S11.E00: Christmas Special

[sempervivum]

Air date: December 24, 2021 (UK), December 25, 2021 (North America)

It's December 1966, and good tidings are in the air. Following a long engagement, Lucille and Cyril are excited about their upcoming nuptials and can't wait to get married on Boxing Day. However, as the day approaches, nothing seems to run smoothly, and the wedding ceremony itself is put in jeopardy. While Nancy focuses on her final midwifery examinations, it is all hands on deck as the Nonnatus team prepare for what will inevitably be a busy Christmas. The maternity home is filled with expectant mums-to-be, each with their own challenging case

[JudyObscure]

Don't forget, it's tonight (Saturday,) not Sunday as I was expecting.

[Nialla]

23 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

Don't forget, it's tonight (Saturday,) not Sunday as I was expecting.

Thanks for the reminder. For some reason, my DVR didn't catch it.

[MissLucas]

Well, that was lovely as expected - even if it was a little busy. Some stories required a bit more breathing space than what they were given. The addiction storyline definitely needed more time to unfold. The Greek lady's plot was just there to add more hectic scenes in the maternity ward which was a shame as I quite liked her, the actress was great.

Things I loved:

• The show has not forgotten Barbara. Linda Bassett is a treasure and absolutely nailed all her emotional scenes.
• Sister Frances sure has come a long way, her calm and reassuring demeanor was great. Of course once she had said the words about never having had to attend to a breech birth it was clear where her plot was headed.
• Trixi's smashing Frozen à la Sixties outfit.
• The little bridesmaids *hanky alert*

Things that made me (gently) roll my eyes:

• Shelagh's breathless fussing over not having been able to care for Mei before she was in the UK. What's next: freaking out that she had not been there for Timothy when his mother had died?
• Sister Monica Joan coming up with the leech cure. I can deal with her having moments of clarity but St. Barts having leeches at the ready was a bit much. AFAIK Hirudotherapy was considered quack medicine for much of the 20th century and it only made a comeback in the 1970s in microsurgery.
• Mother Mildred showing up right on time when her knowledge about babies born with addiction was needed.

Things that made me laugh:

• Timothy's reaction to his first live forceps procedure.
• Doctor Turner's face when he realized that he had no chance of returning the hamper of ill-gotten gains.
• Sister Hilda defiantly adding her de-christmastized wedding cake to the procession of the Jamaican ladies.

And finally: Who would not sit down in awe and wonder when Miriam Margolyes is reading 'A Christmas Carol'??? I envied the whole cast and wonder if they asked her to read more than the scene required.

Edited December 26, 2021 by MissLucas

[bybrandy]

So A Christmas Carol has been my favorite Christmas tradition since I was in sixth grade and I read it on a plane an the narrator told me that Marley was dead as a doornail but he wasn't entirely sure what was so dead about a doornail and thought a coffin nail would be more apt.   And my absolute favorite bit of A Christmas Carol which I have read every year for 30 years now is the exchange between Scrooge and his nephew Fred.  Fred's speech gets cut out of a lot of productions and it always upset me because it is lovely.  And tonight (on what is a hard Christmas for me as it is the first without my mom)  Miriam Margolyes read Fred's speech to me!   It might have started the waterworks early for me.  And in a good way and not a heartbreaking way the way this show can so often do.

Love as always Tim Turner being put in awkward situations.  Hanging out with the mob and watching his first forceps birth.

I was so glad to see Sister Hilda bringing up the procession with her cake.  

And Reggie doing his all as best man.  The whole thing was lovely.   

And I'm sure next week it will be back to breaking my heart in not so good ways as is it is wont to do.
 

[SunnyBeBe]

So glad I ran across this tonight and came here to confirm it was a new one.  I liked it a lot.  Of course, I’ve missed the entire last season.  I hope to catch up before the new season starts in Jan.  

[EllaWycliffe]

I liked it.

I was hoping the mob guys were associated with the Krays but we can't have everything ;) I mean, heroin babies was a surprise to start with!

Tim and the rum and coke reminded me of the first time I took my parents out to dinner and casually ordered a rum and coke, making their eyes pop. 

Reggie was a lil overly sweet but its Christmas so ok, I might have had some allergies when he was excited about the snow. 

Is it just me or is Lucille's dad Trevor Noah?

1 minute ago, SunnyBeBe said:

So glad I ran across this tonight and came here to confirm it was a new one.  I liked it a lot.  Of course, I’ve missed the entire last season.

Let me sum it up Sunnybebe - some people had babies. It was the 1960s. And thats all that happened. :)

[SunnyBeBe]

Rum and Coke…..omg!  That takes me back.  Haven’t had one of those in a while.  Hmmmm…..lol

[j5cochran]

Loved it! Though I really got tickled when Dr. Turner started talking about going back in time. Stephen McGann's older brother Paul was the ninth Doctor Who, who is well known for timey-wimey sorts of travel!

[TVFAN]

Could Matthew and Trixie be any cuter?  Her wish is clearly his command.

[LittleIggy]

I thought of the Krays, too, when Doc Turner and Timothy met the mobsters. I also thought of Monty Python’s Piranha Brothers sketch.  😆

That tiny drug addicted baby’s crying was heartbreaking. Where did they find such a little baby? I hope she got extra cuddles on set.

The Nativity play was funny.

Will Lucille still be midwifing?

[caitmcg]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

Will Lucille still be midwifing?

I assume yes, since they haven’t said otherwise. Chummy continued on after marrying, and even went back part time at some point after having her son, as I recall.

[Daff]

Absolutely the best holiday gift every year! It always lives up to the anticipation. Except when your DVR cuts out before the end (Matthew had just pulled up to NH, and Trixie appeared in lovely blue). Good thing it’s airing again today, set to re-record with time modifications!

[purist]

Fantastic Christmas special! I started weeping when Mother Mildred revealed that May had been born drug-addicted, cried more when Phyllis opened the box containing her pearls and read Lucille's kind note, and was really moved by the five young bridesmaids and pageboys whose births Lucille had attended. Mother Mildred reading A Christmas Carol to the children as the rest of the cast crept in to listen was just fantastic. Miriam Margolyes has had a long association with Charles Dickens' work, including an award-winning solo show called Dickens' Women. I love that the show capitalised on this with the reading-aloud scene.

The Covid-safe procedures were sadly obvious in some scenes, such as the spacing of the audience watching the nativity play at the beginning and the choir at the wedding, and Lucille and Cyril standing well apart while they said their vows. I'll be so damn glad when this pandemic is over.

ETA: That older woman who had four sons under 10 years old was so rude! I loved drunk Sister Hilda.

Edited December 26, 2021 by purist

[libgirl2]

10 hours ago, j5cochran said:

Loved it! Though I really got tickled when Dr. Turner started talking about going back in time. Stephen McGann's older brother Paul was the ninth Doctor Who, who is well known for timey-wimey sorts of travel!

My first thought was call your brother and have him bring his TARDIS! 

10 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

 

I was hoping the mob guys were associated with the Krays but we can't have everything ;) I mean, heroin babies was a surprise to start with!

 

I forgot about the Krays until after it was over. 

13 hours ago, bybrandy said:

Love as always Tim Turner being put in awkward situations.  Hanging out with the mob and watching his first forceps birth.

I was so glad to see Sister Hilda bringing up the procession with her cake.  
 

You only had to see his eyes going wide! 

Sister Hilda was a lot of fun this episode, from spiking the punch a bit too much (and being hungover), to her cake, which she still served! 

[jpgr]

On 12/25/2021 at 4:21 PM, MissLucas said:

Things I loved:

• The show has not forgotten Barbara. Linda Bassett is a treasure and absolutely nailed all her emotional scenes.

This had me absolutely sobbing. I loved Barbara as a character, and the Phyllis/Barbara relationship. My first thought at hearing that Cyril/Lucille's wedding would be the Christmas special was that the last midwife wedding in the snow was Barbara and Tom. I loved everything from Phyllis's reaction to seeing the dress hanging on the hook, to reading Lucille's lovely note, and seeing Phyllis gently kiss the pearls during the ceremony.

Edited December 27, 2021 by jpgr
words

[sempervivum]

4 hours ago, purist said:

Miriam Margolyes has had a long association with Charles Dickens' work, including an award-winning solo show called Dickens' Women.

Just watched Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988), where MM appears as Queen Victoria 😄

Whoever did the stage setting did a pretty good job with the fake snow except for that atrocious snowman.

16 hours ago, MissLucas said:

AFAIK Hirudotherapy was considered quack medicine for much of the 20th century and it only made a comeback in the 1970s in microsurgery.

Don't know about Britain, but according to the internet, the FDA only approved leeches for limited hospital use in 2004!

[MissLucas]

1 minute ago, sempervivum said:

Whoever did the stage setting did a pretty good job with the fake snow except for that atrocious snowman.

LOL! Agreed, that was distracting!

[Nialla]

5 hours ago, Daff said:

Absolutely the best holiday gift every year! It always lives up to the anticipation. Except when your DVR cuts out before the end (Matthew had just pulled up to NH, and Trixie appeared in lovely blue). Good thing it’s airing again today, set to re-record with time modifications!

My DVR didn't automatically catch it, so I had to set another timer for it. Then it cut off the last half-hour. Though I think it may have been an issue with the programming guide, which showed it was a one-hour episode. Thankfully, it was already streaming in the PBS app by the time I got to the abrupt end.

I don't know how they manage it, but this show always manages to give me a good cry, and I'm not generally someone who cries over TV shows.

A small thing that I've been enjoying is seeing Timothy growing up and planning to follow in his father's footsteps. So it was nice to see him going out on a call with his dad. I really thought we might get to see him actively helping with the rush of patients. Imagine going back to med school and boasting that during his holiday break, he delivered two babies, helped a drug addicted mother and baby, etc. His fellow students wouldn't be able to tell if he was a braggart or a liar.

[kwnyc]

You've caught so many of the great moments! (Also: Nurse Crane crawling on her knees to deliver the Christmas Star to May in the Nativity Pageant. And coconuts to signify horseback!)

And I would totally watch "The Adventures of Tim Turner"  show.

(Also, nice factoid that Sister Hilda used to be in the Air Force!) She's quietly one of the best actors on the show.

I love Cyril and Lucille's loooooong engagement and romance and now wedding so much: they are truly suited to each other, and should have a wonderful marriage. The show better not kill one of them off!

Oh, and HOW thoughtful of Trixie to order up a gorgeous Jaguar to both comfort a grieving widower AND give her bestie a lift to the church?

[LittleIggy]

18 hours ago, bybrandy said:

So A Christmas Carol has been my favorite Christmas tradition since I was in sixth grade and I read it on a plane an the narrator told me that Marley was dead as a doornail but he wasn't entirely sure what was so dead about a doornail and thought a coffin nail would be more apt.   And my absolute favorite bit of A Christmas Carol which I have read every year for 30 years now is the exchange between Scrooge and his nephew Fred.  Fred's speech gets cut out of a lot of productions and it always upset me because it is lovely.  And tonight (on what is a hard Christmas for me as it is the first without my mom)  
 

It’s in my favorite film version of A Christmas Carol, the one with George C. Scott as Scrooge. I hadn’t seen it in a few years, found it on Tubi, and, as usual, cried at the “future” scene in which Tiny Tim had died.

[txhorns79]

9 hours ago, jpgr said:

I loved everything from Phyllis's reaction to seeing the dress hanging on the hook, to reading Lucille's lovely note, and seeing Phyllis gently kiss the pearls during the ceremony.

It was just beautiful.  And I loved Phyllis' gift to Lucille with her attendants being children she had helped to birth. 

Also, did no one have time to comb Violet's hair?  In a few different scenes, it looked like a giant mess.

[BooksRule]

14 hours ago, Daff said:

Absolutely the best holiday gift every year! It always lives up to the anticipation. Except when your DVR cuts out before the end (Matthew had just pulled up to NH, and Trixie appeared in lovely blue). Good thing it’s airing again today, set to re-record with time modifications!

Yes!  I left ample time at the end (or so I thought), but my DVR cut out just as the newly-married couple was walking down the steps of the church.  I was glad to find that another station (although not one I receive in HD) is airing it later tonight.  So, I'll catch the last few minutes then.

But I loved all that I saw. 

 

[Blackie]

Nice special and no main characters died so that was nice.

I lost it when Phyllis started talking about Barbara. Also I liked that Phyllis doesn't necessarily believe in God but she is the first on to jump and start dancing to the choir in the church.

It thought the Dr was going to Lance Lucille's eye, isn't that what they do to boxers?

Of course Trixie's outfit was fantastic. Violet's hat was something else but I guess they needed that to cover her wild hair,

Since we are all so submersed in mask wearing and "aerosol" theory lately, I can't figure out why they are wearing a mask while delivery the baby and then the take it off as soon as the baby is born and when they are holding the baby.

Also the little flowergirls were cute but did Phyllis say the moms sewed their dresses??  With 2 days notice, one of those days being Christmas???

As usual too many short scenes and bad editing and who knows what we missed on PBS but overall a good Christmas special.

[caitmcg]

3 hours ago, Blackie said:

As usual too many short scenes and bad editing and who knows what we missed on PBS but overall a good Christmas special.

As far as I know, the Christmas specials are the one exception to the &@$#% editing for PBS. I think we get them intact. 

[Daff]

8 hours ago, Blackie said:

It thought the Dr was going to Lance Lucille's eye, isn't that what they do to boxers?

That would be one way to drain the hematoma, but boxers wear the resulting scars as a badge of honor (and can’t wait for other means, as they have to get back in the fight). Poor Lucille needed neither. 

[Daff]

10 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

Also, did no one have time to comb Violet's hair?  In a few different scenes, it looked like a giant mess.

1966: middle aged and older women sported really BIG hair, the bigger, the better (no matter how it was achieved). I had an aunt who had a hairpiece that, when added atop her own upswept blonde hair, topped the “do” out at about a foot (12”)! And she was already a big woman, nearly 6’ tall! Never teetered, never a lock out of place (think-coneheads). 

[Mermaid Under]

Quote

The maternity home is filled with expectant mums-to-be, each with their own challenging case

I liked it, and everyone else has mentioned the reasons why, so I will ask two questions that might only matter to me

• Why did all the expectant mothers get dumped on Nonnatus?  There was the initial call about 20 new mothers, but I didn't catch any reason why (other than to make a story)
• I noticed that the Greek mother was bleeding out, and Dr. Turner mentioned blood transfusions for both the mother and baby, but again I missed the reason why.  Was it thalassemia, and was that why they made such a point of her Greek name?

 

Edited December 27, 2021 by Mermaid Under

[dubbel zout]

7 hours ago, caitmcg said:

As far as I know, the Christmas specials are the one exception to the &@$#% editing for PBS. I think we get them intact. 

That's interesting. Do you know why that is? I don't understand why PBS cuts in the first place (well, I do, so they can play those Viking Cruises ads six times).

[Jodithgrace]

I am so annoyed and disappointed. I wasn't home until late Christmas night, and sat down to watch my DVR recording. The first 15 minutes of my recording was the end credits of Downton Abby, and then my DVR cut out right when they revealed the little bridesmaids in red, so no wedding at all! I saw that there would be two later showings, so I recorded them both, only to discover next morning that they were from seasons 8 and 9, and I couldn't find a replay of this one on any of my PBS stations. 

Did they use an actual crack baby? The baby was so skinny and had such an awful cry, it looked all too authentic. Heartrending. My daughter's best friend is raising her own sister's baby who was born addicted. At almost two, she still has some issues, not to mention being the subject of an ugly custody fight. 

[Pallida]

My episode recording was also cutoff due to random stuff at the beginning of the recording, but I was able to watch the last bit online through the OPB (Oregon’s version of PBS - not sure why it’s different) website. 

[Spunkygal]

16 minutes ago, Jodithgrace said:

I am so annoyed and disappointed. I wasn't home until late Christmas night, and sat down to watch my DVR recording. The first 15 minutes of my recording was the end credits of Downton Abby, and then my DVR cut out right when they revealed the little bridesmaids in red, so no wedding at all! I saw that there would be two later showings, so I recorded them both, only to discover next morning that they were from seasons 8 and 9, and I couldn't find a replay of this one on any of my PBS stations. 

Did they use an actual crack baby? The baby was so skinny and had such an awful cry, it looked all too authentic. Heartrending. My daughter's best friend is raising her own sister's baby who was born addicted. At almost two, she still has some issues, not to mention being the subject of an ugly custody fight. 

Private message me if you haven’t found the entire episode and I will send you a link. My DVR cut off 30 minutes before the end but I went to my reliable source for British shows and they had the entire episode. 

[Rootbeer]

12 hours ago, Blackie said:

 

Since we are all so submersed in mask wearing and "aerosol" theory lately, I can't figure out why they are wearing a mask while delivery the baby and then the take it off as soon as the baby is born and when they are holding the baby.

 

They are wearing masks at the delivery to prevent infecting the mother's reproductive tract, not to protect the baby.  Same reason why surgeons wear masks in the OR to prevent contamination of the surgical wound.  That's why they take it off when the delivery is over, all the sutures have been placed and the area is no longer exposed.

55 minutes ago, Jodithgrace said:

 

Did they use an actual crack baby? The baby was so skinny and had such an awful cry, it looked all too authentic. Heartrending. My daughter's best friend is raising her own sister's baby who was born addicted. At almost two, she still has some issues, not to mention being the subject of an ugly custody fight. 

I think they found a baby that was slightly premature, maybe 35-36 weeks and I expect the cry was enhanced electronically.  Also, crack babies are due to maternal cocaine abuse, this baby was born to an opiate abuser.  Different type of drug.  Withdrawing these babies sometimes takes weeks and even months.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Rootbeer

[Blackie]

1 hour ago, Mermaid Under said:

I noticed that the Greek mother was bleeding out, and Dr. Turner mentioned blood transfusions for both the mother and baby, but again I missed the reason why.  Was it thalassemia, and was that why they made such a point of her Greek name?

 

I think they said it was a placental abruption so severe blood loss to mother, that is why she needed blood transfusion. Maybe baby had some deprivation as well since no longer attached to mothers blood supply. Or maybe for caution they gave blood transfusion to baby . I think they more freely topped people up with blood transfusions back then because were not aware of the dangers (transmitting viruses such as Hep C and HIV).

[DonnaMae]

Who was Barbara?  I don't remember the character.  Was she one of the midwives?  Did she die?

[dargosmydaddy]

3 minutes ago, DonnaMae said:

Who was Barbara?  I don't remember the character.  Was she one of the midwives?  Did she die?

Barbara was the young, dark haired midwife who died a few seasons ago. She was married to the reverend (curate?), Mr. Herewood. They got married in one of the previous Christmas specials, and had a carousel at their wedding.

1 hour ago, Jodithgrace said:

I am so annoyed and disappointed. I wasn't home until late Christmas night, and sat down to watch my DVR recording. The first 15 minutes of my recording was the end credits of Downton Abby, and then my DVR cut out right when they revealed the little bridesmaids in red, so no wedding at all! I saw that there would be two later showings, so I recorded them both, only to discover next morning that they were from seasons 8 and 9, and I couldn't find a replay of this one on any of my PBS stations. 

 

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

Private message me if you haven’t found the entire episode and I will send you a link. My DVR cut off 30 minutes before the end but I went to my reliable source for British shows and they had the entire episode. 

The whole thing is on the PBS website: https://www.pbs.org/video/Call-the-midwife-season-11-holiday-special-2021/

[Rootbeer]

2 hours ago, Mermaid Under said:

I liked it, and everyone else has mentioned the reasons why, so I will ask two questions that might only matter to me

• Why did all the expectant mothers get dumped on Nonnatus?  There was the initial call about 20 new mothers, but I didn't catch any reason why (other than to make a story)
• I noticed that the Greek mother was bleeding out, and Dr. Turner mentioned blood transfusions for both the mother and baby, but again I missed the reason why.  Was it thalassemia, and was that why they made such a point of her Greek name?

 

Nonnatus House got a bunch of late transfers because the hospital was booked full and there were not enough beds for the number of women scheduled to give birth there .  In the 60's, childbirth in England changed a lot.  Prior to that time, virtually all kids were born at home or in 'maternity homes' like Nonnatus which is somewhat comparable to the freestanding birthing centers we see in some parts of the US today.  Through the 60's, there was a transition from non-hospital births to mostly hospital births and we're seeing that on the show.  It's gotten to the point where the trend towards delivering in the hospital has overwhelmed the available hospital space and so some women who wanted to deliver in the hospital were transferred to lower risk practitioners and facilities.  I believe they also said there was a shortage of caregivers at the hospital at that time for various reasons. Remember Britain has the NHS, all of these women are insured via their taxes and don't have much autonomy to choose where they have their babies.

The Greek mother suffered a placental abruption which occurs when the placenta starts to separate from the uterine wall prior to delivery which caused her to hemorrhage and become anemic and need a transfusion.  On rare occasions, the baby can also lose some of its blood volume via an abruption which is apparently what happened to this baby and why it also needed transfused.

[Rootbeer]

18 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Barbara was the young, dark haired midwife who died a few seasons ago. She was married to the reverend (curate?), Mr. Herewood. They got married in one of the previous Christmas specials, and had a carousel at their wedding.

 

The whole thing is on the PBS website: https://www.pbs.org/video/Call-the-midwife-season-11-holiday-special-2021/

Barbara was the one who was the daughter of missionaries and had a lovely friendship with Phyllis.  Her wedding was gorgeous, she wore a fur trimmed cape and looked like Snow White in a fairy tale as Phyllis alluded to.  It was a very snowy winter and her soon-to-be husband arranged for a carousel to be set up outside the church/Nonnatus as a surprise for her.

Barbara ended up dying from meningitis in a really, really sad episode with lovely performances from the actor who played her husband and from Phyllis.  Phyllis the agnostic, reads from the 22nd Psalm as Barbara is dying as her husband is too grief stricken to continue.  And most of the audience needed grief therapy after watching it.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Rootbeer

[AZChristian]

38 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

Barbara was the one who was the daughter of missionaries and had a lovely friendship with Phyllis.  Her wedding was gorgeous, she wore a fur trimmed cape and looked like Snow White in a fairy tale as Phyllis alluded to.  It was a very snowy winter and her soon-to-be husband arranged for a carousel to be set up outside the church/Nonnatus as a surprise for her.

So, so magical.

[DonnaMae]

I know I've watched every episode of this series, yet I don't remember Barbara's death.  Thank you both for the information.

 

[LittleIggy]

I still don’t know why they killed off Barbara. Tom could have been transferred to another parish if the actress playing her was leaving. 

[Rootbeer]

10 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

I still don’t know why they killed off Barbara. Tom could have been transferred to another parish if the actress playing her was leaving. 

Yes, they could've even had Tom and Barbara become missionaries like Barbara's parents.  I don't think the actor playing Tom wanted to leave, but they ended up writing him out the next season anyway.  As most of us know, the actor who played Tom, Jack Ashton, had a baby with Helen George (Trixie) and he seemingly cut back on acting roles to care for the child as Helen worked on CTM.

[AZChristian]

Just now, Rootbeer said:

Yes, they could've even had Tom and Barbara become missionaries like Barbara's parents.  I don't think the actor playing Tom wanted to leave, but they ended up writing him out the next season anyway.  As most of us know, the actor who played Tom, Jack Ashton, had a baby with Helen George (Trixie) and he seemingly cut back on acting roles to care for the child as Helen worked on CTM.

They have two children now!

[bybrandy]

1 hour ago, Rootbeer said:

And most of the audience needed grief therapy after watching it.

This!  That was one where I was like this show is too painful.  Why do I keep watching it?

[EllaWycliffe]

44 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

I don't think the actor playing Tom wanted to leave, but they ended up writing him out the next season anyway.  As most of us know, the actor who played Tom, Jack Ashton, had a baby with Helen George (Trixie) and he seemingly cut back on acting roles to care for the child as Helen worked on CTM.

I don't recall if the actress playing Barbara chose to leave. I think though, that there is just so far the plot can go with Tom the widowed pastor hanging around with no one to hook up with. (Trixie the ex, and the awkward in real life mother of his child, Valeria at the time who was much older comparatively speaking - for someone who was a war veteran she looked very young, Phyllis, way too old, and Lucille, too young and too prim for an inter racial thing with a pastor) As it is, we already have an endless plot of "when will Trixie and Rich Guy figure it out" and the endless Lucille/Cyril mating. We probably didn't need an extra guy moping around, reminding us that Barbara died in a hideous tragedy.

[Good Queen Jane]

According to this, the actress playing Barbara wanted to leave and TPTB wanted to give her a dramatic and irreversible farewell.

[marceline]

4 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

That's interesting. Do you know why that is? 

I suspect it's because the episode airs on Christmas Day both here and in the UK so there's no time to edit the U.S. version.

[Blackie]

23 minutes ago, Good Queen Jane said:

According to this, the actress playing Barbara wanted to leave and TPTB wanted to give her a dramatic and irreversible farewell.

 

She is on the British show Ghosts and is great on that show. There is a new American remake of this show which isn't near as good as the British version. Canadians can watch the British version on GEM

 

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

They have two children now!

 

Wren and Lark   !!  So cute I love those names.

[Kristi800]

On 12/26/2021 at 11:54 AM, sempervivum said:

Just watched Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988), where MM appears as Queen Victoria 😄

 

Wow, I must find that!! 

I thought it kind of a strange conversation between Lucille & Phyllis about bridesmaids. "They're usually someone special - like a sister - beat, (basically) none of you is like a sister, but here are the pearls I took out of your drawer to remind you of a dear friend you lost...but you still won't be a bridesmaid..."

It was nice to remember Barbara, I had forgotten about the pearls. I haven't wanted to cry so much to rewatch that. 

Loved the Hen/Stag party scenes! Drunk midwives (except Trixie) but no one had a hangover the next day, just the black eye. I thought they would lance it, too, but then remembered leeches and had to turn away even though they didn't really show much. Apparently, leeches have been used recently for skincare. The doctors from Botched tried them and didn't find any great changes from using them.

Dr. Turner & Tim going on the house call and Dr. Turner keeping Tim from falling into "sin". Then the monstrous gift basket with the rum of said punch. Even Miss Higgins getting into the spirit(s)! 

 Tim's face during the forceps births and relief afterward. I wonder if he'll decide on a specialty or get more of a general doctor like his dad.

Yeah, Sheilagh is a bit over the top with her concern, but she was a nun so I understand her inherent empathy. 

Awww, Reggie & Cyril being buds. 

[Beezella]

6 minutes ago, Kristi800 said:

Loved the Hen/Stag party scenes! Drunk midwives (except Trixie) but no one had a hangover the next day, just the black eye.

Oh, but I think they did! Did you see Sister Hilda surreptitiously sneaking an aspirin for herself after offering one to Lucille but only after Sister Julienne gave her a questioning look about the aspirin?