# Call the Midwife **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326 "2012-09-30T18:59:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/1 "2012-09-30T18:59:33Z")
PBS is airing a BBC period drama set in the East End of London in the 1950s, following a young novice midwife. The show has been a huge success in the UK, has great production values, and seems like an excellent counterpoint to Downton Abbey. The US premiere is tonight. Anybody planning on watching? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/2 "2012-09-30T19:13:42Z")
I set up the Tivo to record it, but almost certainly won’t get a chance to watch it until later in the week. Looks very interesting, though - I’m looking forward to it. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/3 "2012-09-30T20:53:05Z")
Oh, wow. I had no idea! It sounds right up my alley; I just set the DVR to record it. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/4 "2012-09-30T21:20:03Z")
I plan on watching if my DVR isn’t overwhelmed with all the stuff it has to record tonight…Dexter, Homeland, Boardwalk Empire, Masterpiece Classic reruns, etc… ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/5 "2012-09-30T21:42:20Z")
We had it screen here a few months ago. I highly recommend it. The book’s also very good. Apart from the great writing and acting and the based on fact stories, you’ll be introduced to the wonderfulness that is [Miranda Hart](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTf17cmPl0I) in episode 2 (IIRC). ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/6 "2012-09-30T23:46:22Z")
**LVBoPeep** - You might look after prime time to see if your PBS station is rerunning it. Mine is, and I’ve set my DVR to record it at Midnight, while I’m asleep. StG ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/7 "2012-09-30T23:58:14Z")
It’s screening here in Australia, we just had episode 5 I think. It’s quite good, great performances, but a bit more brutally direct about childbirth than I was expecting (speaking as a man who has never been involved with childbirth at all\*). My advice is to not be eating while watching. \*Except for when I was born ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/8 "2012-10-01T00:39:54Z")
I think I got it figured out. I had to sacrifice Copper’s recording until Wed but I’m not thrilled with where that series is going anyways. My PBS station is re-playing Emma and Upstairs Downstairs instead of a second showing of Call the Midwife. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/9 "2012-10-01T01:21:42Z")
Very good. I’m surprised it’s being aired under it’s own name, and not as part of Masterpiece Classic. I’ve heard about this series. I was surprised it’s an _Anglican_ convent. I know there are Anglican nuns, but automatically assumed Roman Catholic when I heard convent. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/10 "2012-10-01T02:25:34Z")
Loved it. Suffers just a wee bit overmuch from the Angels in White syndrome, but I suspect it will get more complex/realistic as time goes on. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/11 "2012-10-01T11:38:46Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > … I was surprised it’s an _Anglican_ convent. \*\* I know there are Anglican nuns\*\*, but… Ha, where do you think they live? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/call-the-midwife/636326/12 "2012-10-01T12:19:46Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Very good. I’m surprised it’s being aired under it’s own name, and not as part of Masterpiece Classic. I’ve heard about this series. I was surprised it’s an _Anglican_ convent. I know there are Anglican nuns, but automatically assumed Roman Catholic when I heard convent. The whole _Masterpiece_ brand has been revamped. Instead of being divided into Classic, Contemporary & Mystery, it’s just [Masterpiece](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/)–sponsored by Ralph Lauren. Which is more like the original Masterpiece Theatre–when period & contemporary (or more recent period) shows would be presented without being shoehorned into categories. Last night, _Masterpiece_ repeated all 3 shows in Series 1 of the new _Upstairs/Downstairs_. Next week, Series 2 of the show will begin. To be followed by Series 3 of _Downton Abbey_ in December. I heard that _New Upstairs/Downstairs_ was not considered a success in the UK; perhaps they tried to do too much. From what I’ve read in UK sites, the new _Downton_ will continue to do very little; beautifully dressed, but the same thing over & over again, with the occasional witty remark from Maggie Smith… I do hope the new _Masterpiece_ format means we’ll get to see the next _Sherlock_ without a huge wait. Series 2 began on New Years Day in the UK but we didn’t see it until May–because it was _Masterpiece Mystery_! They’ll begin shooting Series 3 in January, so the wait will be long enough… Oh, what did I think about _Call The Midwife_? I enjoyed it more than I expected–there’s working class grubbiness & the chance of tragedy, but a bit of wit & hope. And I knew about Anglican nuns–from [Black Narcissus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Narcissus)!