What is it? Call the Midwife, Season 1, six hour-long episodes on two discs from BBC
When? Now
How much? DVD $34.98, Blu-ray $39.98
I’m guessing this is about childbirth? Bingo. Based on a best-selling memoir by Jenny Worth, the series follows a group of nurses working in London’s impoverished East End during the 1950s.
At Nonnatus House, Church of England nuns and secular nurses live and work side by side. They occasionally help the sick and the elderly, but primarily, their duties are related to childbirth.
It’s no wonder. The birth rate in the district is between 50 and 100 births each month. In an era before the pill, it wasn’t uncommon for families to have children numbering well into the double digits. The sisters and nurses provide pre- and postnatal care as well as attending the actual births. There are doctors on call in case of complications, but it’s mostly in these women’s hands.
The newest member of the team is Jenny Lee (Jessica Raine), a young woman from a comfortable background who has just finished her training. Innocent and naive, she’s shocked by the squalor and poverty around her. The series follows her as she adapts to her new environment.
Her colleagues are a lively and fascinating group. There’s tough but good-hearted Sister Evangelina (Pam Ferris), who grew up in poverty herself and can identify with her patients. Sister Bernadette (Laura Main) is the youngest of the nuns and the best educated. The oldest is Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt), who is daffy, mischievous and thoroughly obsessed with cake. They’re all under the leadership of kind, practical Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter).
On the secular nurse front, Jenny bonds quickly with the fun-loving Trixie (Helen George) and the smart, empathetic Cynthia (Bryony Hannah). They’re soon joined by Chummy (Miranda Hart), a lovably awkward woman from a wealthy family.
Despite minor squabbles here and there, they’re a harmonious group. And they need to be.
To get to their patients, they must bicycle through crowded streets, many still lined with rubble from World War II bombings. When they get there, they frequently have to perform their duties in conditions that are, at times, far from ideal.
And their patients are a diverse lot and some are easier to root for than others. Eclampsia, kidnapping, syphilis and a family expecting child number 25 are just a few of the problems the nurses and families must face.
Through it all, the nurses feel a deep duty and calling to their patients and to each other.
Is this a soap or a procedural? It leans a bit to the procedural side. The patients change each week and there usually isn’t much in the way of follow-up.
At the same time, the series is more emotionally engaging and takes more time to delve into character than your typical procedural drama.
Because this is set in the 1950s, you’ll get something of a history lesson when it comes to labor and delivery equipment and procedures. You think childbirth is hard today? This might give you some perspective. And you might want to avoid watching while eating.
On the whole, it’s funny, touching, sometimes tragic, and the characters (both regular and guest) are colorful and lovable.
Are there extras? Just one short featurette with cast and creator interviews.
New this week: 30 Rock, Season 7; Ben-Hur, miniseries; Combat, Season 1 (Bluray); Friends, Seasons 1 and 2 (Blu-ray).
Next week: The Dick Van Dyke Show, Season 2 (Bluray); Felicity, Seasons 3-4; Flashpoint, Season 5; Fringe, Season 5; Gunsmoke, Season 8; Private Practice, Season 6; Rookie Blue, Season 3; Royal Pains, Season 4.
Style, Pages 48 on 04/28/2013