CALL THE MIDWIFE Season 2 Baby Boom From left to right: Jessica Raine, Pam Ferris, and Helen George Call the Midwife Sundays, March 31 – May 19, 8 p.m. thirteen.org/call-the-midwife When Call the Midwife premiered in England, it became the highest rated drama debut in BBC history. The critically acclaimed series became a favorite with American audiences as well when it debuted on THIRTEEN last September. Based on the bestselling memoirs by Jennifer Worth, it tells colorful stories of midwifery and families in 1950s post-war London, following new midwife Jenny Lee and the midwives and nuns at Nonnatus House as they minister to expectant mothers in the poorest area of the city. The earnest but sheltered Jenny, the eternally stern Sister Evangelina, and the fabulously glamorous Trixie Franklin are among the characters who have cap - tured viewers’ hearts in the States and abroad. Season Two begins this month, delivering more births, babies, and bicycling, plus blossoming romance from an unexpected corner. THIRTEEN spoke with Jessica Raine (Jenny), Helen George (Trixie), and Pam Ferris (Sister Evangelina) about their work on the series. thirteen.org 1 Why do you think Call the Midwife is so What insights have you gained about life in popular with contemporary audiences? post-war London – especially women’s lives during that era – from working on the series? Jessica Raine: The stories are full of humanity and transport people to a world JR: I didn’t realize how poor London was that is so unique and so different from after World War II. I didn’t know, for ex- the world we live in today. I love that ample, that rationing continued 12 years we focus on women’s stories you really after the war ended. I didn’t realize the don’t see anywhere else on television, depth of poverty that existed, especially featuring strong, well-defined female in the East End—and the lack of contra- characters who support each other ception was astounding. In some cases, instead of competing with each other. women had a dozen children. In fact, one The program is also unique in that it has of the episodes in the first season focused elements of nostalgia, but is also quite on a woman who had 24 children. People gritty, with storylines that challenge and gasped at that and thought it wasn’t true, respect the audience. but it came directly from the memoirs. helen George: I think part of the show’s hG: My answer is quite a practical one: success stems from great writing, first these women were the original recyclers. with Jennifer Worth’s memoirs—which We think the concept of recycling is a were extremely popular in England even modern notion, but through necessity before we began work on the series— they had to recycle. They didn’t have baby and then with Heidi Thomas’s wonderful wipes, they had nappies and towels they scripts. We also have an amazing design had to wash again and again. Nothing team who pays an extraordinary amount was thrown away. Even the mattresses of attention to period detail and a cast the women gave birth on at home would . that works well together. When we’re be lined with newspaper or plastic covers together, there’s chemistry. I like to think so they could be preserved. CTIONS du some of that magic comes across on PF: I think it ’s interesting to look at the time PRO the screen. just before a revolution. The Beatles hap- TREET S Pam Ferris: The whole concept of pened in the early 60s, The Pill happened EAL birth is about as fundamental as you can in the early 60s, teenagers were invented z/© N get and to my knowledge, no one has in the early 60s, and our series takes place rowic used it as a dramatic event. It has all the before all that. Women’s roles were in flux. d EN C elements of drama. It has suspense, it They were fermenting. Women were shak- has crises, it has pain, it has joy, and an ing up their roles quite dramatically and RENCE u A L outcome of some sort. As an event, it is grasped the revolution as it was about OF y inherently dramatic, and we seem to have to emerge. It’s fascinating to look at that rtes u harnessed that. very fertile, very volatile period. O : C page opposite d AN Read the complete interview at thirteen.org/call-the-midwife to find out the cast’s COVER COVER favorite storylines, their ideas for Call the Midwife screening parties, and more. 2 eveninG and niGht 2:00 The Best of Laugh-In Lewis: Live From Las Vegas symbol key 3:30 Use Your Brain to SEE Sat 2Nd, 7:30PM. Repeats Change Your Age With SuN 3Rd, 12:30PM; MON 4TH, Aired earlier Dr. Daniel Amen 2PM; MON 4TH, 9:30PM; ANd this month EARLy WEd 6TH, 1:30AM. [R] To be announced 1:30 Aaron Neville: Visit thirteen.org 2 s a t UR d a y Doo Wop: My True Story for related activities SEE Sat 2Nd, 9PM. Repeats SuN 3Rd, 10:30AM; WEd 6TH, 7:30 PRemieRe An 9:30PM; ANd EARLy FRI 8TH, Evening With Jerry 1:30AM. [R] 1 FRIDAY Lewis: Live From Las 3:00 Who Is Harry Nilsson Vegas Celebrating the (And Why Is Everybody 5:30 BBC World News , LLC entertainer’s eight Talkin’) SEE Sat 2Nd, 10:30PM. America decades in show Repeats EARLy FRI 15TH, 6:00 NJ Today With Mike business. Repeats EARLy 4:30AM [R] Schneider. SuN 3Rd, 12MId; SuN 3Rd, 4:30 3 Steps to Incredible 6:30 Nightly Business Report ntertainment 12:30PM; MON 4TH, Health! With Joel Fuhrman, d E 7:00 PBS NewsHour 2PM; MON 4TH, 9:30PM; ANd M.D. [R] 8:00 Washington Week SMON EARLy WEd 6TH, 1:30AM. with Gwen Ifill d © O 8:30 PRemieRe Need to 3 s U n d ay ARLAN F Know With Jeff Greenfield, C Maria Hinojosa, Scott M 6:00 Moyers & Company OM Simon, and Ray Suarez. T Repeats SuN 3Rd, 11PM. OF 9:00 PRemieRe Joe y rtes Bonamassa: An Acoustic u 7:00 PRemieRe O Evening at the Vienna C 60s Pop Flashback: Opera House The blues 9:00 PRemieRe Aaron Hullabaloo (My Music) rock guitarist and singer Neville: Doo Wop: My True Peter Noone hosts this in concert. Repeats EARLy Story The R&B icon is 60s celebration with Sat 2Nd, 12:30AM; Sat 2Nd, joined by Paul Simon, Nancy Sinatra, Paul 12NOON; SuN 10TH, 8:30AM; Joan Osborne and more in Revere & the Raiders, ANd EARLy TuE 12TH, 3:30AM. songs from his album and others. Repeats 10:30 PRemieRe Sam My True Story. Repeats EARLy MON 4TH, 2AM; Cooke: Legend Perform- EARLy SuN 3Rd, 1:30AM; THu 7TH, 1PM ANd FRI 8TH, ances featuring the soul SuN 3Rd, 10:30AM; WEd 6TH, 9PM; Sat 9TH, 12NOON; ANd legend, plus interviews with 9:30PM; ANd EARLy FRI 8TH, Sat 9TH, 7PM. dick Clark, Aretha Franklin, 1:30AM. and others. Repeats Sat 2Nd, 10:30 PRemieRe Who Is 11AM ANd EARLy WEd 13TH, Harry Nilsson (And Why Is CTIONS 4:30AM. 11:30 CHARLIE Rose Everybody Talkin’) The du RO life of the enigmatic 3/02 eaRLY SATURDAY am singer-songwriter the P TJL OF 12:30 Joe Bonamassa: An Beatles named their y rtes Acoustic Evening at favorite American musician. u O the Vienna Opera House Repeats EARLy SuN 3Rd, 3AM C SEE FRI 1st, 9PM. Repeats ANd EARLy FRI 15TH, 4:30AM . 9:00 PRemieRe Great Sat 2Nd, 12NOON; SuN 10TH, Performances: “Andrea 8:30am; ANd EARLy TuE 12TH, 3/03 eaRLY sUNDAY am Bocelli: Love in Portofino” 3:30AM. [R] 12:00 An Evening With Jerry The superstar tenor is thirteen.org 3 joined by david Foster and Wop (My Music) Repeats 1:30 An Evening With Jerry trumpeter Chris Botti in Sat 9TH, 8AM. [R] Lewis: Live From Las Vegas a program of love songs 2:30 Great Performances: SEE Sat 2Nd, 7:30PM. [R] performed in Portofino, “Andrea Bocelli: Love 3:00 Big Band Vocalists [R] Italy. Repeats EARLy MON 4TH, in Portofino” SEE SuN 3Rd, 12MId; EARLy TuE 5TH, 2:30AM; 9PM. Repeats FRI 8TH, 1PM FRI 8TH, 1PM; ANd Sat 9TH, 5PM. ANd Sat 9TH, 5PM. [R] 6 We d n e s d a y 4:30 Qi Gong 11:00 Moyers & Company for Beginners [R] 5:30 BBC World News SEE SuN 3Rd, 6PM. [R] America 6:00 NJ Today With Mike 3/04 eaRLY MONDAY am 5 t U e s d a y Schneider. 12:00 Great Performances: 6:30 Nightly Business "Andrea Bocelli: Love in 5:30 BBC World News Report Portofino” SEE SuN 3Rd, America 7:00 PBS NewsHour 9PM. Repeats EARLy TuE 5TH, 6:00 NJ Today 8:00 Super Brain With 2:30AM; FRI 8TH, 1PM; ANd 6:30 Nightly Business Dr. Rudy Tanzi How to Sat 9TH, 5PM. [R] Report harness the brain’s poten- 2:00 60s Pop Flashback: 7:00 PBS NewsHour tial for change, creativity, Hullabaloo (My Music) 8:00 The Iranian Americans and intelligence. Repeats SEE SuN 3Rd, 7PM. Repeats The 1979 Iranian Revolution EARLy FRI 8TH, 12MId; Sat 9TH, THu 7TH, 1PM; FRI 8TH, 9PM; brought masses of Iranians 10:30AM; SuN 10TH, 7AM; Sat 9TH, 12NOON; ANd Sat 9TH, to the united States. ANd MON 11TH, 10PM. [R] 7PM. [R] Repeats EARLy THu 7TH, 12MId.