‘Call the Midwife’: Where We Left Off & What’s Ahead in Season 15

The long-running historical drama Call the Midwife is gearing up for its Stateside return in March, as audiences await new stories from the British period series inspired by Jennifer Worth’s memoirs.

The show follows the nurses and midwives of Nonnatus House in London’s East End as they deliver babies and provide care, charting the social shifts of postwar Britain from the 1950s onward. Over the years, it has explored themes of poverty, social change, family, and community through challenging yet often heartwarming work.

For Season 15, the midwives and nuns of Nonnatus House enter the tumultuous 1970s, navigating a new political landscape shaped by changing social attitudes and the emerging women’s rights movement.

Where did Season 14 leave off?

The series entered the ’70s with a series of new beginnings for many of its characters, and a few sweet farewells.

Sister Catherine (Molly Vevers) took her first vows to become a novice nun, while Sister Hilda (Fenella Woolgar) returned to Nonnatus House. Joyce (Renee Bailey) was exonerated in her disciplinary hearing, while Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) learned from Sister Hilda that the future of the order and Nonnatus House was in jeopardy due to financial struggles. There was real fear that the closure of Nonnatus House might be inevitable.

Paula, a pregnant teen whom Rosalind’s been looking after all season, gave birth in the finale. Her domineering mother had a change of heart about her daughter and welcomed her back home.

A pregnant Nancy (Megan Cusack) married Roger (Conor O’Donnell), gave birth to a baby girl named Melinda, and departed Poplar with her new family, marking her official exit from the series.

And Cyril (Zephryn Taitte) and Rosalind (Natalie Quarry) finally have their first kiss.

What happened in the Christmas special?

Presented as a two-part special, the senior members of Nonnatus House headed to Hong Kong on a mercy mission, while the younger midwives were left to manage things back home.

Neal Street Productions/Olly Courtney

Violet and Fred (Annabelle Apsion and Cliff Parisi) initially traveled to Hong Kong to visit Violet’s son, who works there as a policeman. While they were abroad, the Nonnatus House branch in Hong Kong collapsed. In response, Sister Julienne, Sister Veronica (Rebecca Gethings), Nurse Crane (Linda Bassett), and Dr. Turner (Stephen McGann) flew out to assist.

Upon arrival, they discovered that the building had caved in, killing two sisters, a doctor, and several children. Their visit immediately shifted into a full-scale relief effort, joining Sister Hilda (Fenella Woolgar) on the ground. In addition to the tragedy, there were growing concerns about a possible tuberculosis outbreak.

Meanwhile, Cyril had rented out his flat to a dying Hollywood actor who wished to spend his final days in his childhood home. Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt), who delivered him as a baby, remained at his side in his last hours.

Back in London, Trixie (Helen George), who has moved back to the city, oversaw the clinic alongside Dr. Elyse Watkiss (Allegra Marland) during Dr. Turner’s absence.

In Hong Kong, Nurse Shelagh Turner (Laura Main) later arrived to search for May Turner’s (April Rae Hoang) birth mother, Esther, whose life is entangled with a local gangster. Esther’s son is found to have cancer, and Dr. Turner convinces the gangsters to allow him medical treatment in England. A new clinic is secured, Sister Hilda stayed behind to run it, and the rest returned to London with Esther and her children just in time for Christmas.

Neal Street Productions/Luke Ross

When does Season 15 take place?

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'Call the Midwife' Season 15 Premiere Date Revealed

Season 15 of Call the Midwife is set in 1971. The story begins as the social and cultural shifts start to take hold of England, including the Women’s Liberation movement, which will shape the lives of the midwives of Nonnatus House.

Are there any big developments for Nonnatus House?

“We are all going to be national health employees; we will have to dress as such, or leave the system,” Trixie said in the trailer. This suggests that the midwives and sisters may soon be required to adopt official NHS roles, including wearing uniforms rather than their traditional clothing. It reflects the ongoing modernization and professionalization of healthcare roles in the early 1970s.

There is also a bit of bra burning, so expect a lot of comfortable women running around Nonnatus House.

Call the Midwife, Season 15 Premiere, Sunday, March 22, 8/7c, PBS, Streaming February 20 on PBS Passport