What's Coming Up With The Midwives And Friends

[maraleia]

Chat about everything spoilery here including upcoming storyline stuff.

[Beldasnoop]

Thanks for the spoiler thread!

 

I don't intend to post actual detailed spoilers, but rather hints and teasers because I don't want to give too much away. Still, it's easier to talk about some things if I can mention their impact on future stories, etc.

 

For instance, the edits.  I had previously mentioned that PBS tends to like cutting Turner scenes, and that was more true in seasons 2 and 3, but having watched the first four episodes I think the worst victim of the edits this season so far is actually Trixie.  The edited version is cutting out a lot of scenes involving her drinking, which is a very important part of her story this season. There was a fairly important cut Turner scene (the bedroom scene in episode 1) that relates a lot to where Shelagh's story is going this series, as well as a scene between them in episode 3 that had a lot of relevance to that episode's plot, but I think Trixie's story is one where, after the final episode airs, people who only saw the edited version will most likely be asking "now where did THAT come from?"  It really makes me wonder if the editors actually watch the whole season before editing individual episodes.

 

Another thing I'd like to add is that the next two episodes airing, episodes 5 and 6, are my favorite episodes this season. I think they are wonderful examples of the best of what this show is about. There's great use of regular characters, story development, integration of the stories of the week into the stories of the regular characters, and a lot of the atmospheric elements that I love on this show, including excellent use of the show's original music. I don't expect everyone who reads this to agree with me, but I am looking forward to seeing what people think about these episodes.

 

Also, I wanted to mention the comments I deleted from my post in the episode thread that led to my asking for a spoiler thread. Those were regarding Shelagh's story this season in relation to her nursing/midwifery skills and what she's going to do with them. Basically, all I said  was that those questions are going to be answered (but I didn't say how). I also had spoiler-tagged a comment mentioning that there's going to be a fairly major development in regard to that story in the next episode.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Beldasnoop

[politichick]

What did they cut out regarding Trixie? i was surprised when suddenly she had a "drinking problem."

[Beldasnoop]

That's the issue I was expecting. The drinking problem story was accused of being to abrupt when the show aired in the UK, but I didn't think so. In the US edited version, though, I can easily see that criticism. Basically, what they've cut regarding Trixie is a lot of scenes that directly deal with her drinking, such as one in episode 3 where she and Nurse Crane are quarantined together (because of the dysentery outbreak), and Nurse Crane calls out Trixie's drinking and mentions an alcoholic relative she had. Trixie just gets defensive.  There are other scenes, too, such as Barbara coming back to Trixie's room after delivering the Robbins baby in episode 4 and finding Sister Julienne there, telling Barbara that she didn't help the problem by hiding it.  There are other scenes, too.  Lots of little clues here and there that Trixie's drinking is getting out of control.  In the edited version, it's going to look a lot less plausible, especially considering where her story goes in episode 8.

[Penman61]

On the question of which versions are edited/unedited:
 

• The Netflix version of the show appears to be the edited version
• The disc version (Blu-ray) appears to be the UNedited version.
• I've only checked Season 1, but those episodes were @ 57-58 minutes, while the Netflix versions were all 52 minutes.
• I'll be getting Season 4 discs (Blu-ray) this week, and I'll report back on them then.  ETA: Yes, the Season 4 discs episodes (including the Christmas Special) are all longer than than the Netflix versions.  

 

Editorial:  I do find it more than annoying that Netflix versions were chopped.  Is there a one-stop-shop site that tells you which shows' versions are cut/uncut on which streaming services or discs?

Edited January 1, 2016 by Penman61

[Beldasnoop]

The DVDs are all unedited. I have all four seasons on DVD. The Netflix versions are edited, and what's more, they're edited even more than the PBS version. I know of at least one scene from season 4, episode 1 that was shown in the PBS version but is not on Netflix (it's the scene when young Gary Teeman first arrives at the clinic and talks to Shelagh). I don't really have the time/energy to examine all the episodes to see what else has been cut, but since they're all 52 minutes on Netflix and the PBS episodes were usually 53-54 minutes from what I can remember,I'm assuming they all have additional cuts. The DVDs are the best way to get the unedited show. 

[jaytee1812]

I think the uk iTunes are unedited given they all last 58 minutes.

You could also try the BBC Store for unedited versions at store.BBC.com

[Raingirlkm]

You could also try the BBC Store for unedited versions at store.BBC.com

 

But only if you live in the UK, otherwise you get "BBC Store.com is not available in the US and Canada."

[Beldasnoop]

As far as I understand, all streaming versions available for purchase in the US (iTunes, Amazon, Netflix, etc.) are edited. I can tell based on the posted running times per episode. Any episode less than 58 minutes is edited. Apparently, the only way to buy the unedited show in the US is on DVD. All four seasons are available on DVD and Blu-Ray in the US, and they're all unedited.

 

I have no idea why the streaming versions are edited. PBS edits the show to fit it into a time slot, but that's not necessary for streaming services. 

[dustylil]

I am now more than half way through Season 5 and am continuing to enjoy the series. However, I am somewhat taken aback at how increasingly front and centre Dr. Turner has become. For four seasons the focus was on the capable and caring nuns, midwives  and nurses of Nonnatus House and their interactions with Poplar and the wider world. Now we are having storylines of how Dr. Turner is trying to help identify and address  broader medical issues of the era such as the thalidomide tragedy and cigarette smoking as a cause of cancer.  That Stephen McGann - the actor who plays Dr. Turner - is married to the creator and screenwriter of Call the Midwife is I am sure purely coincidental.

 

Now if the show runners want to create a spinoff focussing on the physician and his efforts - perhaps based on  Mr.  McGann's recent book Dr. Turner's Casebook - that would be fine. Given the quality of the current series, I know I would be likely to watch. But I do wish there will be a return to the original theme. With the medical and social issues of the day being viewed and attended to from that perspective.

[MissLucas]

The thalidomide story is the main reason we got more focus on Doctor Turner. That's a story that needs to focus on him because he'll be a stand-in for all the doctors who prescribed thalidomide and then had to face the trauma of being 'responsible' for what had happened.

 

The show always tried to touch on broader social and medical issues than just stuff related to midwifery. And that means that occasionally Doctor Turner will be given a more prominent role like it happened when he campaigned for the van doing X-rays to stop the outbreak of tuberculosis in Poplar.

 

The lung cancer plot might be a way to deal with the audience's reaction to Doctor Turner's (and other characters) smoking habits. Steven McGann said in an interview that they had received many letters and that people - among them doctors - had approached him in person about that.

 

I really don't think there's a conspiracy to give him more screen-time just because of McGann's marriage - that wasn't a factor for the preceding four seasons and I don't see why that should all of a sudden change.

[DropTheSoap]

I would like to see more emphasis on the Nonnatans, also.

The drug was banned in the UK in 1961 (per Wikipedia), so the timing is about correct for this season.

As for smoking, they're a little late. The British Doctors' Study was published in 1956. It linked smoking to a number of serious diseases. (Again, per Wikipedia.)

I think if they addressed one of these issues this season, the focus on Turner wouldn't seem so overwhelming.

[dustylil]

The show always tried to touch on broader social and medical issues than just stuff related to midwifery

 

Yes,  I know that. That is why I mentioned it in my post. But generally speaking, those issues - poverty, birth control, the National Health, abortion, hunger, racial and ethnic prejudice, prostitution - have involved the actions and touched upon the feelings of the women of Nonnatus House. Sadly, Dr. Turner  was directly involved in what was soon to become the dreadful thalidomide tragedy so of course it made sense that he would have a significant and ongoing part in that storyline.

 

But why should it be his son (who I happily admit is one of my favourite minor characters) who began to  make him see the likely connection of smoking and lung cancer? Storywise, it could just as easily  have come from a nurse or a midwife who  had  noticed a correlation in patients and their families through her own work. And brought her observations to  Dr. Turner for both his  sympathetic ear and his expert medical knowledge.

 

I guess my cynical self was left wondering if this unusual, well written, female-centric series was going to devolve into another medical show where the selfless physician serves and tries to save his little corner of the world. The most recent episode kind of reminded me  of some of the doctor shows of that era - like Ben Casey and Dr. Finlay's Casebook ;)

[MissLucas]

I liked Timothy's plot to make his parents stop smoking. They showed him reading Freud earlier in the episode and I wondered what that was about - neat and not OOC since he's been shown to read the 'Lancet' before. Obviously he hasn't changed his mind about studying medicine.

 

I love the show for all the strong female characters it presents but I'm glad we got a male presence (beyond Fred and his bumbling ways and curate-love-interest) to keep things a bit in balance.IIRC Doctor Turner got the A-plot in two episodes out of five - not enough evidence for me that there's any sort of conspiracy to give Steve McGann more screen-time.

 

My only quibble with this season is that I miss Sister Evangelina (though Nurse Crane got more screen-time in exchange).

[Beldasnoop]

Although I share the concern about more focus on Dr. Turner (even though he's one of my favorite characters), I'm seeing this in press coverage of the show more than on the show itself. Perhaps it's because of Stephen McGann's book and the desire to promote it. It's a good book, focusing largely on the medical aspects of the show, but it does kind of draw the spotlight to the doctor to a degree that the show historically hasn't.

 

On the show, the thalidomide plot has included Dr. Turner, but also Shelagh fairly equally (she's been in basically every key scene he's been in, and even a few without him), as well as Sister Julienne (who got most of that plot in episode 4), Sister Mary Cynthia, Patsy , and (in the series 4 finale) Barbara to varying degrees. There's a lot of talk about Dr. Turner outside the show, but on the show he's actually not had significantly more screen time than other characters in this plot (especially Shelagh and Sister Julienne). 

 

I especially wonder sometimes why the press coverage focuses on Dr. Turner and largely ignores Shelagh, especially since she's been at least as involved in that plot as he has (and she's the one who brought up the idea of finding the drug in the first place), unless she's just being viewed as some kind of extension of him because she's his wife. I certainly hope that's not the case, as it would kind of undermine the overall theme of the show (as being about women primarily). The first episode of this series focused on her and Sister Mary Cynthia more than on Dr. Turner, actually. I do wonder if some of it has to do with the whole "hero doctor" idea that's kind of ingrained in popular culture. Even though this show is primarily about nurses, when the doctor gets a major part in a story, no matter how many nurses are also involved, he's the one that gets talked about.

 

As for the smoking plot, I liked it, for the most part, but thought it was rushed and treated too lightly. I think there was too much time taken with that episode's guest plot and the largely irrelevant Fred/Violet plot that the Turner plot just seemed kind of shoehorned into the episode and it seemed off.  I also don't know why the smoking of other characters on the show (Trixie and Patsy both smoke) hasn't been addressed as well. 

 

Editing to add--evidence of how Dr. Turner and Shelagh can be in the same scene with the same importance to the scene, but the description is all about him alone--it's a clip from the upcoming episode 6 (read the caption on the clip): Here. 

 

It's not generally the show that's focusing too much on him, though, as far as I can tell. It's the publicity. 

Edited February 19, 2016 by Beldasnoop

[MissLucas]

Phew, just made it through the last episode of this season (no spoilers). I managed to not cry in exactly one out of eight episodes - well done show. It'll be a long time till Christmas.

[DropTheSoap]

I admit to being rather weepy after this episode. As much as I was griping a bit on how the season was going, they pulled things together well (in a story way) at the end.

[dustylil]

I had read the British papers so knew what was going to happen. Nevertheless, for some reason my allergies were acting up throughout most of the episode.

[bybrandy]

I was unspoiled and there were tears.  

[Gulftastic]

Phew, just made it through the last episode of this season (no spoilers). I managed to not cry in exactly one out of eight episodes - 

That was my ratio too. Sunday night's haver been a real sobfest.

 

Xmas feels so far away.

[wonderwoman]

Not sure if this should be here or in the media thread, but just saw in the NY Times that the season 5 begins on PBS on April 3rd. Can't wait.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/14/arts/television/downton-abbey-what-to-watch-next-netflix.html?hpw&rref=television&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

[Badger]

Harriet Walter will be joining the cast next series as "Sister Ursula."  

[caitmcg]

CTM posted this in its Facebook feed today:

Quote

This morning, some of our fans may have spotted a tweet from Miranda Hart, saying that Chummy will not be rejoining Call The Midwife during Series 6.

Sadly, we are able to confirm that this is the case.

[Willowsmom]

Bummer. So now no one to watch. Too sad.

Quote

 

[Badger]

FWIW, when it was first announced she would be coming back,  I thought it would be for the Christmas special and that she might be in one or two more episodes rather than that she would be in every episode.  But it looks now like the Christmas episode will be it.  

[dargosmydaddy]

Mild-ish spoilers for series seven from this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/call-the-midwife-series-7-leonie-elliott_uk_591dcbbee4b034684b0a58a0

Quote

The Christmas Special will begin under a thick coat of snow, recalling accurate conditions of 1963, when temperatures plunged to a record low in England and brought the country to a near standstill. 

In the new series, the midwives, typically, will battle against their straitened circumstances to help local mothers-to-be. Issues covered in the new series range from leprosy, tokophobia to Huntingdon’s Chorea, as well as continuing to deal with unmarried mothers, and their own personal dramas. 

Trixie’s romance with Christopher continues to develop, whilst Tom and Barbara enjoy life as a married couple. Nurse Crane will find her authority questioned from an unexpected quarter, and Sister Monica Joan will be forced to accept her failing faculties. And life for the Turners is turned upside down when Shelagh decides to employ an au pair!

There's also a picture of the new West Indian midwife, who looks rather adorable.

[dargosmydaddy]

Well, this article makes it sound like Emerald Fennell's absence won't be permanent. (Although they said that about Miranda Hart originally, too, so I guess Patsy fans shouldn't get their hopes up too much...)

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-09/will-emerald-fennells-patsy-return-to-call-the-midwife

[Kohola3]

2 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Well, this article makes it sound like Emerald Fennell's absence won't be permanent.

Except this addresses her departure to take care of her dad.  Then she came back - for 5 minutes.   So I think this was an old article and doesn't address her permanent departure.

[dargosmydaddy]

Oh... It come up as "two days ago" on Google, oh well.

There's also a Radio Times article that raises questions about what will happen in series 7 that bring up Patsy, Delia, and Mary Cynthia as though the actresses aren't leaving, so clearly Radio Times isn't particularly well informed. . .

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-09/whats-going-to-happen-in-call-the-midwife-series-seven

[LadyChaos]

So, in Helen George's interview that came out about 5 days ago said that Trixie is still struggling coming to terms with her alcoholism and it made me wonder about the trailer that came out where she and Christopher are arguing and she says 'I am not asking for help.' and he responds 'Well, you need it.

[anna0852]

Based on that trailer I think that either Trixie is struggling with her sobriety or they've elected to write in Helens pregnancy and Trixie has found herself in a very rotten situation.

[OtterMommy]

4 hours ago, anna0852 said:

Based on that trailer I think that either Trixie is struggling with her sobriety or they've elected to write in Helens pregnancy and Trixie has found herself in a very rotten situation.

I would hope it is the latter.  First of all, Helen George was clearly far enough along in the Christmas Episode to make her finding out she's pregnant in the series itself ridiculous (And, people, these are midwives, they can't play the "I didn't know I was pregnant" card).  Secondly, I just don't see this show doing that sort of drama.  Given the time in which the story is placed, their only realistic way to handle something like that would be for the two to marry and Trixie to give up midwifery (Christopher clearly makes enough on his own), and I can't see them getting rid of Trixie.

My guess is that it will be a slip up in her recovery and she chooses to go to some sort of in-patient rehab for a while, probably the rest of the season...and then she'll be back and leading her exercise classes and trying to get her "pre-rehab" body back next season.

[Kohola3]

42 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

My guess is that it will be a slip up in her recovery and she chooses to go to some sort of in-patient rehab for a while...

A good way to get around the pregnancy thing.  While unwed mothers are not uncommon in this series, I don't really think they will have one of the midwives in that predicament.

[LadyChaos]

I would really like to hope not, but it would be more realistic if she had a slip up IMO, and maybe its done in such a way that she felt she couldn't refuse the drink and thought 'Well if I only take just one little slip I'll be fine.' or a case where the drink is handed to her, and doesn't know alcohol in it til she took a drink......who knows....a bunch of speculating til we see it.  I just see that something bad enough has happened that would warrant her just to start drinking of her own accord.

 

I also wonder if Sister Monica Joan will die this season.   In an interview before s7 started filming, Linda Bassett said she wasn't sure she would even be able to be in s7 due to her health.....and in s7 Xmas episode, SMJ seemed worse than usual.

Edited January 15, 2018 by LadyChaos

[craziness]

Linda Bassett is Nurse Crane.  Judy Parfitt is Sister Monica Joan.  

[Badger]

Okay, here is a HUGE spoiler for Episode 8.  Someone posted it on their TUMBLR page, but the BBC has since removed the spoilery bits from the episode description:

 

Description for Call the Midwife Season 7 Episode 8

I'm not sure if you need to have a Tumblr account to read posts there, so here's the spoiler:  Tom and Nurse Crane struggle to move forward with their lives while Sr. Monica Joan celebrates her birthday.  Also, the episode description for Episode 7 says that Barbara is in the hospital in isolation and her condition is not improving.  

,

[anna0852]

 Did they kill Barbara?

[Badger]

28 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

 Did they kill Barbara?

Obviously, no one knows until the episode airs, but it sure sounds like it.   Or maybe she's being put into some kind of "care home" or something because she's been permanently incapacitated.  

[Ceindreadh]

From the preview of ep 6, I think I can guess what happens Barbara and why Nurse Crane is affected. 

in the preview there was a fire. It looked like Phyllis was inside and Barbara was outside. My guess is that Barbara gets badly injured trying to save Phyllis.  

[LadyChaos]

It would follow CoM pattern of sending someone away, bringing them back again only to get rid of them.

[AZChristian]

Maybe they'll kill Barbara off and Tom will go back to Trixie (his real-life "baby mama").

[LadyChaos]

8 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Maybe they'll kill Barbara off and Tom will go back to Trixie (his real-life "baby mama").

Tom didn't really seem pleased when Trixie told him he would spend the rest of his life with Barbara. :P

Edited February 27, 2018 by LadyChaos

[Badger]

23 hours ago, LadyChaos said:

Tom didn't really seem pleased when Trixie told him he would spend the rest of his life with Barbara. :P

FWIW, someone on a "Call The Midwife" aftershow podcast said that Heidi Thomas said she is not killing off any major characters this series.  So maybe there is going to be some kind of "miracle" cure, or if Charlotte Ritchie is leaving the show, maybe she is being put in some kind of care home.  

[spottedreptile]

7 hours ago, Badger said:

FWIW, someone on a "Call The Midwife" aftershow podcast said that Heidi Thomas said she is not killing off any major characters this series.  So maybe there is going to be some kind of "miracle" cure, or if Charlotte Ritchie is leaving the show, maybe she is being put in some kind of care home.  

So Trixie can be fated to exist in a never-ending relationship with a guy she can't marry, again? I'd rather she drank herself to death and put an end to it. 

Or maybe, Heidi was just being cute and poor Babs will hang on until the Christmas Special. 

Edited March 1, 2018 by spottedreptile

[Badger]

Interview with Jack Ashton

Spoiler

TVT What’s next for Tom?

JA: “In this week’s finale, Tom gets an offer that might allow him to deal with his grief away from Poplar. He could be back in the series after next but he’s hanging up his dog collar for a bit. Helen has been looking after Wren while I’ve been working so, when she goes back to film series eight soon, I’ll be ‘Daddy Daycare’. Call the Midwife will always be the fondest part of my life, I met Helen there, it has taught me so much but it is time to do new things, it’s a big world out there.”

Read more at http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/news/call-midwife-star-jack-ashton-sent-charlotte-ritchie-photo-barbaras-gravestone-520864/#mcJipSqtpLZwThIM.99

1

[LadyChaos]

He was showing doubt in the christmas special, so I am not surprised he would make this decision.....He wants to stay in Popular to do good works there, so I wonder if he will give it up to stay where he wants to stay.

 

 

Is it true that Jack is planning on leaving for s8, but maybe back in s9?  I read somewhere that he was taking time off to be with Wren so Helen can return to work.

Edited March 21, 2018 by LadyChaos

[LadyChaos]

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-09-05/when-is-call-the-midwife-back-on-tv-who-are-the-new-nurses-and-what-is-going-to-happen/

[dargosmydaddy]

On 3/19/2018 at 8:42 PM, LadyChaos said:

Is it true that Jack is planning on leaving for s8, but maybe back in s9?

https://en.businesstimes.cn/articles/112642/20190525/call-midwife-season-9-release-date-plot-cast-details-what.htm

This article talks a bit about season 9 (though not completely accurately, as it confuses Valerie's grandmother with her aunt...). No mention of Tom coming back, though of course that doesn't mean he won't...

Personally, though, I don't see much point in him coming back. As an actor, he had a great last episode; would he want to come back just to be a background character? I don't see them pairing him with another woman, and if he gets back together with Trixie, it would probably be with the same issues as before. I could see him being brought back when the final season comes along or if Helen George decides she wants to leave the show, but even then I kind of like the idea of Trixie moving up the ladder career wise (which the article hints at) rather than getting married.

Edited May 28, 2019 by dargosmydaddy

[Kohola3]

OK, I give up.  Who is Jack?

[LadyChaos]

56 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

https://en.businesstimes.cn/articles/112642/20190525/call-midwife-season-9-release-date-plot-cast-details-what.htm

This article talks a bit about season 9 (though not completely accurately, as it confuses Valerie's grandmother with her aunt...). No mention of Tom coming back, though of course that doesn't mean he won't...

Personally, though, I don't see much point in him coming back. As an actor, he had a great last episode; would he want to come back just to be a background character? I don't see them pairing him with another woman, and if he gets back together with Trixie, it would probably be with the same issues as before. I could see him being brought back when the final season comes along or if Helen George decides she wants to leave the show, but even then I kind of like the idea of Trixie moving up the ladder career wise (which the article hints at) rather than getting married.

If S9 ends up being the last season, I could see him coming back for it. As well as a lot of cameo's from old cast members.  I think the question would be, if s9 is the last season or not.

27 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

OK, I give up.  Who is Jack?

Rev. Tom Herewood. The actor's real name is Jack Ashton. He left the show for s8 to take care of his baby with Helen George, so she could return to work.