WATERTOWN, NY (March 11, 2024) – The critically acclaimed British drama CALL THE MIDWIFE will return for its 13th season – premiering Sundays, March 17 – May 5, 2024 at 8:00 pm on WPBS-TV, watch.wpbstv.org, and the PBS app or WPBS app. The eight-part series, which follows the nurses, midwives and nuns from Nonnatus House in 1960s East London, will air as part of PBS’s Sunday night drama lineup this spring.
Season 13 continues to explore complex medical and personal situations on the midwifery and district nursing rounds. It is now 1969 and more babies are being born in hospital than ever before. Pressure on maternity beds remains extremely high across the country but Poplar is coping better than most due to the work of Nonnatus House and the popularity of home births under the auspices of the Sisters.
This season will also see stories from within the Sylheti and Nigerian communities and from around the docks. Poor housing continues to blight areas of Poplar presenting complex social and health challenges to the Nonnatus team. It will also explore issues surrounding Cerebral Palsy, Congenital Hip Dysplasia, Tetanus, Porphyria and TB.
EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS
Episode One (Sunday, March 17, 2024 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
Nonnatus House kicks off a new pupil midwife training.
Episode Two (Sunday, March 24, 2024 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
Shelagh and Joyce assist a heavily pregnant woman whose new flat is infested with mold.
Episode Three (Sunday, March 31, 2024 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
The Nonnatus team is thrown into turmoil when a newborn baby is diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia.
Episode Four (Sunday, April 7, 2024 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
An urgent phone call received by anxious Trixie leads to dire consequences for a patient.
Episode Five (Sunday, April 14, 2024 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
It’s summertime in Poplar, and a young mother goes into labor amid Violet’s first event as mayor.
Episode Six (Sunday, April 21, 2024 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
The pupil midwives prepare for their final exams as two little brothers are abandoned at a church.
Episode Seven (Sunday, April 28, 2024 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
Rosalind oversees the care of a teenage mum and uncovers a disturbing truth. Trixie and Matthew struggle with their change in fortune whilst Joyce receives an unexpected visitor.
Episode Eight (Sunday, May 5, 2024 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
Season Finale. Miss Higgins receives an unexpected visitor, and Sister Monica ruffles feathers. Poplar votes for its Mother of the Year.
WPBS members can view the new season early with WPBS Passport (U.S. only) – Each episode will be available 30 days ahead of its broadcast date, starting with Episode 1 on February 16, 2024. WPBS Passport is a member benefit that provides you with extended access to an on-demand library of quality public television programming. Learn more about WPBS Passport at: watch.wpbstv.org/passport/learn-more.
CALL THE MIDWIFE stars Jenny Agutter (“The Railway Children,” “Spooks”) as Sister Julienne, Linda Bassett (“Lark Rise to Candleford”) as Nurse Phylllis Crane, Judy Parfitt (“Girl with a Pearl Earring”) as Sister Monica Joan, Ella Bruccoleri (“Genius: Picasso”) as Sister Frances, Helen George (“Doctors”) as Nurse Trixie Franklin, Laura Main (“Monarch of the Glen”) as Nurse Shelagh Turner, Stephen McGann (“The Hanging Gale,” “Emmerdale”) as Dr. Patrick Turner, Cliff Parisi (“EastEnders”) as Fred Buckle, Annabelle Apsion (“Hillsborough,” “The Lakes”) as Violet Buckle, Georgie Glen (“Waterloo Road”) as Millicent Higgins, Max Macmillan (“The Song of Names”) as Timothy Turner, Daniel Laurie (“Finding Alice”) as Reggie Jackson, Zephryn Taitte (“Brothers with No Game”) as Cyril Robinson, Megan Cusack (“The Cherry Orchard”) as Nurse Nancy Corrigan, and Olly Rix (“The Spanish Princess”) as Matthew Aylward.
CALL THE MIDWIFE is created and written by Heidi Thomas; Executive Producers are Pippa Harris, Heidi Thomas, Ann Tricklebank, and Gaynor Holmes. The series is a Neal Street Production for BBC, in co-production with PBS, and is distributed internationally by BBC Studios in addition to the previous 12 hit seasons.
CALL THE MIDWIFE will be available to stream on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
About PBS
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BBC Studios, a global content company with bold British creativity at its heart, is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group, supporting the licence fee and enhancing programmes for UK audiences. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, its activities span content financing, development, production, sales, branded services, and ancillaries across both its own productions, and programmes and formats made by high-quality UK independents. Award-winning British programmes made by the business are internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, with brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, Doctor Who and Bluey. BBC Studios has offices in over 20 markets globally, including ten production bases in the UK and production bases or partnerships in a further seven countries around the world. The company, which ordinarily makes around 2000 hours of content a year for both the BBC and third parties including Apple, Netflix and Migu, is a champion for British creativity around the world. It is also a committed partner for the UK’s independent sector through a mix of equity partnerships, content investment and international distribution for programme titles.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
