Fans would be devastated without their Christmas Day fix of Call the Midwife

Fans of Call the Midwife would be devastated if they couldn’t catch up with the staff and patients at Nonnatus House on Christmas Day; it’s now become a part of their annual ritual.

That’s not bad going, considering some critics thought the period drama’s death knell had sounded way back in 2014 when its original star, Jessica Raine, quit her role as Nursing Sister Jenny Lee. The character was at the centre of every story, and it was the real Jenny’s memoirs on which the series was based.

But they needn’t have worried. Like Taggart, which ran for a further 16 years after the death of its star, Mark McManus, Call the Midwife carries on regardless. Next year, the 13th series will air, and we’re promised at least another two after that.

“I’m overjoyed by the news that the doors of Nonnatus House will be open for a few more years!” claimed its writer and creator, Heidi Thomas, when the news was announced back in February.

“Call the Midwife is the pride and joy of all who work on it, but it’s our fantastic, loyal audience that matters most. 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 1970’s together.”

Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, added: “Call The Midwife’s enduring popularity is thanks to the extraordinary creative talents and hard work of creator Heidi Thomas, executive producers Pippa Harris and Ann Tricklebank, and the series’ dedicated cast and crew. I know they have many more stories to tell – and that the residents of Nonnatus House have many more babies to deliver – so I’m delighted that Call the Midwife will continue on BBC One and iPlayer for more years to come.”

But for now, it’s December 1968 that concerns us. The episode begins a fortnight before Christmas Day, and as excitement mounts ahead of Apollo 8’s impending orbit of the Moon, somebody at Nonnatus isn’t getting into the festive spirit.

Poor Sister Monica Joan is convinced this will be her final Yuletide but, as you might expect, everyone rallies round in an attempt to lift her out of her gloom, including Trixie and Matthew, who are back from their honeymoon. As they prepare for their first Christmas as a married couple, her brother Geoffrey pays an unexpected visit – and even he feels moved to put a smile back on Sister Monica Joan’s face.

Meanwhile, Nancy and Colette receive good news – Sister Julienne is offering them a room at Nonnatus House for the foreseeable future. Plus, Cyril finds a chap who’s down-on-his-luck and in need of some comfort and joy, while Nurse Crane, who’s been away on a course, makes it home in time for the festivities, despite heavy snow.

So it seems that all the vital sounds are present and correct, and that when the eagerly awaited 13th series begins, the show and its characters will be in very rude health indeed.