Call the midwife- brand new series starts tonight!!

[Soubriquet]

At 8pm

Who's ready for it?!

How is he shoe-horned in? In story one it's his wife in hospital and in story two he would have been called in if something like forceps were needed. He's been similarly called in right from series one and that's the way it would have been.

Thought was lovely matron had him do it not baldy dr and dozen student possible saying no heartbeat.

Yes trixie has something, smoking related?

I do feel there is favouritism for storylines with Dr Turner as there always has been, but not surprising given he is the writers husband

Think the series has picked up a bit but wish they would stop with the cringey brand references, rennie, Alka seltzer etc. And Trixie saying she had leaflets 'Roneod'

I wonder if Miranda Hart will ever care to grace the show with her presence again

By having him examine her it also meant that he would be the one who would have to break bad news. It also takes us back to when he examined Sr Bernadette when she had TB and he did have to give her bad news. This time it was good news. It's a twisty turny show, even more so in this series. There are lots of layers and you choose which layer you view at.

I have started hating everything about him I'm afraid, Shelagh. From his gurning perfect-husband fawning to being the mansplaining saviour of every case. They need to cut his scenes drastically. I want to see the women, not him. He is shoe-horned into every episode now. It is too much.

The only layer I can see at the moment is Dr Turner's Casebook.

That's fine. There are characters I can't bear and would gladly see the back of!

Turner is the writer's husband? Oh that explains SO much!!

The Turner family have the most horribly twee lines and their scenes are very clunky. The scene with them drinking beer could have been so much better. And why the constant use of Dad, Son, Tim as if the viewer can't work out the relationship between a boy and a middle aged man he lives with.

The only reason I can fathom is that it's the only acting he can muster. Tim isn't too bad, despite the excruciating lines but a scene with Shelagh is embarrassing as she acts them both off the screen!!

Angelina Jolie was a single mum in The Changeling at that was set in the 30s.

Maybe rent was much more affordable then? Not the two thirds of your income it is now.

And I though Dr Shoehorn would get the lung cancer storyline...

...looks like it's going to be Trixie.

But Changeling was based on events which took place in the US, not the UK.

It was often very difficult for women to survive without a husband because the assumption was that she would have a man to look after her. Widows were expected to live off their husband's pension and wages for women were lower than wages for men. Much like wages today are set lower for under 18s because it's assumed that they won't have families to support. Women's employment was largely seen as being extraneous, hence why all the midwives live in the convent. (Well, and I suppose it was handy for being on call). They wouldn't have been able to afford their own flat. Even when Patsy and Delia were planning on renting somewhere together they could only afford a small attic room with both of their wages put together, and I think that midwifery/nursing was probably paid better than any of the jobs the working class women would have been able to do. They couldn't buy property in their own names either so a shop like Violet's would have been bought with her husband.

I think it's the casting that makes Dr Turner such a stuffed shirt mansplainer. Like they were aiming for Ben Kingsley in The Citadel but got an Armstrong and Miller spoof instead.

OMG that had me in bits and I had three healthy babies with no problems! for all of you who didn't.

Agree about the doctor Shelagh. He was there because he would've been there, not "shoehorned"

I agree that Turner is in it too much now. Also Shelagh must have joined the order at 16 in order to be only 36 in 1962. When she leaves Sr Evangelina got all emotional over her war time style clothes. I was hoping they'd employ the matron from the hospital I loved her and her accent!

Shelagh joined the order as a newly qualified nurse in 1948, whatever that makes her. Her first day at Nonnatus was the first day of the NHS.

Her accent was fab wasn't it. I could listen to it all day.

Its the second time this series that a mother has had a 'happy ending' when its unfortunately not the reality, like when the mother a few weeks ago just moved away from her abusive husband and all was fine forever

It's a drama not a documentary. While they try to make it as true as they can they've also got to make it entertaining. Wall to wall misery wouldn't be much fun.

I'm not really getting all the negativity about the turner family, don't mind Dr Turner and liked that they brought him in to check for the heartbeat.
Also loved the sister in the hospital hope she's back for more episodes

GPs increasingly played a part in maternity care. It was in fact the Nuns and community hospitals that were on the decline.

Sheila could have joined at 16 because she was a nun so would have done whatever training you do before committing to elisions life and taken on nurse training.

Guess still largely rare have young woman living in own that's why all nurses live at house. You either stayed in hospital digs or ten got married moved in with husband. I know we see plenty of single mothers but recorn quite a lot of nudge nudge wonder how they paybthw rent sort thing going on.

Thanks about the Alexander and miller joke I KNEW he reminded me of someone!

I have just sobbed through this episode.

Just marking my place as I keep losing this thread

Someone said upthread that the storyline is getting closer to us in time, but that's not actually true as a new series is on once a year and the timeline goes up by one year every series, so we're always the same distance away (always 55 years difference).

I'm getting irritated with doctor Turner as well. There are plenty of storylines that involve midwives and not doctors (and I say this as a GP who would love a call the midwife style series about GP's and how their roles have evolved over the years).

Shelagh bugs me. She is a very self righteous and pompous character. This time with the threatened miscarriage is the only time I have felt sympathy for her character. Anyone else annoyed by her??