Will there be another season of Call the Midwife and when will it return for season 14?

Will there be another season of Call the Midwife? It’s something you might be wondering as season 13 draws to a close. 

Anyone who hasn’t yet discovered how to watch Call the Midwife where they are has been missing out on twelve years of heart-warming (and admittedly sometimes heart-wrenching) moments. The long-running BBC drama has also sparked a fair few questions in its time too as we feared for the lives and happiness of our favourite characters. As the episodes went along, Call the Midwife season 13 has had us asking one particularly big question - Is Trixie leaving Call the Midwife? 

Now season 13's finale has aired, the next thing on our minds is whether more Call the Midwife is on the horizon. As we continue to reflect on all the emotional highs and lows, we have all the details about what lies in store for the beloved BBC show.

*Warning: Spoilers for season 13 ahead*

Will there be another season of Call the Midwife?

There will be another season of Call the Midwife - and another after that! The BBC confirmed back in February 2023 that Call the Midwife had been renewed for seasons 14 and 15. Because the joyful announcement came over a year ago now many viewers might have still been a little apprehensive about the show’s future as the end of Call the Midwife season 13 drew closer. 

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However, the BBC's decision has meant we can look forward to seeing the nuns and midwives of Nonnatus House on our screens until at least 2026. At the time the renewal was announced Heidi Thomas, creator and writer of Call the Midwife, told the BBC she was "overjoyed" by the decision.

"I’m overjoyed by the news that the doors of Nonnatus House will be open for a few more years!" she said. "Call the Midwife is the pride and joy of all who work on it, but it’s our fantastic, loyal audience that matters most. We are a family behind the scenes, on the screen, and in front of the telly, and I’m thrilled that we’re all heading into the 1970’s together."

For those wondering when Call the Midwife is set, the period drama moves forward one year each season. The events of the latest instalment, Call the Midwife season 13 take place in 1969, so, as Heidi explained, Call the Midwife season 14 and 15 will move the storylines into the new decade and will likely be set in 1970 and 1971.

How many episodes will Call the Midwife season 14 have?

It will come as a relief to long-time fans to know that Call the Midwife season 14 is going to consist of eight 60-minute episodes just like previous seasons. Some beloved dramas have altered their episode count in recent years, including Vera season 13, which only had three and not the more-often seen four. But Call the Midwife has only ever deviated from being eight episodes long twice in the show’s 12 year history (in seasons 1 and 10) and it isn’t going to start doing so again with the upcoming seasons.

When will Call the Midwife return for season 14?

It's been announced that we'll see Call the Midwife season 14 in 2025 and we would expect it to return in January next year specifically. This might not come as too much of a surprise, though, as Call the Midwife has aired in January ever since season 1 first landed in 2012. We also know that Call the Midwife season 13 was filmed in spring 2023 and so if the next instalment follows this pattern, season 14 might commence filming very soon.

Which characters could be back in Call the Midwife season 14?

The Call the Midwife season 14 cast hasn’t been officially confirmed but we would expect to see all of the main cast members return. Despite fears that Trixie could leave after Matthew Aylward and his son Jonty left Poplar for New York in episode 7, she didn't depart on-screen in season 13. Of course, it’s possible that Helen and therefore Trixie could leave and reunite with Matthew in season 14 but we’ll just have to wait and find out. It’s also been claimed that the door has been left open for Olly Rix to return as Matthew too.

We would expect Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt), Shelagh Turner (Laura Main), Dr Turner (Stephen McGann) and Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi) to be back. All of these characters have been part of the show since season 1.

Phyllis Crane (Linda Bassett), Violet Buckle (Annabelle Apsion) and Reggie Jackson (Daniel Laurie) are also long-standing characters who could return, as are Cyril Robinson (Zephryn Taitte), Nancy Corrigan (Megan Cusack), Sister Veronica (Rebecca Gethings) and Miss Millicent Higgins (Georgie Glen).

Meanwhile, Joyce Highland (Renee Bailey) and Rosalind Clifford (Natalie Quarry) were introduced in Call the Midwife season 13. It would definitely be a surprise for them to leave after just one season and so it’s likely they’ll return in season 14 too. Ultimately, the only character we won’t think will be back - or at least not as a series regular - is Olly Rix’s Matthew Aylward.

Will there be a Call the Midwife Christmas special in 2024?

Since the Call the Midwife season 13 finale aired, the show has confirmed on social media that there will be a special in 2024. This won't be the last Christmas special either, as the BBC announced last year that alongside Call the Midwife seasons 14 and 15 there would be Christmas specials as well. There’s been one of these every year since the show began and settling down to watch the midwives of Poplar spreading goodwill and helping the local community is something many of us look forward to every festive season.

Call the Midwife seasons 1-13 are available to watch now via BBC iPlayer.