While we have some details about the Call the Midwife movie, two key elements have yet to be confirmed: the cast and the location.

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"As the classic Call the Midwife series moves further into the 1970s, it also seems the perfect time for our much-loved regulars to take a short break from Poplar and test themselves in an unfamiliar landscape," said creator Heidi Thomas when it was first announced in May last year.

"The rise in hospital births, and changes in the NHS, have clipped their wings, and this is their chance to take flight and work out what really matters... it is going to look absolutely fantastic on the big screen!"

Thomas has kept her lips firmly sealed as to which faces we'll be seeing in the feature, while revealing Australia is a strong contender for the setting. However, during an interview at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, she revealed that two other options are also under consideration.

"It's not so much doubts [about Australia], but there are three options. One is Australia, and there are another two."

"I'll keep under wraps for now," Thomas added, going on to say that in the season 15 finale, "Sister Julienne names them all, so we won't keep people in suspense for very long."

As well as a Call the Midwife movie, fans will also have season 16 of the BBC period drama to look forward to, along with a Call the Midwife prequel series set during World War Two, which is due to debut this Christmas.

The action will follow younger versions of Sister Julienne, Sister Evangelina and Sister Monica Joan, "who actually isn't that young when we did the maths, but she's very much in her prime," explained Thomas.

Viewers will also meet "three young midwives, all completely new, relatively new to the East End, and they really do get thrown in at the deep end".

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"I think the interesting thing for me is it's a world where women are not in charge when war breaks out, but very rapidly, they are in charge of everything because the men are called away, either to Home Front-based war work or they go overseas," she expanded.

"So you'll see a lot of women coming into their own... it's a programme that is going to be about strong women above all else."

"Everything changes and nothing changes," said Thomas when acknowledging that shared trait with the current series.

With the main Call the Midwife series set to draw to a close sooner rather than later, it remains to be seen whether Thomas will continue the prequel for multiple seasons or move on to another project entirely.

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Call the Midwife season 15 airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sundays at 8pm.

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Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Abby RobinsonDrama Editor

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.

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