Call the Midwife series 15: Start date, cast, plot and everything we know about the new series
Prepare for heartache and romance as Call the Midwife heads into 1971
Call the Midwife is returning with series 15, taking us back to London’s East End at the start of 1971. The eight new hour-long episodes will see more twists, turns and, of course, expectant mothers and babies.
The last series left us on a cliffhanger when the future of Nonnatus House came under threat due to the changing times. While the nuns of Poplar fought to find their way in the ‘modern’ world, romance was blossoming for Cyril and Rosalind.
Elsewhere, Trixie was struggling to juggle her time between Poplar and New York. Could series 15 see her marriage to Matthew break down due to the pressure of living on both sides of the ocean?
Here is everything you need to know about Call the Midwife series 15 from its plot and release date and cast.
What is the plot for Call the Midwife series 15?
The series 14 ending saw huge changes heading for Nonnatus House as the show moved into the early 1970s.
With dwindling funds and modern ways of thinking, the nuns were worried about what the future might hold. The 2025 Christmas specials see senior members of the Nonnatus House staff head to Hong Kong on a mercy mission. Soon, Sister Julienne finds herself excited about the Order’s future for the first time in years.
After years of battling change, the nuns decide to embrace it. This is a theme that will continue throughout series 15. The official BBC synopsis for series 15 says: “The new series kicks off in 1971 with several of the ladies embracing Women’s Lib and burning their bras outside Nonnatus House.
“As the year unfolds, we see the team handle cases including premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis and slavery.”
Which cast members will return for Call the Midwife series 15?
The Call the Midwife favourites are all back for the new series.
Trixie Franklin, played by Helen George, will return, along with Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne and Linda Bassett as Nurse Phyllis Crane.
Rebecca Gethings will resume her role as Sister Veronica. Georgie Glen will play Miss Higgins once again, and Judy Parfitt is back as Sister Monica Joan. In addition, Sister Hilda, played by Fenella Woolgar, will also return for the new series.
Relatively new midwives Joyce Highland, played by Renee Bailey, and Rosalind Clifford, played by Natalie Quarry, are also returning.
Last series also saw The Rig star Molly Vevers join the cast as Sister Catherine, and she will be back for the new series. Sister Catherine is a studious Scottish postulant who took her vows as a nun in the final episode of series 14, and she is also training to be a midwife.
Who else is in the cast?
Doctor Turner, played by Stephen McGann, and his family are back, including his wife, Shelagh Turner, played by Laura Main, and their son, Timothy Turner, portrayed by Max Macmillan. Alice Brown is also back as Angela Turner, April Rae Hoang as May Tang and Edward Shaw as Teddy Turner.
Cliff Parisi returns as Fred Buckle. Annabelle Apsion is also back as Violet Buckle and Daniel Laurie as Reggie Jackson. Meanwhile, Zephryn Taitte will return to his role as Cyril Robinson.
Trixie’s brother, Geoffrey Franklin, played brilliantly by Christopher Harper, is also back to bring some lighthearted moments to the show.
It seems that Trixie’s husband Matthew – played by Casualty star Olly Rix until the character’s swift exit two years ago – will not feature. Trixie explained in the Christmas special that Matthew needed to remain in New York, attending to his new business, which she had returned to London with stepson Jonty who is due to start prep school.
When does Call the Midwife series 15 air?
Call the Midwife series 15 will start on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 8pm. The remaining seven episodes will then air weekly in the same slot.
You can also catch up on all past series of the show on BBC iPlayer.
Will there be a series 16?
At the moment, plans for a 16th series are on hold. However, this doesn’t mean the end of the period drama.
It was announced earlier this year that the world of Nonnatus House will be expanding. A prequel TV series set in Poplar during the Second World War will be made for the BBC in 2026.
And, in addition, we are also getting a Call the Midwife film. This will be set overseas in 1972 and feature iconic characters from the existing TV show.
The new projects will be written, created and produced by showrunner Heidi Thomas and executive producers Pippa Harris and Ann Tricklebank. The BBC has also announced the all-female team will helm series 16 together ‘in due course’.
Speaking of the prequel, series creator and writer, Heidi Thomas, said: “The opening of new doors at Nonnatus House feels profoundly emotional, and yet just right. I have never run out of stories for our midwives, and I never will. But having wept, laughed, and raged my way from 1957 to 1971, I found myself yearning to delve into the deeper past. The Blitz years in the East End were extraordinary. The bombs fell, the babies kept on coming, and the Sisters kept on going.”
On the subject of the film, Heidi added: “As the classic Call the Midwife series moves further into the 1970s, it seems the perfect time for our much-loved regulars to take a short break from Poplar and test themselves in an unfamiliar landscape. Whilst the location of the film remains top-secret, I can say it is going to look absolutely fantastic on the big screen!”
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