Every ‘Call the Midwife’ Character’s Backstory Explained Before You Watch ‘Sisters in Arms’
While Call the Midwife is taking a brief break, fans of the midwives of Nonnatus House won’t have to wait long to return to the East End. Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms is an upcoming prequel series that will transport viewers back to the early days of Nonnatus House, introducing younger versions of beloved characters while exploring the events that shaped the world of Call the Midwife.
Helmed by the franchise’s creative team, including creator and showrunner Heidi Thomas alongside executive producers Pippa Harris and Ann Tricklebank, Sisters in Arms stars Helen Schlesinger as a young Sister Monica Joan, Helena Wilson as Sister Julienne, and Amy Booth-Steel as Sister Evangelina. The series is narrated by Jenny Agutter, who reprises her role as the older Sister Julienne.
In addition to the sisters, fans will also get to see Dr. Patrick Turner (Ben Rose) as a younger man, as well as Fred Buckle (Ciaran Bowling).
Set in September 1939 as Britain stands on the brink of World War II, the prequel finds Sister Monica Joan in her prime, while Sisters Julienne and Evangelina are still new to the Order. With Nonnatus House at the heart of Poplar, the series promises to reveal how the beloved order navigated the uncertainty of wartime.
Some longtime fans of the series may already have some idea of what to expect, as Call the Midwife has revealed bits and pieces of its characters’ backstories over the years. Those clues offer hints about where the prequel is headed, allowing viewers to predict certain events and milestones. Even so, the three-part miniseries Sisters in Arms has plenty of room to fill in the gaps, revealing the formative experiences and relationships that shaped these beloved characters long before audiences first met them.
Below is everything we know so far about the beloved legacy characters set to return in Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms.
Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms, Christmas Day 2026, PBS and the PBS App
Fred Buckle
The kindhearted Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi) had already endured tremendous heartbreak before finding happiness with his beloved wife, Violet (Annabelle Apsion). Before World War II, Fred was married to Betty, and together they had two daughters, Dolly and Marlene. While Fred was away serving in the British Army, Betty was killed during the London Blitz. With their father still overseas, the girls were cared for by relatives and family friends until Fred returned home after completing his military service.
The story is told in Season 2 Episode 8, when Fred is talking with his daughter Dolly (Ella Smith), in which she fills him in on the details he missed while enlisted. “I drove past the bomb site on me way over, and it brought back the Blitz, like it was yesterday. Me and Marlene being lifted out of the rubble by a policeman, still in our nighties,” recounted Dolly.
Dr. Patrick Turner
Before he found love with former nun Shelagh Mannion (Laura Main), Dr. Turner (Stephen McGann) had a dark spell that led him to Northfield Military Psychiatric Hospital for several months.
Back in Season 3, when Shelagh and Dr. Turner were looking to adopt a child, it was revealed that the medic was discharged from the army under mysterious circumstances. During the background check, the adoption agency uncovers that Patrick suffered a severe mental breakdown from serving in World War II, a trauma he hid from his wife. He required a five-month stay in a psychiatric hospital in an effort to recover from his “war neurosis” (now known as PTSD).
Sister Julienne
Before joining the Order of St. Raymond Nonnatus, Sister Julienne experienced profound loss when her mother died while she was young. Then known as Louise, as a young woman, she fell in love with a man named Charles Newgarden, but ultimately chose a different path. After sending him a farewell letter and cutting off contact, Louise entered religious life, dedicating herself to faith, nursing, and the people of Poplar. Although this decision predates the events of Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms, its emotional impact could still resonate throughout the prequel series.
Sister Monica Joan
Born Antonia Keville, Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) came from a wealthy family that shunned her after she decided to enter the Order, choosing a life of faith and service instead of following her family’s expectations. She also became one of the first women in Britain to qualify as a midwife. Sister Monica Joan died of kidney disease in the Season 15 finale of Call the Midwife.
Sister Evangelina
Sister Evangelina, played by Pam Ferris, was a no-nonsense midwife and nun who was raised in the same poverty as the East End community she served. Growing up with her brother Vincent and another older brother who died in childhood, her difficult early life shaped both her wit and her unwavering dedication. She passed away peacefully in her sleep in Season 5 from a suspected stroke.
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