Call the midwife

I thought I would write a little about the TV series that I am watching at the moment. Call the Midwife is a six part drama set in 1950s. It follows the working lives of a group of midwives working in the East End of London and sheds some light into the issues of poverty and hardship faced by working class women at the time. I am always a fan of period dramas and usually the ones that are shown on TV tend to be adaptations of novels by the likes of Jane Austen and Emily Bronte. I love those and find those quite refreshing amidst much of what dominates TV these days – but even then period dramas tend to explore romance and relationships rather than the gritty realities experienced by the majority.  

So far I have seen two episodes. There can be some rather uncomfortable childbirth scenes but the stories of the women highlight just how different the experience of childbirth was and how dangerous it can be without widespread easy access to healthcare. The drama is set at a time when the NHS had just been established (1948) and how it provided options that working class women didn’t have before. Caesareans and blood transfusions for the poor are addressed in the series which meant that unnecessary deaths could be prevented.

The main character Nurse Jenny Lee played by Jessica Raine is a girl from the upper classes who had never before seen the realities of inner city poverty. She is very shocked by what she sees and does her best to help those she can in difficult situations. The second episode introduces the wonderful Miranda Hart, who brings some light hearted humour to the series. Never having been much of a fan of her previous TV appearances, she surprised me in this role. She is a great actress who plays her character remarkably well bringing a mix of warmth, softness and empathy that makes her instantly likeable. I can’t wait to see more of her as the series progresses. She plays a newly qualified nurse who feels that she has a lot to prove to her seniors after a series of minor mishaps.

Based on the memoirs of the late Jennifer Worth, this series is a real delight and going by the 9.8 million who watched the first episode and the 8.9 million who watched the second episode – others must like it too! This is a must watch! And it helps me remember just why I want a career in the healthcare profession – so that I too can make a positive contribution to the community around me and help the individual with my knowledge and skills.