Beloved Call the Midwife character to return to screens as BBC confirms prequel series details
Viewers of the hit BBC One series won't see the character as they once knew her
A beloved Call the Midwife character will grace our screens once again as the BBC revealed new details of the upcoming prequel series.
There were heartbreaking scenes during the series 15 finale back in March when, having decided to stop taking her medication and planning her final farewell with the help of local undertaker Bernie Mullucks, Sister Monica Joan died.
As the end drew near, Sister Monica Joan saw a vision of Sister Evangelina, marking a brief return for actress Pam Ferris to the role. Her old friend told her: You have shilly-shallied long enough. Even the Almighty’s patience has worn thin." When Sister Monica Joan asked what it would be like in Heaven, Sister Evangelina added: "It’s everything we were promised, and all that you have worked for."
With a reaching out of hands, Call the Midwife viewers' eyes filled with tears as Sister Evangelina guided Sister Monica Joan into the afterlife. Her wishes for her funeral were then honoured by the Order, and after she was laid to rest, the nuns and midwives were seen back at Nonnatus House, which was described as "temporarily closed".
Now, Sister Monica Joan is set to make a return to screens, but not as viewers knew her. Call The Midwife's prequel series will chronicle the early days of Nonnatus House.
Call The Midwife: Sisters In Arms will explore the origins of the East London convent run by nurses, midwives, and Anglican nuns from the original hit series, set amid the backdrop of the Second World War and the Blitz.
The BBC has announced that filming has begun for the three-part Christmas special, which will feature a number of celebrity guest stars, including Helen Schlesinger and Martin McCann.
Set in 1939, the series will explore the impact of the Second World War on those running Nonnatus House and dedicating their lives to mothers, babies and the poor. Emmy-winning actress Jenny Agutter, who stars in Call The Midwife as Sister Julienne, will narrate the special episodes as the older version of her character, while Helena Wilson will portray her younger counterpart.
A younger Sister Monica Joan, played in the original series by Judy Parfitt, will be portrayed by TV actress Schlesinger, while Amy Booth-Steel, known for appearing in Down Cemetery Road, will feature as a young Sister Evangelina.
The spin-off will be helmed by the Call The Midwife creative team, including showrunner, creator and writer Heidi Thomas, who hailed the new show as “a joy to write”. She continued: “Having loved and lived with the sisters of Nonnatus House for so many years, I found myself longing to turn the clock back and tell the story of their finest hour – the Blitz.
"Who were Sister Monica Joan, Sister Julienne, and Sister Evangelina when they were young? What did they do, how did they survive, and how did the conflict change them?
"Above all else, Call The Midwife: Sisters In Arms is about what happens when women go to war. It is about love and birth, separation and courage, lipstick and nylons (or the lack thereof). But it is also a medical drama, set in a devastating landscape where even the nurses cannot know if they will live till morning."
She also told of how emotional it was to see Sister Monica Joan “back on her bike” and returning to screens after her character died from chronic kidney disease in the 15th series of Call The Midwife.
She added: “Sisters In Arms has been a joy to write – like returning to the family home and finding all the people I have ever loved made young again and filled with new energy. I can’t wait to start filming and look forward to sharing our new show with Call The Midwife’s fantastic fans.”
Dame Pippa Harris, an executive producer on the show, said: "It’s thrilling to watch Heidi Thomas create a series which I know will delight our loyal Call The Midwife audience, as well as drawing in new viewers.
"It echoes the original through its blend of engrossing medical stories, wit, and pathos, while the backdrop of World War Two adds a completely fresh layer of tension and jeopardy to the drama. Heidi’s extraordinary skill with character and story means viewers are in for a real treat this Christmas."