Rebecca Gethings as Sister Veronica, Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne, Fenella Woolgar as Sister Hilda (Image: BBC)
Call the Midwife is returning ahead of series 15 with a two-part Christmas special. For the second year in a row, the much-loved BBC drama’s festive episode is being split into two hour-long parts, airing on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
As usual, the special will take viewers back to Poplar, where the residents are preparing for Christmas, but, this year’s festive episode will also see the cast members head to Hong Kong, where Violet and Fred, played by Cliff Parisi and Annabelle Apsion, visit her son.
However, Violet and Fred are swiftly joined by a team from Nonnatus, who make emergency plans to head out to Hong Kong after a large building collapses in a landslide, and there appears to be casualties.
Talking about what takes the residents of Nonnatus House to Hong Kong Jenny Agutter, who plays Sister Julienne, said: “We’ve heard about the mission being there, but we’ve not seen it and of course, that’s where [the Turners’ adopted daughter] May comes from. We discover the ground underneath the mission has made it collapse so they get a small party together to go out to Hong Kong to see what they can do to help, try and find new premises and take care of things.” Here’s everything you need to know about the Call the Midwife Christmas Special.
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Call the Midwife Christmas Special release date
Helen George is Trixie (Image: BBC)
The Call the Midwife Christmas Special has two parts for 2025. The first episode will air on Christmas Day at 8:15pm, while the second will come 24 hours later on Boxing Day, at the slightly later time of 8:30pm.
Call the Midwife Christmas Special plot
Cliff Parisi plays Fred Buckle (Image: BBC)
A synopsis for the Christmas episodes, reads: “This year’s festive trip to Poplar sees Call the Midwife celebrate Christmas with two episodes.
“The residents of Poplar are preparing for Christmas while Fred (Cliff Parisi) and Violet (Annabelle Apsion) get ready to fly to Hong Kong to visit her son. On arrival and carrying parcels for the sisters, they head to the Hong Kong Branch House but immediately spot that a large building has collapsed in a landslide and it appears there are casualties.
“Back home, Sister Hilda (Fenella Woolgar) confirms the news and a rescue mission is hastily organised. A team from Nonnatus make emergency plans to head out to Hong Kong.”
Call the Midwife Christmas Special cast
Geoffrey Franklin played by Christopher Harper, Trixie Franklin played by Helen George, Mr Fischer played by Henry Goodman (Image: BBC)
The below cast members have been confirmed as returning, including Trixie’s brother Geoffrey Franklin, played by Christopher Harper. And a string of guest stars are also set to appear, including The Regime’s Henry Goodman, who plays Mr Fischer.
Jenny Agutter (Sister Julienne)
Molly Vevers (Sister Catherine)
Rebecca Gethings (Sister Veronica)
Linda Bassett (Nurse Phyllis Crane)
Helen George (Trixie Aylward)
Natalie Quarry (Rosalind Clifford)
Renee Bailey (Joyce Highland)
Annabelle Apsion (Violet Buckle)
Cliff Parisi (Fred Buckle)
Zephryn Taitte (Cyril Robinson)
Christopher Harper (Geoffrey Franklin)
Stephen McGann (Dr Patrick Turner)
Laura Main (Shelagh Turner)
Call the Midwife Christmas Special filming locations
Sister Catherine (Molly Vevers), Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) (Image: BBC)
Whilst the show is set in the East End of London, many of the outside scenes from the BBC series are actually filmed at The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent, which double as Poplar.
However, much of the filming for the Christmas Special took place in Hong Kong. Speaking about filming there, Rebecca Gethings, who plays Sister Veronica, said: “Oh, my goodness, Hong Kong was amazing. What a privilege to be able to go to the other side of the world. We were filming in extreme temperatures, and we had a typhoon while we were there, and we were all locked in the hotel and watched the trees bending and the sea squalling. It was amazing. But the heat! The first day I was drenched in sweat. But you do acclimatise.”
The cast also filmed on a ferry, with Cliff Parisi, who plays Fred Buckle, explaining: “Filming on the ferry was fun. It was a big old boat, and we had to keep moving it backwards and forwards, because obviously we needed to keep the same background. So, we’d pull out, we’d do a shot, something would obviously go wrong – because it always does – and you then have to reverse it back again. So, we never did the actual crossing, which I really wanted to do. It reminded me of going on the tour boats in London, which I love.”