Nonnatus House regulars join the locals of Poplar for a spot of carol singing in one of the festive specials

Christmas treat for Call The Midwife fans as BBC drama gets its first festive double helping

All the regular cast will return for the two hour-long specials set to air on Christmas Day and Boxing Day

by · The Mirror

Call the Midwife fans will have an extra special Christmas treat this year as the drama gets its first double helping.

The two festive episodes - featuring the return of all the regular cast - will kick off with an hour-long special on Christmas Day, ending with a nail-biting cliffhanger. The action will then be picked up in another hour-long special, likely to air on Boxing Day. The BBC’s decision to give viewers two instalments rather than the traditional one comes after the drama pulled in 9million viewers last Christmas. And the double helping will air ahead of series 14 starting in January - transporting both the viewers and the nuns and nurses of Nonnatus House into 1970 and a brand new decade.

BBC Call The Midwife fans set for heartache as character set for dramatic exitCall The Midwife fans will see one character depart the drama later this week when they leave the show but it's expected that the star will return later onNicola Methven, 29 Feb 2024
Sister Monica Joan delights in showing the Turner children the nativity scene
Doctor Turner watches his younger children open their Christmas presents in the double special to air this December
Is that Fred Buckle under the Santa suit? Viewers can find out on BBC1 this Christmas

The gripping storyline for Christmas centres on an escaped prisoner on the loose in Poplar causing mayhem for some of the residents. The neighbourhood is gripped by the news of the convict who’s gone on the run with fears growing that he may be in the local area after a spate of break-ins.

This Christmas also brings a funfair to Poplar, adding a burst of colour to the frosty winter of 1969, but there are other less welcome visitors, including influenza and the Hong Kong flu. There is also some heartache when Fred and Violet Buckle’s preparations for Reggie’s homecoming are thrown into turmoil. Meanwhile the Turner children are caught up in a Blue Peter Christmas appeal, Miss Higgins has her grandson Harry stay for Christmas and Trixie returns from visiting her husband Matthew in New York.

Call the Midwife writer Heidi Thomas said she was thrilled to give fans even more of their favourite show. “Who doesn’t love finding an extra, unexpected present underneath the Christmas tree?” she said. “When I was asked to write a two-part Christmas special for 2024, I couldn’t resist.” BBC drama boss Lindsay Salt added: “Call the Midwife has become one of UK television’s most popular festive traditions, and this year we wanted to go even better with Call the Midwife’s biggest Christmas ever. Heidi and the team have lined up an absolute treat, with two irresistible episodes packed full of everything fans will love about this very special series at Christmas time.”

Series 14 comprises eight episodes and a further run for 2026 has already been commissioned, taking the drama to the end of 1971. Many of the cast have been in the BBC1 hit since it launched in 2012 based on the diaries of Jennifer Worth, including Jenny Agutter as head nun Sister Julienne, Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan, Helen George as nurse Trixie Aylward, Stephen McGann as Dr Turner, Laura Main as his wife Shelagh and Cliff Parisi as Fred Buckle.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .