Call the Midwife is a British drama television series created by Heidi Thomas.
Critically acclaimed since its premiere, it is based on the memoirs of the nurse Jennifer Worth, who worked with the Community of St John the Divine in East London in 1950.
The series follows the newly qualified Midwife Jenny Lee, along with the work of the midwives and nuns at Nonnatus House, a nursing convent and part of an Anglican religious order.
The midwives had to deal with medical issues in the poor East End of the Poplar district of London in the 1950s.
The nuns and midwives perform many nursing tasks throughout the community. However, with 80 to 100 babies being born every month in Poplar alone, their primary work is helping to bring safe childbirth to the area's women and caring for their countless newborn babies.
Also, historical events of the time directly or indirectly affect the characters and the stories.
If you like dramatic series and are looking for a new show to entertain you, you have come to the right place.
We have gathered a list of 8 excellent shows like Call the Midwife that will keep you entertained from start to finish.
Keep up with a good old-fashioned drama set in London Hospital, immerse yourself in the plots and betrayals of the royal world, or relax alongside a good comedy-drama set in a nun's world.
Whatever you choose from our list, we know you're in for many hours of entertainment. Please let us know in the comments below if you have any other suggestions for shows like Call the Midwife to share with us.
OUR LIST OF SHOWS LIKE CALL THE MIDWIFE
How Many Seasons Does Call the Midwife Have?
The first season of Call the Midwife premiered on 15 January 2012.
It has become one of the most successful drama series and was followed up with a further nine seasons with eight episodes each, plus an annual Christmas special broadcast every Christmas Day since 2012.
The series finished with eleven seasons, running for a total of 95 episodes.
It has won several awards and nominations and been praised for addressing several current social and cultural issues, such as teenage pregnancy, infertility, adoption, abortion and unwanted pregnancies, among others.
Some aspects of maternal and paternal love, romantic or the love of friends, are explored in each episode.
Is Call the Midwife Worth Seeing?
Call the Midwife is one of the most popular drama series of recent times. Despite illustrating some sensitive subjects, the series manages to be warm and powerful and a remarkable show about birth, death, and everything in between.
The show offers not just the different perspectives of four very distinct characters but also from two other time points.
Although the series covers a wide set, Call the Midwife uses the views of the four young midwives most frequently at the centre of the story.
The confident Jenny Lee, the sophisticated Beatrix “Trixie” Franklin, the awkward Camilla “Chummy” Browne and the unpretentious Cynthia Miller. They can't be more different from each other, but somehow their dynamic works remarkably well.
Then there is the more central aspect of the series, the births. Although a gift of life, many of these moments can be terrifying.
What Is Call the Midwife About?
The series portrays the joy, the horror, the fear and the beauty of bringing a life into the world with a level of realism that can be shocking sometimes.
Aside from the risks associated with each birth, the show carefully shows both sides of the process, allowing the viewer to see the same event from the perspective of both the Midwife and the mother. There is absolute honesty to these scenes that can overwhelm anyone, with or without children.
Lastly, this series has also gained popularity for the sensitive way it addresses social issues. As well as bravely examining the darkest recesses of the human condition, the struggles of a new mother are shown with intense clarity and humanity.
The show never strays from uncompromising insight into the lives of those it encounters, whether mothers and fathers, husbands and wives or midwives and doctors.
For example, one of the episodes features an institutionalised woman with Down's Syndrome who the authorities discover is pregnant. Once again, Call the Midwife handles the plot with characteristic emotional intelligence and bravery.
All these moments and character features make this series a success among fans. Besides the relevant subjects chosen, the storylines are easily transported to reality and dealt with in brilliantly empathetic and comforting way. A series worth watching!
Conclusion
So there you have our eight great shows like Call the Midwife. They are all wonderful to watch, packed with drama and will keep you hooked!