call the midwife : Most liked Posts

Tea Cosy said:

I'm starting to sense a prediction for a storyline, based on the homosexuality news item on the tv in the Turner house. We've never seen Tim show interest in girls - nothing wrong with that though. He'll discover his sexuality at university and come out to his dad and Sheila. Stephen McGann will give a BAFTA winning performance by acting out Dr Turner's very liberal approach and declaring to everyone that "my son is gay and I'm so proud!"

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together with an anecdote about how he was once gay, I swear dr T has a personal story to tell everyone hahahaha

The voice over at the end now sounds like they’ve literally dug her up to do it

I’m gutted this programme has been allowed to continue running under such abysmal writing. The original series based on Jennifer Worth’s actual memoirs were superb and prove that social history is interesting enough without the need for moral preaching, hammy acting and poor script writing.

It’s barely about the midwifery, mothers and children now and more to do with Dr Turner saving just about anything whilst casually and clumsily mentioning something historically relevant that has nothing whatsoever to do with the storyline.

I also wonder if there is possibly some other issue behind the scenes by the way nurses Valerie and Lucille both left very abruptly without any proper announcements from the BBC.

The writing has gone a bit rubbish TBF. I loved the stories about the pill, abortions etc. The thalidomide story was outstanding. But they rush through everything now... The boy with leukemia could have been stretched out, and there could have been storys about the child workers and tell us more about that. Nancy's debt could have been drawn out like Trixie's alcoholism was. There could have been a mixed race relationship storyline with Lizzie and whatever her husband was called, an adoption storyline with geriatric mum which leads to drug use and treatment for it back then and discussions around foster care and children's homes. I feel like the early days we got a real sense of history but now it's over and done with in 1 hour. There's been loads of potential but no real character arcs.

nicalibres said:

I’ve finally caught up with the last 2 episodes and I’m enjoying this series more than the last few. It doesn’t quite connect the way the early series do though.

I hate that Cyrill is sad and was nearly stabbed to death but at least he’s more than a background character now so swings and roundabouts. I have been enjoying Dr St Turner taking a backseat but I feel like Trixie’s sexy but wooden husband to be is now filling his role; swooping in to save the day in situations he’s clearly not qualified to handle but it inexplicably all works out anyway.

Does anyone else think there really missing the friendship aspect of the older series? Like between the nurses. I first noticed when they filmed during covid but thought it must be due social distancing, but a lot of the relationships still feel very surface level.

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The friendship between Nurse Crane & Barbara

It pisses me off how the Turner’s kids have to be front and centre at every celebration

Tea Cosy said:

The early series with Jenny's character are currently being shown on the Drama channel. As those series were based on her memoirs, the characters were real people so at the end of all those episodes, the narration was an update on what happened to that real-life person. The narration then was much more appropriate to the episodes - unlike today where it comes across as a syrupy verse read from a greeting card.

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They should have changed the narrator to Sister Julienne when Jenny left

Shesaidwhat? said:

Why is mature Jenny narrating how perfect Trixie’s wedding was? She wasn’t even there, it would of been a nice touch for her to come back.

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"It looked like Trixie had a lovely day, i wouldn't know though as i wasn't invited!"

Some thoughts…
Why is Lucille never mentioned?

The soaring music is getting worse. It adds to the twee feel.

I see Doctor Turner is spreading his wings to the hospital now.

I think they’d really benefit from a Police character being included again.

1969 Poplar is a nirvana of equal opportunity, racial equality and liberal thinking- who’d have thought it?

I can’t stand Rosie Jones either.

Loubywoobywoo said:

I thought Nurse Crane was going to be an old-fashioned, grumpy bossy-boots at first! She was also a bit sharp with one of the other midwives and I thought I would never like her. By the end of the episode, my opinion of her had completely changed and I absolutely adore her. She is the one I would most want to be friends with and the one I would choose to help me deliver my baby if I were to ever procreate. She’s very modern in a lot of ways ( drives, vegetarian, atheist/agnostic which were ally pretty uncommon for people, especially women to be in the late 50’s/early 60’s), organised, likes learning/challenging herself ( Spanish classes), is really organised ( Rolodex), and just generally has a really modern outlook on situations. She offers practical help, warm and comforting but realistic reassurance and is still open to finding love ( the man in her Spanish class) she and loves clothes/fashion ( she got just as excited as the younger characters when the new uniforms came in, a few Seasons ago now).

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I agree. As much as I hated seeing others leaving, and would love ones like Chummy to return, if Nurse Crane left, I would not enjoy the show as much at all. The minute she comes along to any situation and starts with 'lass...' I know all will be well. Or if it's not well, she will deal with everything so bravely and appropriately.

I love her friendship with Miss Higgins too. Something I liked last night was when Miss Higgins said 'present at death' could be put on the form. It seemed such a small thing, but it wasn't, for the woman who had just lost her partner.
And trust Miss Higgins to know her forms

hatetealovewine said:

Cast members don't give plot spoilers away in interviews and I think all interviews were given before the christmas special.

That's how things get leaked and I don't think it's fair. Sorry.

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Then why would you post on a public forum that you have insider info?? What did you expect to be the outcome of that

I've been watching it from the start again and the difference is marked. I admit I'm a bit biased as I had a 2 week old baby when the series first started so was clearly a bit emotional but it used to be really life-affirming, helped you remember how hard life was years ago and was just right for a Sunday night. Now it's twee, smug, overly woke and - as others have already said - has turned into the Turner Show.

Shesaidwhat? said:

I don’t know my thoughts on this if I’m honest on one hand it wouldn’t feel a Sunday without CTM on the other hand I do feel it’s kind of run it’s course.

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Me too. I feel like the show is limping along through lack of stories. What everyone liked about CTM was they were real stories of women's actual lives at the time. The idea that Trixie and whatshisface would really have Nancy and Collette as her bridesmaids at her society wedding is absurd. The show has lost it's personal touch and intimacy with the stories of women at those times.

This is a difficult read as it details how disabled people were treated, within living memory.

I worked in a care setting in the late 90s and we had a male service user who was in his 60s. He had been institutionalised as a small child and lived in horrendous conditions until he was in his 40s. Even after living in a community setting for 20 odd years, he gulped down boiling hot drinks and wolfed down his food because if he didn't eat and drink fast he thought they would be taken away because in the institution he was in, when someone came round with the food they were followed closely by someone clearing up. He was very nervous and anxious and always darted his eyes round a room before he entered it. If a new carer came in they had to be accompanied by someone he knew or he couldn't cope. There was lots of abuse back then. I hate the sugar coating and the falsifying of history. I'm woke, I love a woke storyline in a contemporary drama but the 60s weren't woke. FFS, even the 90s, 00s and to some extent even the 10s weren't woke.

I'm so desperate for a prequel series about Sister Monica Joan's early life as a nun and her and the other nuns working through World War 2!

petitspois said:

God, Matthew is genuinely a terrible actor. He’s been to the Joey Tribbiani ‘smell the fart’ school of acting.

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I agree. He’s only got two expressions. To me his face is a cross between Hugh Grant, Robbie Williams and an Oompa Loompa.

hogwartsgraduate said:

Plot lines for Christmas Special??

- Sister Julienne I think is keeping a health secret - would they dare kill her off at Xmas?!
- Trixie returns & pregnant from their rendezvous
- First epidural?
- or another heart warming nativity with the Turner kids ...they might even gain a voice?

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I really don't know why they gave them so many children as the child actors don't do anything. I would much rather watch Shelagh as a midwife instead of a stepford wife who's main line is "oh Patrick"

That final episode really was shit. So far fetched & unbelievable. Why did the young couple’s car crash? Who were all Trixie’s hundreds of wedding gifts from? Did I miss her other brother they talked about? What was the pint of Colette’s nose bleeds? Did Nancy mention applying for that job before & I missed it? I’d have told SMJ to feck off when she went to the church & insisted on doing a reading. Could the Turners be any more twee & annoying? Why was every male vague acquaintance in Poplar dressed in a morning suit? Ridiculous!

I would like to see the introduction of some younger characters - particularly ones like young Jenny and Trixie who were brilliant at their jobs. I like Nancy but I feel how she was introduced (a little bit inept, socially awkward, etc) is difficult to shake and that's how her character is mostly known. Albeit, there is some clear character development.

Anyhow, I miss the days when Jenny, Trixie and Cynthia would be getting ready and going dancing, dating, etc. A lot of the focus now is primarily the families and although its sweet, I'd like the see the fun - not the forced fun of harvest festivals, or another community ball thingy that you just know never happened.

Cascara said:

It’s Dr Turner, there’s literally nothing he can’t do, so that’s possible too!

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True. Sheila would be on the other side of the river shouting “Oh Patrick!”