Call the Midwife - Christmas Special

[Maireas]

I have loved CTM for years, great characters and stories. Some nice parts last night, but is anyone getting tired of Sr Monica Joan? We jokes in another thread about how much teal there was, so I did laugh at Phyllis having a teal trapeze outfit!

Oh Sister MJ is a one off. I can forgive her anything.

Yes, I suspect the one who didn't turn up for the date with Trixie will appear in the series and become 'The One'.

Glad to see some continuity with the Gloria storyline.

I'm depressed seeing Peter Davison looking so old when I had a crush on him as Tristan Farnon many moons ago.

@Chewbecca

It's not been the same since they ran out of books and started making up stories. It was nice to have something new on though.

This ^^

Jennifer Worth’s books were superb, all this made up stuff is just so ‘twee’

I used to love call the midwife but the last series and last night’s episode did not keep much of my attention. I thought the Gloria storyline was good but that’s about it. It just seems a bit boring with the same repeated storylines and characters. I don’t think it will last too much longer.

I think it's become a bit too formulaic in recent years. I do believe though that we are on a trajectory to its conclusion (although maybe two series away?).

I can't imagine that Reggie would have been treated as kindly as that in the 1960's.

OMG. The ringmaster was Peter Davison?!!! Wow.

I spent the whole show idly wondering who the Ringmaster was I knew I recognised him!

I highly recommend the new All Creatures Great and Small if CtM is getting a bit old for you. Gorgeous Sunday night nostalgia even if C5 inexplicably don't show it on a Sunday night.

Totally loved the Gloria storyline - was really crying at the end but didn’t really rate it as an episode as a whole.
And seeing Peter Davidson look so old makes me feel really ancient too! Like NewModelArmy, I also had that crush on Tristan when I was a youngster.

Peter Davison looks much better in real life.

The some people standing near each other and some not is a bit disconcerting. Reggie almost dying in the fire but no hug afterwards? Odd.

Did have to laugh at the masks at the delivery of the baby.

I just don't think Trixie would STILL be sharing a room in a house of Nuns in her early 30s! Remember when they had those 2 young male doctors to stay (was it last year?) I thought, wahey, bit of much needed sex for the younger nurses...but no. God, they never get any do they? In the early series there was lots of romance/love triangles etc.

I don't usually watch it, but I caught it last night and quite enjoyed it. I didn't notice the social distancing.

I thought Trixie was about 40?
I was thinking about Reggie and remembering how people with special needs were treated (and what name we used for what Reggie has). Definitely less inclusive and kind.

I agree with most comments here - Valerie's abrupt exit was jarring (can't help wondering what was behind that) and Sister MJ outstayed her welcome years ago.
The trapeze bit was just odd and out of character for Phyllis. No doubt it was supposed to be, to show that even the most practical and down to earth person can have a dream, but I thought it was incongruous.
But I quite liked the little kerfuffle over the turkey. "It's supposed to be oven ready" ... "Well, it's dead isn't it?" Gave me a welcome chuckle after the emotional Gloria story.

I thought it was disappointing and a bit tedious tbh, I think it has long passed it’s best.

@FadedRed

I thought it was disappointing and a bit tedious tbh, I think it has long passed it’s best.

I thought the same. The trapeze bit was ridiculous.

Totally agree. They should have stopped several series ago. And the trapeze bit was ridiculous and out of character. I also find it difficult to believe that they wouldn't have nursed sister MJ at home from the start. Her dementia has been miraculously cured.

Fenella Woolgar seems woefully under used. Also I wish there was a decent storyline for Jenny Agutter.

SMJ has also regrown healthy corneas...

So did Mrs Patmore in Downton.

No way would Trixie have still been single. And Cyril would have proposed years ago.

I thought Cyril had proposed? Not that you'd know it given how he didn't go within 2 metres of Lucille

I was trying to work out what was what with social distancing the kids - the babiea obviously were plastic or shot in their actual parents arms; but the Turner kids were holding hands at some point with various people.

Fenella Woolgar seems woefully under used.
I agree - more of her would be very welcome in the next series with some fabulous back story like having been a member of the resistance like Audrey Hepburn in The Nun's Story.

I assumed that Sister MJ's storyline was devised so her scenes could be shot in isolation - the actor is 85.

I did like Phyllis and Millicent having a ladies' night doing exactly what they wanted to for Christmas. But I thought Vanessa Redgrave's voiceover could have been made a bit more relevant to a year in which most of us have been locked down for most of it.

I hope Lucille is going to have one of those miraculous changes of hair that happen on TV when episodes which are meant to take place within weeks of each other are shot several months apart.

I preferred Jenny Lee and the gritty 1950s series. I feel a bit “meh” about CTM now.

I forgot this was on bbc catch up, so just watched it now

I didn’t see any obvious 2 metre distance to begin with, and then I couldn’t stop seeing it . I also forgot face masks were supposed to be worn until I saw the the very thick ones the midwives had to wear.

It was also obvious the babies were dolls in the fake parents hands...

I didn’t think it was a horrible episode, but yes, the earlier seasons when they were actually based on the real Jenny, were better