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Original poster

Is Call The Midwife good?

73 replies

TheStaleBiscuitofDoom · 05/12/2019 21:10

It's on BBC Iplayer as a box set and I'm looking for something new(to me) to watch but is it all just babies being born(which doesn't interest me all that much) or do they have storylines that focus on other issues?

OP posts:
Adviceplease1234 · 05/12/2019 22:53

I love it for the historical aspect. That's interesting a PP said the Doctor's husband is the producer which would explain why he features so much. I also think he over acts and behaves more like he's on stage.

I feel tempted to watch it all again actually.

tinkering · 05/12/2019 23:06

I love it. Like you I was put off by the baby aspect - I find birth a bit squeamish - but I started watching one night and got hooked. There are a lot of births but they’re intertwined with storyline, the lives of the nuns/midwives etc and I love the historical aspects (episodes focusing on thalidomide etc). I find that some births make me cry.

The earlier series are better, but the later ones aren’t awful.

Andahelterskelterroundmylittle · 05/12/2019 23:23

😳just watched 7 series (again)on Netflix .It is the ointment that soothes my soul 🤣bloody love it! Super excited for Christmas Day

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Nikki360 · 05/12/2019 23:23

I've watched every episode and I love it but I definitely preferred the earlier series. I'm not that keen on Dr Turner and agree he's in it too much in recent series. I really wish they had made more series in the 50s.

Thelnebriati · 05/12/2019 23:24

The history side of it is very accurate. If you want to know what life was like for women only a short time ago its a must watch.
I assume the childbirth stuff is accurate but I admit to fast forwarding through a lot of it because I'm a squeamish coward.

Wallabyone · 05/12/2019 23:25

It's my favourite thing to watch on TV ever. I adore it, so easy to watch and really interesting. I live social history and it's like a hug in a tv programme.

Majorcollywobble · 05/12/2019 23:29

It’s a good watch .
There’s a very memorable Christmas episode where Chummy is talking to her policeman husband as he sits in bed with a book - one second he’s one side of the bed and the next second he’s the other side - whoops ! Continuity fail .

longtompot · 05/12/2019 23:34

The babies being born is just the common thread that holds it all together. Its really a history lesson which, if you've had kids, or ever been in hospital, makes you grateful for living with todays medicine. The earlier series were defiantly the best, as they were based on the books. The latter ones, though enjoyable, were not quite as good.

MsPepperPotts · 05/12/2019 23:38

Yep it's an excellent series.
Set in the years I was growing up so I can relate.
The storylines deal with all sorts of issues and some episodes can be a hard watch but overall it's a fair representation of midwifery and social issues in the 50's and 60's.

MAFIL · 05/12/2019 23:43

I really enjoyed the earlier series which are fairly faithful to the books but I think it has gone off the boil now. I think that happens with most series once they have used up the original source material and someone else has written new stories and invented new characters. I still watch it mind you. It is an entertaining, well put together programme but I do think that some of the more recent episodes are rather contrived and overly politically correct. I think it is time they called it a day really, though the Christmas specials are always lovely. I really looking forward to watching it with my DD when she gets home for Christmas - it is our girly treat, though DH likes it too. He just pretends we are making him watch against his will! Xmas Wink
I would recommend the books to anyone who has enjoyed the tv series. They go into a bit more detail and give more background info on some of the stories. Even though I had seen the tv series first so I knew the outcomes I still found the books very moving and almost unputdownable.

Thestrangestthing · 05/12/2019 23:44

It's great but I'm always howling by the end of most episodes,

Rubychard · 06/12/2019 07:38

I used to watch it until I read the books. The books present a very different gritty reality. At that point I realised the series had been given the “rose tinted” treatment to make it suitable for Sunday evening viewing.

lifeisgoodagain · 06/12/2019 07:52

Brilliant, earlier ones I preferred though

DrDreReturns · 06/12/2019 07:56

The first series, which is based on the book, is brilliant. The book is a very good read too.

MrsJBaptiste · 06/12/2019 08:02

Thanks OP 😃

I've been watching repeats of the later series but will be able to watch the early ones now I know they're on iplayer. It's a fab series, I still love it although the first few series were probably slightly better.

LIZS · 06/12/2019 08:03

We missed the early ones but got into it via a Christmas special a few years ago. Been watching previous series on Drama on Sunday teatime/evening but will be starting from scratch via iplayer. A great mix of gentle humour and gritty reality.

OutComeTheWolves · 06/12/2019 08:20

I love it. My main bugbear is because of its Sunday evening slot it's sort of mistaken for 'gentle' Sunday night viewing.
Actually it's incredibly female oriented- it shows a slice of social history and how much contraception, the nhs and access to safe abortion has changed life for women. I think that makes it quite political too. It also deals with attitudes to homosexuality, disability, poverty and mental health. And it really shows how much social change occurred in a relatively short period of time after ww2.

LittleCandle · 06/12/2019 08:43

It is fab, but do remember the tissues. Several episodes struck home for me, with regards to things that happened in the family. The love story between the Doctor and Shelagh is wonderful! So romantic!

EoinMcLovesCakeJumper · 06/12/2019 08:57

I think it gets written off as a cosy, twee, easy watch for a Sunday teatime because it's almost exclusively for, by, and about women. But over the years it's dealt with sexual assault, abortion, incest, disability, and discrimination against homosexuality (both men and women). Yes, perhaps everyone is just a bit too lovely and non-judgmental for 1950s/60s working class London sometimes - you don't always get the sense of social exclusion that would be experienced by unmarried mothers, or black people, for instance. But it's entirely lovely to watch and I'm about the most cynical, unsentimental person you could hope to meet!

amusedbush · 06/12/2019 11:21

The love story between the Doctor and Shelagh is wonderful! So romantic!

Well, there goes any element of surprise about that storyline HmmGrin

Magnificentme · 06/12/2019 11:25

Bloody brilliant and heart breaking on some episodes
I think Netflix has all the series on there

KnightandDay · 06/12/2019 11:48

It's excellent! Agree with the advice to have tissues to hand, every episode makes me cry at some stage.

Lllot5 · 06/12/2019 11:58

I found the early episodes much better. More about social issues and and poverty than just babies.
Not too long before I was born and in the area in which I grew up.
Very accurate. The more recent ones not so much.

Toddlerteaplease · 06/12/2019 12:20

It's brilliant. But the later series are getting a bit repetitive. It's time to stop now I think. Besides the order stopped doing midwifery in the early 70's

Toddlerteaplease · 06/12/2019 12:22

I believe the Christmas special is set in the Hebrides this year. Not impressed!

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