From one midwife story to another

During a cuddle with our newborn grandson yesterday,  I said to the assembled entourage that we should watch an episode of Call the Midwife together. Why not, I thought, as our daughter and partner did benefit from the services and friendship of a local midwife. So why not check in with one of BBC’s most popular and enduring dramas that tell stories which embody the risk, the social and medical complexities of birthing, and the sheer wonder of the emergence of new generations of fragile and beautiful human beings.

And then, I found the article below in my INBOX this morning. And yes, I sobbed a little as Sister Monica made the great transition to that place “where sorrow and pain are no more; neither sighing, but life everlasting (Book of Common Prayer, funeral rite).

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“Judy was a sort of north star for all of us.” By Janet A Leigh Published: 10 September 2026 on Digital Spy

The showrunner said: “Judy was a sort of north star for all of us. She has a majesty that you can’t help but fall in love with.

“She taught us all a lot. She has dignity, she puts the work first, so I think Judy Parfitt and her performance as Sister Monica Joan is absolutely in our DNA. We all adored her. We all learn from her and we all love her. She’s still going strong.”

Parfitt, who missed out on the award for Best Drama Performance to Trigger Point‘s Vicky McClure, exited Call the Midwife in a powerful performance at the end of season 15 after the character’s short bout of illness turned fatal.

Call the Midwife fans were moved to tears by the series finale, taking to Instagram to share their feelings.

“How I cried from the beginning until I went to bed at 11 last night then couldn’t get to sleep,” wrote one fan, while another added: “I don’t think I have seen a more perfect scene than when the Sisters came for Sister Monica Joan, I am not okay, but it was just beautiful.”

Commenting on the emotional fan reaction to the finale, Thomas joked: “I would be livid if nobody had cried because it was so moving.

“To see an actress [Parfitt] at the height of her powers, depicting a woman who knows that she has come to the end of her powers was an extraordinary thing. Her performance was exquisite, and I loved every moment writing for her.”

Thomas also thanked the viewers for the BBC drama’s long tenure, saying: “People often say to me, ‘What’s the secret of Call the Midwife… Why is it so continually successful?’ And I genuinely believe the answer is the audience, and they voted for this.

“The audience have really been with us on this journey, and I feel as though they’ve really invested in us.

“To get those votes, we didn’t take it for granted, and even when we bump into fans in the street, which happens to all of us, they have such lovely things to say about the show and they care about it as much as we do which is fab.”

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