Call The Midwife Christmas Special

[PinkFrogss]

Anyone watching? Apologies if I’ve missed the thread.

Well maybe it's just me, but I loved it and had a tear in my eye by the end. Perfect Christmas viewing

I rather enjoyed it too. Except for ill-matched Trixie and husband. And, of course, the ever-irritating Turners.

I'd actually like them to go back in time rather than forward and do a series starting in the time when sister MJ was young.

I agree @OhLittleBoreOfWhabylon. I think the transition to the 70s is a step too far from the original books

is it true trixie and on screen husband a couple in real life

Certainly she has split from husband who was reverend in earlier series and been seen meeting Olly Rix. Had heard he does not feature in the new series.

I enjoyed it. I only watch the Christmas specials, and only because DM and DH want to. I try and leave the room if I can. I find the dying babies and desperate sad stories too draining. Literally exhausting and distressing.

This year no one died so I was ok!

Oh is he being written out?! He is a shit actor mind.

I almost died of embarrassment when Trixie was the bloody Virgin Mary!

I remember tortoises being popular pets in the 1970s. Nice touch. Can’t think of anyone with one these days.

We still have a tortoise in the family. My grandfather bought him in the mid 70s - I went with him- and he gets passed around the family when the current keeper passes on. He's outlived 3 people now.

I almost died of embarrassment when Trixie was the bloody Virgin Mary

Yes! Cringe fest!

So much twee. Was it ever explained how on earth Trixie’s brother found the one representation of the nativity among the hundreds of thousands that exist?

Is it just me or has Phyllis become a shadow of her former self, physically?

I hope the new series is better than the special. Not just Mr Sharma whose blood sugar levels were at dangerous levels! One of the sugariest programmes I've ever seen.

Interesting point about the painting, though. I saw someone link to it on Twitter, and it does indeed feature two people who look as if they might have Down Syndrome. One a child, the other one a young adult perhaps. https://www.downsyndromeprenataltesting.com/down-syndrome-diagnosis-at-the-adoration-of-the-christ-child/

I agree, going back would be fascinating.

I've not read the thread yet as I'm only just watching. But felt the need to start a list of things that I'd give out about if I was watching in real time.

What on earth did Fred say that Sheila mentioned the Blue Peter Appeal about?

Peak tweeness has got to be the small girl's letter saying she doesn't need any presents. Please let that be the peak!!

What doesn’t super rich Matthew's house have a spare bedroom?

How awful were the Turners steaming open the Mai's present?

Glad to see there wasn't a missed opportunity to show St Dr Turner as the most marvelous all knowing and considerate doctor in the universe by having a deeply incompetent and inconsiderate consultant to compare him to.

OK maybe peak twee is the love up between single mum and multiple mum.

The whole St Dr Turner and his side kick (the miraculous full recoverer from polio) to the rescue in a disaster - despite it really being the midwives doing the work - is just making me laugh his acting is so awful. It's like his lines are audio description.

Right, think the "I would have diagnosed you with common sense" has finished me off.

Don't like what the did to Phyllis in this episode but I did get distracted as to why they hadn't turned off the Christmas tree lights if they had all gone to bed.

Don't quite get the single mum story. Did the dad not know about the pregnancy? She seemed to think she was alone. Why did he come back at that time if he didn't?

As always I really enjoyed giving out about it. 😀

There seemed to be too many men and man centred storylines at the moment.

Why on earth would they let Trixie's brother stay in Nonatus house

I was but he ended up with a good home with Cyril.

Trixie's new husband is leaving the series- it was announced months ago. His contract was not renewed. I'm a bit baffled by that one.

I wondered if Heidi Thomas was thinking of Stephen Ward, the osteopath in the Profumo scandal, when she came up with the Geoffrey character.

He may be leaving the series but they could do what frequently happens in The Archers (my Mastermind subject) and just keep referring to him. Does this mean that Trixie herself will finally leave? It really isn't plausible that she's still working there after all this time, especially now she's married to a very rich man.

@AnImaginaryCat I can answer your first question there, it was Biafra Fred mentioned.

I started watching this last night but I got so bored and gave up and watched The Masked Singer instead. I rewatched the first two Christmas specials while wrapping presents and it really showed up how dull the series has got.

Don't quite get the single mum story. Did the dad not know about the pregnancy? She seemed to think she was alone. Why did he come back at that time if he didn't?

He's a sailor. Was on board ship by the time she found out she was pregnant. He always intended to come back, but she couldn't know whether he was just saying that - especially as he wasn't back after the date he was supposed to dock. He had docked when expected but been diverted to a different port and had to hitch down from Liverpool, thus causing a delay (plus further delay because he didn't know she was in hospital until the midwives pinned the note to her door).

I wondered whether Trixie would re-train as a doctor. I thought that the Caesarean section she performed in an emergency situation a few Christmases ago was maybe pointing to that. Also because (Irrelevantly!) she really reminds me of the youngish blonde GP I had as a child in the mid-1970s 😀 But obviously I got that wrong because the character went down a different path.

It’s so syrupy but I bloody love it! Had a bit of a ‘Mandela effect’ thing going on last night though - I could have sworn Sister MJ finally died at the end of the last series. Maybe we all just steel ourselves for it at the start of every single series and I’m just imagining it!

Linda Bassett had lost a lot of weight, but she is 73! ,

Although I loved the character when she first appeared,Nancy (and her daughter) really irritated me ! Agree with everyone about Dr Turner and when did Shelagh get SO bloody irritating ? She was great as a nun!

I've just put it on iPlayer. I'm not sure why, I don't even really enjoy it any more but I still have to watch it.

Why is it that nonatus either has no rooms or masses of rooms depending on the need of the story? It's like the bloody enchanted tardis houses in Neighbours. This time a whole massive bedsit for Nancy and kid suddenly appears.