Call the Midwife prequel: everything you need to know as the BBC show rewinds to London in the Blitz
The bombs fell, and the babies kept on coming...
Call the Midwife is taking us further back in time as a new prequel delves into life as a midwife in Poplar during the Second World War.
Producers announced the prequel in May 2025, revealing the series will be set in Poplar during the Blitz in 1939. We will see some of our Nonnatus House favourites as their younger selves, navigating bringing babies into the world as bombs drop on London.
The new series will be made in 2026, and hints suggest that the Call the Midwife prequel will launch with a Christmas special.
Show-runner Heidi Thomas and executive producers Pippa Harris and Ann Tricklebank will write, create and produce the prequel. They will also helm a Call the Midwife movie and series 16 together in due course.
Here is everything you need to know about the Call the Midwife prequel series…
Call the Midwife prequel plot
We don’t have exact details about what the new series will cover, but we can guarantee the new series will deliver plenty of baby-related drama! The arrival of the Blitz changed London forever, but babies still arrived despite the bombs dropping.
Older characters in the main show will feature in the prequel, finally giving us an insight into their lives before we met them in Call the Midwife series 1.
In a previous series of the main show, Phyllis Crane had briefly mentioned a romance with a pilot during WWII. Sadly, he was killed during the war, and she has been on her own since. Could we meet her former love and find out more about what happened between them?
Previous series have also seen Millicent Higgins speak about her parents being tragically killed during an air strike. There is a chance the series could cover the tragedy, addressing the horrific reality for so many during the war.
A new side to Sister Monica Joan
As the eldest nun in the main series, Sister Monica Joan, would have already been working as a nurse during the war. So far, we have only really known her in retirement. This will be a chance for us to witness her in action, working in the profession she dedicated her life to.
And then there is Sister Julienne. She has also talked about her time working as a nurse during the Second World War. She would have been newly qualified around this time, so we will likely find out more about her past and how she became the loyal and dedicated nun and midwife we know and love.
When will the Call the Midwife prequel air?
Series creator Heidi Thomas recently confirmed that the prequel would launch with a Christmas special later this year.
Heidi said: “There won’t be a Call the Midwife Christmas special in 2026. Not in the traditional mould, anyway.
“It is a very temporary halt in the usual pattern. I don’t think any other show has produced a Christmas special for as many years as we have. This is a lovely opportunity to press pause and come back with even more exciting things.
Heidi added that the prequel will make its debut at Christmas 2026, replacing the traditional Call the Midwife festive episodes. She said: “Viewers will watch the prequel set in 1939. Followed by the film set in 1972 and starring the current cast. Series 16 will then take place in 1973.”
Addressing the rumours that the upcoming Call the Midwife film will be set abroad, Heidi said: “The show isn’t going anywhere… except maybe to Australia!”
Who will appear in the cast?
The production team is keeping the new cast under wraps for now, but producers will recast current characters with younger actors.
Because of the time shift, it is unlikely that anyone from the current series will appear. This means we won’t see iconic characters like Trixie Franklin, played by Helen George.
Speaking of the new series, Heidi Thomas said, “The opening of new doors at Nonnatus House feels right. 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. This includes the appearance of some familiar (if much younger!) faces.”
Dame Pippa Harris, executive producer, paid tribute to the long-running show: “In an increasingly competitive viewing environment, our loyal fans stayed with us for 14 years. Now feels like the right time to expand our world and take our nuns and midwives back in time with the prequel!”
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