Call the midwife- brand new series starts tonight!!

[Soubriquet]

At 8pm

Who's ready for it?!

I would have thought the themes were a bit much for a 10 year old.

I found this interesting about the FGM storyline, I think it's great they are covering it but my goodness it's going to be hard to watch.

MrsJamin I'm glad they had a proper consultant!

Casualty has also done FGM and is broadcast at the same time or earlier.

The apostrophe jarred with me too. It most definitely would not have been original!

I did Gladys.

I saw that article too. I think CTM are quite diligent at consulting the right groups when tackling a sensitive subject, like the thalidomide storyline last series.

They are generally good, until they try and shoe-horn in a happy ending.

I'm surprised they didn't touch on the FGM in the SA episode, or was that because it was a Christmas one do you think?

I don't really think it's appropriate for a 10 year old. 10 is too young to know about prostitution in my opinion and I've got a nearly 10 year old.

Good episode tonight . How did they let Mary Cynthia out though ?

FGM isn't really practised in South Africa generally. As far as I remember, there is one localised tribe that does it but it's not widespread. I think they now have some issues with immigrants from countries where it remains a custom, like us.

And Sister MC was sprung because her initial 'sectioning' period was up. Dr Turner explained it all to Sister Julienne.

Oh god my eyes watered at little Deka waving goodbye

Depressing stuff

Hundreds of young men in South Africa die every year from botched circumcisions, rusty knives,disgusting inhuman practice on girls and boys.

I think they covered FGM brilliantly.
They made it clear that for many women it is their normal. That to them it is simply what happens. For us we cannot imagine sending a girl off to have that done, but for families where it has happened for generations it is just how things are.

I feel wrung out after that. My DH had ECT in the 90s and neither the process nor the after-effects were pleasant. And the FGM storyline...sensitively done but harrowing, and all the more so for knowing that it's still a real and too-prevalent practice.

Agree a very well done episode,
Though was waiting for a midwife to wipe out a diagram of what a woman should look like. Thought did sister MC really well too, such a contrast between two hospitals and those who have someone to fight their corner.

The new midwife is still too happy for my liking!

I don't understand how the new nurse has gone from being an army nurse to a midwife in such a short time.

I thought the Somali lady's speech at the end was brilliant script writing. It totally put the bleeding-hearts in their place; let the viewer see what FGM meant to her, how it was her "normal", and showed that the researchers had done their job!

This was a brilliant return to the grittiness of the first season or two.

Those contained shocking stories (see the incest/prostitution story of the young girl in the ship) and portrayed the shock of the new (Jessica Raines) midwife as naive and genuine.

The slightly patronising switch in later episodes to the clever, educated middle class midwives having the 'correct' view when the local population failed to understand just how normal those gays and disabled people were has been very problematic.

This used the whole 'new midwife' who is a bit green storyline to return the series to its roots, and I loved it.

Letting women speak is actually quite a subversive act, and that is what the BBC has done so well here.

Thanks notjustuser I misunderstood as I thought he said her section wasn't up. Makes sense !

Just seen bluerunski's post. Exactly, so many episodes have ended with smug, self-congratulatory HCPs voicing the 'correct' view circa 2017 that this ending was a lot more exploratory of the realistically complex landscape that would genuinely existed in 1960s Poplar, and indeed now.

It was of its time though. Also FGM remains far too common, there are now campaigns led by women and men within traditionally circumicising communities which are trying to change the culture itself, working with community leaders here and in original countries. The 'bleeding-hearts' are at work.

Although FGM remains far too common

I do agree though that CTM offers an anachronistic stance on a lot of social issues.