Call the midwife

[TwinklyFawn]

The call the midwife christmas special is on bbc 1 in 2 parts. The first part will be shown on christmas day at 20:00. The second part will be shown at 19:30 on boxing day. Series 14 will start on 5th January. I am suprised that it has not been renamed as the doctor Turner show.

Do you think that quite unknown to us, Cyril has been getting quietly divorced from Lucille, on what grounds I'm not sure back then, so that he can freely start a new romance, or will there have to be three episodes of angst about it? Sorry if that's already been asked. I haven't read all through.

Definitely episodes of angst. Her disappearance seemed do out of character- they were really happy, she had a miscarriage and some nasty racism, and that was it - gone. We should at least have seen him receiving letters and talking about her with the other midwives (at first at least), and I'm sure she would have come back to see him and say goodbye at least.

Cyril has been getting letters from Lucille, but not very many. He got one in the Christmas special.

There have been a fair few characters that have disappeared hastily, not only Lucille but also Val and the nuns Sister Frances and the one played by Fenella Woolgar. Actors seem to either stay forever and have been around since series one or they come and go with great regularity!

I do wonder if there is a lot of internal politics on the show... some have gone with no explanation at all between series and others have been known to have their contract terminated with very short notice - such as Ollie Rix. And now look at the ridiculous storyline that has been left Trixie with!
There are very few examples when characters have had a proper 'ending' such as Pam Ferris or Charlotte Richie - and both of those I thought were done very well... which makes it all the more ridiculous when characters leave with a single line explanation!

I bet that we would get a full series about it. Most of the episodes would be filled with annoying music

The Trixie storyline is absurd. Surely they could have had her husband as an off-screen character if they wanted to keep her in CTM? Like they did with Chummy when her husband the policeman stayed on. Flying to and from New York would be absurd in this day and age with multiple flights going each day, never mind in 1970!

Chummy left too. Apparently she was meant to come back in series 5 but she pulled out at the last minute.

To be fair, having just read Miranda Hart's book it becomes clear that ill health probably pulled her off CTM with little notice.

Lucile's departure was the worst. So so out of character.

They either had to kill her off or leave with Cyril

I haven't read her book.

She's been suffering from undiagnosed Lyme's disease for decades - resulting in poor health flair ups without warning that leave her physically unable to do anything. Each flair up getting worse and worse until she found herself housebound for years.

I did find myself wondering the other day whether there were any transatlantic plane crashes in 1970 as a convenient way to leave Trixie back in Poplar and unshackled from her boorish twit of a husband. Dr Turner could be a fellow passenger and survive but heartbreakingly be unable to save whatshisface and little Jonty. Then he can sadly and earnestly break the news while Mrs Turner busies herself making cups of tea.

After all the train crash was based on a real event wasn't it?,

Hadn't heard of Miranda Hart's health issues, sounds very difficult.

I really feel for Miranda Hart but I'm so glad that her life seems to be on the up now so that's really lovely.

Charlotte Richie's - Nurse Barbara's - death made me ugly cry. It was so nice to have her alive and kicking in Ghosts, unlike the majority of the other characters!

I'm quite pissed off with the Lucile and Cyril storyline. Clearly the actor playing Lucile wanted to leave and fairplay to her but to have her just buggering off home without a by your leave, writing him very dull letters ... that's not who her character was and by keeping her alive and well it means that Cyril's happiness is unlikely and I like him, I want him to be happy. They need to find a way of sorting that out because it's going to be hard enough for him and Nurse Rosalind to have any sort of relationship in racist east London without it being all "But we can't, you're married, but I love you, but oh no!" it's adding drama to drama and they need to sort it out.

I think desertion was grounds wasn't it? It really is unbelievable that either she hasn't come back to the UK or he hasn't returned to the Carribbean to be with her. I think they need to write him out or recast Lucille.

Didn't Ollie Rix like something on social media which alluded to there being dirty dealings/ bad feelings behind the scenes?

Yes! Recast Lucille and have her come back as things are getting hot between Cyril and Rosalind.

I am certain that there are politics behind the scenes and Trixie is at the heart of them. It’s why Barbara got killed off as she was getting hot with Trixie’s real life BF…

I had not heard that Miranda Heart was ill either. I haven't got her book as i already have too many books that i haven't read yet. I just want Cyril to be happy.

The whole Lucille and Cyril relationship is just so out of kilter for the times and the characters Christian ethos. They need to recast or kill off Lucille if Cyril is to remain.

Perhaps they thought that they could persuade the Lucille actor to come back.

They easily could have killed get off in the train crash. She left five minutes later

This is why I think there must be a lot of politics behind the scenes... they haven't used opportunities to lose characters which were open to them - only for them to disappear 5 mins later!

I do wonder about the politics of Dr T being married to the writer. A series about midwives & women really shouldn't centre a male GP.

Exactly. It might as well be called the doctor turner show or how doctor turner saved the day.

I also wonder how sister Mary Synthia is doing. I remember her going to northfields in Birmingham. I know that she got married in the books. It just annoys me that she hasn't been mentioned since series 6.

I always wonder if his foxy brother might turn up