Call The Midwife: What to expect from Christmas specials

“But it was only really halfway through filming that we discovered it was going to be divided into two one-hour episodes. That, of course, makes sense because you couldn’t edit out the things that were in it. There were too many extraordinary things in it to edit down and it does fill two complete episodes. It is absolutely wonderful.”

“The great thing about Heidi [Thomas] is that she weaves things together so well. After reading these two scripts for a while, you go, ‘Oh yes, there’s the light and there’s the shade. There are the happy Christmassy parts, but there are also elements of homelessness, poverty, disease – the darker side.’ But they are sewn together so brilliantly, and a strong message about compassion comes through,” says British actor Stephen McGann, 61, who plays Dr Patrick Turner.

“Heidi is very clever. It’s almost like she takes strings of spaghetti and weaves them all together. It’s really lovely. So basically, the thought to take away is that Christmas is spaghetti. That’s what Christmas is. She’ll kill me for saying that!”

From babies falling from the sky, and people going missing, to Fred Buckle – played by English actor Cliff Parisi, 64, who starred as Minty Peterson in EastEnders – being late for every appointment that he’s got, and a Christmas cliffhanger, Call The Midwife follows the lives of a group of midwives living and working in East London during the late 1950s to late 1960s.

The period drama stars British actress Renee Bailey as Joyce Highland, English actor Christopher Harper, 47, as Geoffrey Franklin, English actress Helen George, 40, as Trixie Aylward, and Scottish actress Laura Main, 43, as Shelagh Turner.

The first series, set in 1957, premiered in the UK on 15 January 2012. So it’s no surprise that in 2023, the Christmas special reached 8.9 million viewers. But what are the most Christmassy storylines viewers should expect this year?

“One of the most Christmassy storylines is the choral concert that happens. We sang with the Salvation Army. They’re a wicked band. I could just stand and listen to them all evening. So that was lovely. Laura [Main], who plays Shelagh Turner, was conducting us in this choral song,” says British actor Zephryn Taitte, who stars as Cyril Robinson.

“Unfortunately, I can’t sing a lick, so I was actually relying on Helen [George] to do all the singing. Then the really annoying part was we had to re-shoot a bit. But all the good singers had essentially left by then. So I got drafted back in with the kids, having to sing with a smiley face and trying to sell it. I always sound like a cat in an alleyway when I’m singing, so I hope they can dub my part and put Frank Sinatra’s voice over it.”

“The fun fair was very exciting because we had a real vintage fun fair set. It was just so beautiful with all the lights. I wasn’t supposed to go on any of the rides, but then I secretly went on the carousel. I think I got shouted at, but it was really fun,” says British actress Natalie Quarry, who plays Rosalind Clifford.

“There were also food stalls, which had real food like candy floss and toffee apples. It was just so festive and lovely. And also, we got to do some singing with a choir at a carol concert. And that was really fun, because I really like singing carols every year anyway. It was kind of weird doing it in May. It was slightly too warm, but it was so fun and so nice to be there with everyone getting all excited about the coming season.”

“What’s brilliantly reflected, I would say, in every episode, really, but especially in this one, is that sense of community and helping others. That is the message of Christmas, and it happens in abundance here,” says Main.

Call The Midwife Christmas special comes to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Christmas Day