Call the midwife part 2

[TwinklyFawn]

I know that my first thread isn't full yet. I just wanted to create the second thread before i forgot.

I found the three Jennifer Worth books in a charity shop last year. They were very good, but quite harrowing in places, much more so than a lot of the TV episodes. I was very shocked by the section which @killedanotherhouseplant quotes upthread - that was from the chapter dealing with the young Irish girl who has a baby called Kathleen that is taken away for adoption, in the first series, I think. Heartbreaking - it goes on to say about other girls who fell pregnant from the same brothel just "disappearing". The bits about the workhouse (especially Frank and Peggy - the brother and sister who lived and slept together) are grim.

There are quite a lot of differences between the book and the show, unsurprisingly. Fred in the book only has (I think) two teeth, which he sucks on. There's a single brief mention of Dr. Turner, no romance with Shelagh, Trixie is quite catty and Jenny catches Chummy in bed with "her Policeman" before they are married. The chapters about Jenny's friendship with the elderly man with the leg injury (played by Roy Hudd in the series) are sweet and very touching. Fascinating glimpses of a time and way of life that has disappeared. Definitely worth reading if you can get hold of them.

REP22 I read the books first before the TV series was made and loved them. I even recommended them to my daughter. Really interesting portrayal of that time - I think the books might have been - just after WWII when my parents were in their teens/20s.

Not necessarily for a c.section but almost all the risks involved in giving birth are much higher for a very young teenager, maybe I'm wrong but I think they would have wanted her in hospital with Drs on hand incase it all went wrong.

The hamster was ridiculous, they could have just had her with a favourite teddy if it was to hammer home the point of how young she was.

I'm sad the series is over, have to wait until Christmas now!

Didn't her baby come a bit early though?

I think something they need to do in the next series is to stop using Dr Turner as exposition. Too much of what goes on between him and Shelagh are them explaining something coming up and it's bad use of both actors/characters and because it's so often him "explaining" to Shelagh it becomes hugely mansplaining which is not the fault of the character, it's the writers. I can see him getting to the mother house to be of some comfort to the poor child because at least she knows him and it's good for those not in the know to be aware that pregnancy and birth in one as young as her is more dangerous but there are other ways of doing it and other people who can do some of the exposition.

I don't agree with the general consensus about Dr Turner because I was once so fond of his character, but he's ill-used by the writers and they need to give him and Shelagh stories that aren't pointless. At the moment they seem like punctuation marks, pushed in when needed and otherwise completely ignored. They often don't feel like real characters anymore. They don't even need big stories, they just need to written as though they're human and not government information films.

I should have realised that the episode on Sunday was the last in the series what with the two weddings (I preferred Sister Catherine's) but I didn't. I'm sort of glad I didn't because it stopped me from feeling sad afterwards. That said I then sat up watching the Oscars which made me wonder if there was any meaning to life at all and why was I so stupid. I'll miss it and look forward to the next Christmas special. Lots more Sister Catherine please!

Terrific actress

I liked that, among the trauma of the birth and then adoption of the Baby, there was the hamster funniness in between.

Millicent being seriously un-Millicent-like in Am I Being Unreasonable tonight. The word "cock block" was shouted. By her. While watching Magic Mike in a slinkly slip. Thankfully there was a cardigan. I'm totally here for this.

Goodness, that sounds quite discombobulating.

Just re watching the first series. It was so much better. Although I'm not a fan of Jessica Raine, she's too wooden.

Trixie was much nicer and not as shallow.

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/call-midwifes-trixie-franklin-gets-31106161

I'm afraid it's true. Not a fan.

That article contains words such as potential, could, may. It's not definite at all.

This is a bit more encouraging

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/call-the-midwife-season-15-release-date/

Re: the radio times article above…
If Olly Rix isn’t returning, they’d be better off recasting his character…it’s a nonsensical situation with Trixie jetting back and forth to NYC every month. So unrealistic.

I would also love a prequel set in The Blitz!

I'd also much rather have a Second World War spin-off, but I'd watch and probably enjoy a Trixie biopic.

Wait a few years and she'll no doubt be back and forth on Concorde. On her midwives salary.

This flat in Poplar is up for sale. Untouched since the 60s/70s. Looks like the sets are accurate.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/158381918

Good Lord! £650,000?!!!! I live in the NW, so that seems staggering to me.

I bet it will be worth a lot more once updated!

And to me. Unbelievable.

That's not a flat though.
It's a 3 bedroom, 3 floor house with a garden (and possibly being used a a 4 bedroom as the room labelled "dining room" is being used as a living room by the looks of things).
(but yes..... bloody expensive)

Oh, I wasn’t paying attention.

@TheDowagerCountessofPembroke I'd be tempted not to change some of that decor......😁

The layout of this property reminds me of the bizarre family home in Muffin the Wonder Dog.

Olly Rix aka Matthew is doing a Lot of promoting of casualty atm