Call the Midwife, I love Sunday night telly!!

[BrightnessFalls]

well, I will do for the next six weeks

this is him on imbd

I enjoyed it.

I thought it was well cast. The nuns looked as I thought they should. Jennifer looked like pictures I have of my mum at the same age. I'd found myself thinking "Oh Gawd, is there a Sunday night programme that Pam Ferris hasn't been in?" but she made a really good Sister Evangelina. Miranda Hart sounds like getting in a rent-a-celeb to boost ratings but if you've read the book she is perfect for Chummy.

I'll admit I sneered at the premature baby scene. She gives birth to a blood-less, vernix-less Baby Born doll who then starts cooing and playing with its toes! Then they are saying "Oh no, she's haemorrhaging" when there's less blood than a light period. But as DH pointed out, it's Sunday night plus if they needed a live baby to play the newborn they obviously couldn't have a really premature one. But still - all that "he's so tiny" when he was a pretty good size irritated me, I thought they could have done better.

I will watch again but will probably stop when they run out of book material and start making up their own stories.

The author apparently hand picked Miranda Hart for the part of Chummy. I read an interview on digital spy.

It's sort of alright but i'll give it another ep. to make a def conclusion on it. Ref. accents in the 50s and 60s (but it was improving then) MOST mid. class and above people spoke with those "plum in the mouth" accents esp. BBC types!!!

I'm not sure a nun living in the EE would have had a tan and no one else did which was a bit odd!! but I liked Jenny Agutters' acting.

I loved the Poirot last night!

Oh and the history of the musical.Shame i missed the first one!

I'm not convinced I can watch the whole series. The idea idea of finding what seems to be an unremitting catalogue of broken bodies, hearts and dreams entertaining...well it's a bit voyeuristic.
There are only so many ending you can have to a pregnancy - healthy baby and mum (happy) vs. everything else (distressingly sad).

I read the books that Jennifer Worth wrote. After reading the first one I rung my mum who grew up in East Londond in the 50's (when the books were set) and said "OMG was it really that bad just a generation ago?. And she said it was in some areas. I have the programme on record and will watch it later

IKWYM piprabbit I like a bit of escapism too! there's too much misery telly around IMO

The coconut cake that the nun ate looked delicious

Ohh, I think I might just go and catch up with this on iplayer.

I thought it was starting next week, so thanks for the tip-off MNers !

Think I'll enjoy it - Miranda looks good in it judging from trailer I saw

< stamps feet for slice of coconut cake before settling down to watch >

I just caught up on iPlayer. I thought it was most excellent.

I've just watched it on iPlayer and thought it was quite good. I don't think I've ever read the book, but I've definitely read about Conchita, goodness knows where! Maybe it was serialised in the paper or something.

Who was the girl playing her eldest daughter, Maureen was it? I'm sure I recognised her.

Ok, clearly not, I haven't seen anything else she's been in, but apparently she's 23. I thought she was about 16!

scatter the daughters voice seemed very familiar but I don't recognise her either

Watching

Yeh, very good I thought - that'll definitely be something to look forward to on Sunday evenings
Was a bit "us and them" though wasn't it ? - regarding the midwives and the mothers eg. thought it was a bit silly how horrified main character was by the "squalor" of her surroundings. Felt the mothers weren't always very sympathetically portrayed.
Was thinking of someone I knew who was a midwife in London around this time so that was interesting - wish I'd found out more about her experiences now as she passed away a few years ago - was a lovely person and must have had some good stories to tell. Still, glad I knew her

I thought the girl Maureen was the one who was in the Dr Who episode with the gas masks - the "are you my Mummy?" one.

Yes, BalloonSlayer I was going to say I think that girl was in that Dr Who episode.
I'm really looking forward to next Sunday.

i watched this on iplayer last night.
it is amazing, the actress playing jenny looks familar cant name her or what i`ve seen her on memory going again...
it is superbly written!
sister monica jane is hilarious!
Has anyone else read the books? they are amazing.

stupid question alert

Why was that girl shaved? And why did she have an enema?

I'm TTC so please don't put me off too much!

That's what they used to do in The Old Days, Tuesday.

It was just there for shock value. Along with the glass enema tubes with a spare in case one broke up someone's arse. [wince]

When I had ds1,the hospital were still doing shaves and enemas. Shaves so the midwife could see the crucial bits more clearly,I guess (very uncomfortable as it grew back!). Enemas because some times it could help bring on a late labour,but as your bowel was empty when you started pushing you didn't have to worry about poo coming out at the same time! Not everyone wants their partner seeing that,and quite a few friends have said they wish they still did routine enemas!

The author mentioned in her last book (all about being a nurse attending to the dying in the east end) that she had cancer .

I was shaved with DC1 which was a bit uncomfortable during labour! The midwife said it was 'more hygenic'. I also had an enema which was a great relief as I'd been constipated all through my pregnancy - and it meant I didn't poo when I was pushing. When I had DCs 2&3 the hospital had stopped shaving but still gave routine enemas.