Midwife

The sequel to a beloved 1970s family film also stars Sheridan Smith and Sir Thomas Courtenay

Call the Midwife fans waiting for the show’s World War II prequel are urged to watch this inspiring movie.

Before Jenny Agutter ever appeared in BBC One’s Call the Midwife as much-loved nun, Sister Julienne, she was already famed for her many acting roles, including her part in The Railway Children.

It’s been more than 55 years since Agutter first waved her red petticoat to save a steam train from disaster in the movie adaptation of the classic story.

The original film was based on the novel by Edith Nesbit about three children who are sent to live in the countryside beside a railway line after their father is arrested on mysterious spying charges.

Agutter played the eldest child, Bobbie Waterbury, in a 1968 TV adaptation, followed by the film two years later. She also played the mother in an ITV remake in 2000.

In 2022, a sequel, The Railway Children Return, arrived, and Agutter sensationally reprised her iconic role as Bobbie.

The film is set amid the Second World War, with the action taking place in the village of Oakworth in 1944. After the major cities become unsafe to live in, three children are evacuated to the countryside, where they hope to build a new life.

They are greeted by Bobbie, who moved to Oakworth three decades earlier, and her adult daughter Annie, played by Sheridan Smith. The children soon discover an injured American soldier at the nearby railyard and attempt to help him get back home.

Tom Courtenay also stars in the movie as Uncle Walter, and is joined by John Bradley as Richard, KJ Aikens as Abe, Beau Gadsdon as Lily Watts, Eden Hamilton as Pattie Watts, Zac Cudby as Ted Watts, and Austin Haynes as Thomas Waterbury.

Directed by Morgan Matthews from a screenplay by Danny Brocklehurst, the period drama is currently available to stream in the UK on Amazon Prime Video, and fans have dubbed it a “must-watch”.

“Perfect sequel to the original, picking up many social and ethical themes of the time, many still relevant today. Great casting, strong script, and excellent photography,” one viewer wrote on Rotten Tomatoes.

A second stated: “Really good movie with excellent acting and a storyline that pulls you in”, while a third chimed in: “A World War II story that I’ve never heard about. It was very well done.”

“Good wholesome entertainment. Exciting, suspenseful, and inspirational”, explained one fan as another added: “Exceptional movie with real intent and messages given.”

While another said: “It was a beautifully told story with a true meaning of resilience, courage, strength, and making your own family when hard times are around.”

Call the Midwife is streaming on BBC iPlayer, while The Railway Children Return is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Before Pam Ferris picked up a religious habit as Sister Evangelina, she won the hearts of sitcom fans in another historical drama

Call the Midwife icon Pam Ferris is a world away from Sister Evangelina in this 90s classic television show.

The 78-year-old actress is famed for playing tough-talking nun Sister Evangelina on the BBC series, who dedicated her life not only to her religion but also to serving the poorest communities in London as a senior midwife.

Sister Evangelina is an original character introduced during the first episode, which aired in 2012. But only four years later, the beloved nun died suddenly in her sleep after suffering a stroke, leaving Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi) to find her lifeless body in her chair.

Earlier this year, during the series 15 finale, Pam Ferris reprised her role as Sister Evangelina to guide her dear friend Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) into the afterlife in a very emotional scene.

However, before Ferris ever picked up her wimple and adopted constant words of wisdom, she was known by sitcom fans for her role in another cosy period drama, The Darling Buds of May.

The much-loved ITV series debuted in April 1991 and is an adaptation of the H. E. Bates novel of the same name.

The show told the story of the Larkin family and their lives in rural Kent during the 1950s, and was led by a small cast, including Sir David Jason as Pop Larkin, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Mariette, and Philip Franks as Cedric.

It quickly became a feel-good ratings success and will surely always be seen as a ‘90s classic – despite only running for 20 episodes.

The Darling Buds of May is currently streaming for free on ITVX and has been hailed as a must-watch by fans who have enjoyed the show for decades.

On IMDb, one person dubbed the show “So endearing, funny and perfect!”, while a second added, “If only there was more.”

A third stated: “It doesn’t get much better! I purchased the whole series a few years ago and then watched the whole series within a few days.”

“One of the most beloved British comedy-dramas of the 1990s, The Darling Buds of May remains a comforting television classic — full of warmth, countryside charm, and unforgettable performances”, wrote one person on Facebook.

“Loved it…. easy watching….like All Creatures Great and Small”, commented one viewer while another confessed: “I absolutely love this programme and always watch when it’s on the television no matter how many times I watch.”

Over the years, Ferris has gained more fame on the big screen as the wicked Miss Trunchball in Matilda, floating Aunt Marge in the Harry Potter franchise, and kind-hearted headteacher, Mrs Bevan, in Nativity!

She went on to feature in a number of costume dramas, such as Middlemarch, Jane Eyre, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and popular crime serials, such as Marple, Rosemary & Thyme, and Luther, and even appeared as Cath in the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey.

Call the Midwife is available on BBC iPlayer

Call the Midwife favourite Judy Parfitt appeared on ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh

A Call the Midwife legend has opened up about their emotional exit from the BBC drama.

Judy Parfitt is best known for playing Sister Monica Joan in the long-running series. Viewers were therefore left heartbroken when the cherished nun passed away peacefully in her bed at Nonnatus House in the season 15 finale.

During her final moments, Sister Monica Joan was emotionally reunited with Sister Evangelina (played by Pam Ferris), who unexpectedly died during the season five finale from a suspected stroke.

Actress Judy Parfitt appeared on ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh on Sunday (June 7), where she was joined by Brian Conley, Freddie Fox, Julian Ovenden and Honeysuckle Weeks.

After being shown an “enormously sad” clip of Sister Monica Joan being reunited with Sister Evangelina, Alan said: “I can’t watch that,” with Judy admitting: “Neither can I!”

She added: “Showing me at my best, I see. Also, [I] had a cap and it had the thing [go] round, so all the wrinkles were pushed up. So, [you think], ‘God, do I look as bad as that?’ And the top lighting, it looked like the Grand Canyon!”

On being reunited with Pam Ferris, Judy went on: “It was absolutely wonderful, because, I think, Pam left after four years, and we used to sit together quite a lot during the time she was there, swapping recipes and everything – it was wonderful.

“I hadn’t seen her, we only phoned a couple of times after she left, and it was so wonderful to do that scene with her, because it’s like you’ve found your teammate, sort of [like] tennis or something, and she was throwing the ball back.

“It was just a lovely atmosphere, and we’ve kept in touch ever since then – it was lovely.”

Judy then looked back on being part of the drama for so many years, sharing: “It was like a family, and that’s what I miss terribly. We’d seen each other through marriages, births, deaths, divorce – everything. And we helped each other.

“It was lovely because it was mostly women. Sorry guys, but it was wonderful to be in a show where instead [of there being] 13 men and two women – one young one and one old one – you have a show with all these women. There was no jealousy, no rivalry or anything. It was wonderful.”

BBC viewers will be pleased to learn that they haven’t seen the last of Sister Monica Joan.

Following the latest season of Call the Midwife, the show will rewind the clock to World War II with a prequel series, titled Sisters in Arms, which will be set in Poplar during the London Blitz.

Creator and writer Heidi Thomas revealed that it will include younger incarnations of Sister Monica Joan, as well as Sister Evangelina and Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter).

The returning Sisters will also be joined by three new young midwifes, who are new to the East End.

Call the Midwife is available to watch on BBC iPlayer, while Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh is streaming on ITVX