Call The Midwife Christmas Special

[PinkFrogss]

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

@riotlady, yes! Just after I commented I remembered that bit from Friends where Chandler realises that Kathy is sleeping with her co-star as they no longer have any chemistry!

I've always wondered why they haven't recast some of the most popular characters if the actor has decided to leave IRL. I mean, if it's good enough for The Crown! And it's easy enough to write them out for a bit and then bring them back in the next series, surely!

I don’t want Cyril (a strong character, well acted) to leave for the Caribbean but it is unlikely that he’d separate from his wife, so for me the only option is a recast of Lucille, or Lucile dying offscreen.

I don’t think that Olly Rix would have been let go because of what may or may not be happening in his personal life, I think it’s because the character was so weak and badly received. And that’s the writers’ fault not his.

I agree with pp about Nancy and Sister V. They probably need to go. It’s time for Sister MJ to be respectfully written out, her longevity is getting silly, but Judy has been amazing in the role and deserves a good exit.

Couldn’t Lucille and Cyril just be said to have moved elsewhere in London or the UK?
Same with Trixie and Matthew.

Why has Trixie got 1950s hair? 1968 was long straight hair and mini skirts, the Jane Asher - Jean Shrimpton look. They never seem to get the hair and clothes right.

Cyril has finally got a decent role that doesn't involve smiling inanely and being sad about not being able to get married. I really disliked that whole looooong relationship. Lucille can stay abroad for all I care.
Best characters are Violet, Fred, Nurse Crane and the secretary.
All of the nuns have lost my interest although Jenny Agutter still has potential to put some acting style into the awful script.
The Turners are excellent for cringing to and I love their 60's-tastic house.
I was over Trixie years ago and her husband is wooden.

I think Trixie having old fashioned hair works for her character now, surely? She's old enough that she can just have her style rather than having to be the latest fashion.

I finally watched the whole episode. The bit with Sister Julienne delivering the babies was nice, that felt like proper CtM. Everything else was so dull and felt like it had been done before. I am so bored of Sister MJ deciding she's going to die.

I was never very keen on Lucille’s character. Don’t particularly like Nancy.

Agree with pp not as good a cast or stories.

Not sure what they will do about Cyril though and I really like his character arc.

So glad getting rid of Mr Woodentop.

And the Turners are just so boring! Give us a meaty storyline like an affair!

1. There are too many men
2. There is not enough Phyllis
3. Trixie's best love interest was the dentist - I want him back!
4. Matthew can get gone
5. Saint Turner needs to be less involved, less all knowing and bit more 'of the time'
6. I don't really care about any of the Turner kids

Alos, it's actually amazing there is only 11 years between the first series setting and this one (1957 - 1968).

I’ve been rewatching all the earlier series in order to fully enjoy the newer ones. It was ok…but I agree it’s had it’s day now

I would love to see earlier series of how midwives coped during the WWs. A young sister Monica Joan and sister Evangelina.

Photos in the Mail a while back made it pretty clear she’s been offering him overnight support. Maybe they just chatted about their heartbreak into the early hours? 😂

I’m not sure the character is leaving very permanently. The programme’s PR seems to be trying to row back on the idea that he’s leaving in any dramatic way.

I got a bit bored as more twee than normal . I was a bit confused how did the lady end up have 4 babies I didn't think fertility treatment was around until very late 70's early 80's as I remember seeing the 1st test tube baby being born in the early 80's I think

@sleepismyhobby I think it's fertility drugs to stimulate hyperovulation rather than anything like test tube or IVF.
That would lead to multiple births. They mentioned x rays at the hospital, if they had done an x Ray they would have known how many foetuses were gestating.

1st test tube baby was 1978

I'm afraid I've got to the point where I dislike so many of the characters I'm going to stop watching. The only one I really like now is Nurse Crane and I can't see her being in it much longer.

And yet we've been watching it for twelve years (started in Jan 2012, just Googled) and it only feels like twenty!

Definitely not a vintage Christmas special. Nancy and Collette are so saccharine, and why on earth was Collette allowed to sit in on so many adult conversations? Also, there is no way a convent in the 1960s would have offered them a bedsit on their premises. That is really applying modern day thinking to a different period. I presume Collette's nosebleeds are setting up a sad leukaemia story for the coming series?

Trixie, as Lady Aylward and with a small stepson would not be still working as a midwife in the East end of London. Again, applying modern thinking to a completely different time. And they would surely have a spare room to offer her brother.

Linda Bassett looked very frail and obviously wasn't available during the filming of the series. I hope it was something temporary as she would be a huge loss to the series.

Yes, Collette is the most saintly child ever.

@Doubleraspberry, ah I see, you could easily pull the wool over my eyes 😂.
I’ve watched about half of the special but can’t take any more for now. Don’t care about the Sister MJ storyline & agree with everyone else about Nancy & Collette moving in & I don’t know why but I can’t be bothered with them. Yes why on earth is Collette involved in those adult conversations? Agree that Phyllis looks & sounds frail. I hope she’s ok. The Turners are as annoying as ever!

What was the new drug that the quadruplet mother would have taken, Clomid?

I totally agree that Dr Turner has become a parody character. How can he manage to run the maternity home, his GP practice and still find time to go charging off through the snow after ambulances. And why did Sheila feel the need to call him when she realised the baby's heartbeat was irregular, surely as a trained midwife of many years she would know how to perform a forceps delivery herself.

And why did Sheila feel the need to call him when she realised the baby's heartbeat was irregular, surely as a trained midwife of many years she would know how to perform a forceps delivery herself.

because Patrick has to come in and save the day of course!😂

Fed up of Trixie and her husband.
Sister Monica Joan.
All of the turners.