaos Theory”Season 3 (April 3)
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“Karma” - Season 1 (April 4)
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Sports Zone
10:30 a.m. GOLF PGA Korn Ferry Tour Golf Club Car Championship, First Round. From Landings Club -- Deer Creek Golf Club in Savannah, Ga. (Live) 4 p.m. GOLF PGA Tour Golf Valero Texas Open, First Round. From TPC San Antonio in San Antonio. (Live)
6:30 p.m. SNY Minor League Baseball Scranton/WB RailRiders at Syracuse Mets. From NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse, N.Y. (Live)
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7:30 p.m. TNT TRUTV NBA Basketball Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers. From Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. (Live)
9 p.m. ATTPT NHL Hockey Pittsburgh Penguins at St. Louis Blues. From Enterprise Center in Saint Louis, Mo. (Live) ESPN 2025 NIT Basketball Tournament Championship: Teams TBA. From Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Live) 9:30 p.m. FS1 2025 College Basket-
en’s Basketball Tournament Second Semifinal: Teams TBA. From Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. (Live) ESPN2 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Second Semifinal: Teams TBA. From Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. (Live)
1:55 a.m. ESPN2 Formula 1 Racing Japanese Grand Prix, Qualifying. From Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka, Mie, Japan. (Live) Saturday
8 a.m. FS1 Horse Racing Dubai World Cup 2025. Following all the action from the world of horse racing. (Live)
1 p.m. GOLF PGA Tour Golf Valero Texas Open, Third Round. From TPC San Antonio in San Antonio. (Live)
1:30 p.m. WUTV-29 2025 College Basketball Crown First Semifinal: Teams TBA. From T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Live)
3:30 p.m. GOLF PGA Tour Champions Golf James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational, Second Round. From The Old Course at Broken Sound in Boca Raton, Fla. (Live) WGRZ-2 WICU-12 PGA Tour Golf Valero Texas Open, Third Round. From TPC San Antonio in San Antonio. (Live) WPIX-11 NASCAR Xfinity Racing Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200. From Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. (Live)
4 p.m. ATTPT MLB Baseball New York Yankees at Pittsburgh Pirates. From PNC Park in Pittsburgh. (Live) FS1 MLB Baseball Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies. From Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. (Live) WUTV-29 2025 College Basketball Crown Second Semifinal: Teams TBA. From T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Live)
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In Focus
“Doctor Who” - Season 2 (Disney+ — April 12, Season Premiere) In Season 2 of this newest iteration of the long-running scifi series, The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) meets Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) and begins an epic quest to get her back to Earth. But, a mysterious force is stopping their return and the time-traveling TARDIS team must face great dangers, bigger enemies and wider terrors than ever before. Millie Gibson also stars.
- Week of March 30 - April 5, 2025
When commitment-phobic marine veterinarian Henry (Adam Sandler) meets Lucy (Drew Barrymore) at a diner, the pair have an instant connection. Unfortunately, Lucy suffers from short term-memory loss and has her memory resets each night, forcing Henry to try and woo her again … and again, and again. “50 First Dates” airs this Sunday, March 30, on The CW. Watch the original trailer at youtube.com/ watch?v=17KJk3ErIx0
Oahu’s North Shore, also known as the Seven Mile Miracle, is one of the most dangerous stretches of coastline in the world. It’s also one of the most popular, requiring a team of elite, adrenaline-seeking open water lifeguards to always be on the lookout. Season 1 of the exciting new series, “Rescue: HI-Surf” wraps up this Monday, March 31, with the final episode airing on Fox. To revisit past episodes before the season finale, check out fox.com/rescue-hi-surf/
classiccorner
BY JAY BOBBIN
‘Alien’ keeps outer space a
chilling place
“In space, no one can hear you scream.” That was the memorable tagline for “Alien,” the 1979 Ridley Scott-directed thriller that launched a franchise largely built around Sigourney Weaver’s astronaut character Ripley, the role that made her a star. Currently streaming on Hulu, the film will also be shown by FX on Tuesday, April 1— and it remains one of the most intense and troubling sci-fi movies to date. Its realistic, understated approach early on in the movie lulls the audience into a false sense of security before unleashing something monstrous. Ripley is part of a deep-space crew investigating a distress signal, only to pick up a highly unwelcome visitor—the alien that quickly grows into something larger and increasingly lethal. The creature boards the Nostromo after making quite an explosive entrance. (Anyone familiar with one co-star’s big exit scene will know what we’re talking about.)
“Mama’s Family” (Catchy Comedy, Sunday, March 30): One of the most popular elements of “The Carol Burnett Show” became a series of its own, starting on NBC and then being revived in first-run syndication. This all-day marathon, continuing through early Monday, casts Vicki Lawrence in the title role of the sassy “Mama” who gives her relatives a major run in the categories of attitude and sensibility. Ken Berry and Dorothy Lyman are cast regulars. The show also has a regular weekday berth on Catchy Comedy, and it runs Sundays on MeTV as well.
Sigourney Weaver, Yaphet Kotto and Harry Dean Stanton in “Alien”
trivia quiz
Questions:
1) What is the popular BBC television baking competition known as in North America: “The Great British Bake Off” or “The Great British Baking Show”?
2) “The Office” was a British series first. Which comedian co-created, co-wrote and co-directed the BBC comedy?
3) It all (re-)started with “Rose.” Which beloved British program was revived in 2005 and premiered in the U.S. in 2006?
4) “Shameless” was adapted for Showtime in 2011 following the success of the original British series. Which family is the main focus of both versions?
5) Which famous British political figure appears in episodes of “Peaky Blinders,” the BBC production that is also a Netflix Original?
6) Broadcast on BBC and PBS between 2010 and 2017, “Sherlock” is a modern-day adaptation of the detective’s adventures. Who played Moriarty in the series?
7) Which BBC series was adapted for U.S. audiences and features three roommates: a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost?
8) Out of 69 nominations, how many Emmys has “Downtown Abbey” won?
9) “Black Mirror” was a Channel 4 production before moving to Netflix. Which season was the first to be exclusively released on the streamer?
10) Gordon Ramsay led two British reality series that both debuted in 2004 and were later adapted for U.S. audiences—name the
Benedict Cumberbatch and Andrew Scott in “Sherlock”
