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In drawing from the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, the BBC's Call the Midwife instantly distinguished itself from most other medical dramas, largely because it's a more character-driven piece. Jessica Raine, who evokes the openhearted Judy Garland of The Wizard of Oz, plays Jenny Lee, a middle-class 22-year-old who takes a job at an Anglican convent in 1957, where the young nurses work alongside experienced nuns: calm Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), stern Sister Evangelina (Pam Ferris), and spacey, cake-addicted Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt, who costarred with Ferris in Little Doritt).
Jenny is hardy judgmental, but the depth of poverty permeating London's East End provides a wake-up call (suffice to say, gynecological care has come a long way since the 1950s). To be effective, though, she must learn to put her preconceptions aside about teenage prostitutes, unwed mothers, squalid living conditions, and inappropriate relationships. Her upper-class colleague, Camilla "Chummy" Cholomondley-Browne (Miranda Hart, quite affecting), seems like she'd be even deeper out of her depth, but looks can be deceiving--even if Chummy finds it harder to handle the bikes the nurses use to cycle between appointments. Written by Cranford's Heidi Thomas and narrated by Vanessa Redgrave, the show has proven to be as much of a favorite among PBS viewers as ITV's Downton Abbey, to which it's garnered a few comparisons, possibly due to the period setting, even if there's a greater emphasis on women's issues. If anything, the postwar milieu brings the films of Terence Davies and Mike Leigh to mind, particularly Leigh's Vera Drake, in which Imelda Staunton provided off-the-books care to desperate mothers. Though Worth was involved with the spectacularly successful first season, she passed away two weeks before filming began. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By George Jones
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
When we first ordered this series, I was concerned that it might be boring and we would be sorry that we had bought it. I was very mistaken. Even though some of the births are quite realistic, this is a delightful movie. We laughed and cried. There's enough humor to ease the tension in the tough episodes. The acting is very good. I recommend this to people who enjoy finding out what life was really like in a former era.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By hamish3434
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
It has been a very long time if ever that I have seen a series so well produced and acted the special effects and the facial/body language was so real it was as if you were there in real life.I hear there is another series coming and I just can not wait,an excellent job all round,
Sandy.
Sandy.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Watched this series on TV and just could not get enough of it, so I had to buy the video. I enjoy watching over again. All my friends love the series so the video will get passed around.
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4.7 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful
This is one of the best pieces of television I have seen. The acting is superb, the story line excellent and the sets so realistic that you would think you can still go there. Read more
Published 2 days ago by bookweasel
5.0 out of 5 stars
The 70's in 'living colour'
'Call the Midwife' a heart warming and sometimes chilling look at the lives and duties of a group of midwives and their less fortunate patients in the 70's. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Alison Bunning
5.0 out of 5 stars
Call the Midwife.
Call the Midwife, is a BBC series set just after the WWII. What I like is that it shows how Britain was at that time, plus the main character all have their faults as well as... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Mr. R. A. Loades
4.0 out of 5 stars
Took me back
Liked the old school way of looking at life back then. I'm 60 and remember that being "expecting" was something that was not to be talked about.
Published 25 days ago by Carol Kennedy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Series Ever
One of the best series we have ever watched. The story and characters cause you to 'marathon' watch! We had this finished in 2 days!
Published 1 month ago by J. Dowdall
5.0 out of 5 stars
Call the Midwife
Can't wait for Season 2. Enjoyed it very much, and learned a lot about life in the 50s in the east end of London.
Published 1 month ago by harnden03
5.0 out of 5 stars
Call the Midwife Season 1
Story from my home country. Enlightening on how bad conditions were in the 50's in the poor areas of London. Read more
Published 1 month ago by marlene crew
5.0 out of 5 stars
As a nurse I absolutely loved it. I always have enjoyed historical...
I found the stories very intriguing as well as the the history from that time period. Because I am a nurse I absolutely loved the book and the DVD series.
Published 2 months ago by Laurel McLennan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Call the Midwife!
Wonderful show. Love any period show! I would recommend highly! Very enjoyable full of suspence.Great and talented cast. Well worth a watch. Can't wait to get season 2.
Published 2 months ago by Lucinda Churchill
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very very good.
Enjoyed this - a real eye opener to this period in British history. An homage to women and the work they performed as nurses and midwives. I hope there is a season 2.
Published 2 months ago by KatLew
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