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Call the Midwife season 13: Release date, cast and latest news

We're heading back to Nonnatus House.

STRICTLY EMBARGOED NOT FOR PUBLICATION BEFORE 12TH DECEMBER 2023

Published: Friday, 22 December 2023 at 11:38 am

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It's official: Call the Midwife is returning for season 13.

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"It's an incredible privilege to be able to look back on a decade of Call The Midwife, and yet know that our journey is still very far from over," said creator, writer and executive producer Heidi Thomas. "We are thrilled to be going on for a few more years.

"Like Nonnatus House itself, we have a proud past but an even more exciting future – full of old favourites, fresh faces, higher hemlines, new ideas. The stories we tell are like babies – they never stop coming, we love them all, and we vow to do our best by every single one."

Director of BBC drama Piers Wenger added: "We are delighted to have secured the future of Call The Midwife, and look forward to enjoying more adventures for the inhabitants of Nonnatus House for years to come."

Read on for everything you need to know about Call the Midwife season 13.

Call the Midwife season 13 release date: When will it air?

The first episode of the brand new season will arrive on Sunday 7th January 2024 at 8pm on BBC One.

Call the Midwife season 13 cast: Who's returning?

The characters of the Call the Midwife Christmas special 2023 sitting around a dinner table and smiling

The cast of the Call the Midwife Christmas special 2023. BBC/Neal Street Productions

The confirmed cast is as follows:

But sadly, Leonie Elliott is not returning as Lucille, which means Cyril will have to soldier on without her.

Read more:

And in exciting news, there are two new faces joining the cast of season 13.

Renee Bailey plays Joyce Highland, a Trinidadian pupil midwife described as "hardworking, fiercely bright and deeply kind". She is also concealing a traumatic past of her own.

The actor's previous credits include BBC Three's Mood and Netflix's Rebel Cheer Squad.

Natalie Quarry, who has appeared in Atlanta and long-running BBC medical soap Doctors, has also joined as fellow pupil Rosalind Clifford, who is described as "naive at times, but with an inner steeliness".

Renee and Natalie in Call the Midwife season 13.

Renee Bailey and Natalie Quarry as Joyce and Rosalind in Call the Midwife season 13. BBC

And as ever, you can expect lots of new guest stars across the season.

Call the Midwife season 13 plot: What will happen?

The midwives have their hands full in season 13 with "complex medical and personal situations on the midwifery and district nursing rounds".

There are also "more babies being born in hospital than ever before", with "pressure on maternity beds remaining extremely high across the country. But Poplar is coping better than most due to the work of Nonnatus House and the popularity of home births under the auspices of the Sisters".

The new episodes will also tackle "stories from within the Sylheti and Nigerian communities and from around the docks", the devastating impact of "poor housing" on the people of Poplar, and "issues surrounding cerebral palsy, congenital hip dysplasia, tetanus, porphyria and TB".

Trixie and Matthew are also now married, but we know that there is some uncertainty surrounding Olly Rix's future on the show, so it remains to be seen how that will impact the couple.

Call the Midwife season 13 time period: When's it set?

Sister Juliene (Jenny Agutter) and Dr. Patrick Turner (Stephen McGann) in Call the Midwife sitting in a hospital waiting area

Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) and Dr Patrick Turner (Stephen McGann) in Call the Midwife. BBC/Neal Street Productions/Andrea Southam

Season 13 kicks off in 1969, which brings new medical advances, changes within the societal makeup of the UK, shifts within politics, developments in fashion and music, and plenty of challenges for the midwives.

Speaking previously to RadioTimes.com, Thomas said: "I do know that the original nuns on whom the original books were based left Poplar in 1976 because the social and the medical climate had changed.

"They relocated to Birmingham and focused more on spiritual work, so I don't know how far into the 1970s we could go."

How many episodes will Call the Midwife season 13 have?

There are eight shiny new episodes for you to enjoy.

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The Call the Midwife Christmas special will air on BBC One on Christmas Day at 8:15pm, and all 12 seasons of the show are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Season 13 will begin on Sunday 7th January at 8pm.

If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Drama hub for more news and features.

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Authors

A head and shoulders shot of Abby Robinson. She is in front of a grey background, looking at the camera and smiling. She wears a black zipped-up jacket with an elaborate gold and maroon design

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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