CALL the Midwife returns to our screens over the festive season for its highly anticipated Christmas special.
But who is appearing in the much-loved period drama's yuletide edition, and when does it air?
Who is in the cast of the Call the Midwife Christmas special?
Call the Midwife has teased that lives will be 'in danger' in dramatic scenes this Christmas.
The hit BBC One period drama is returning with a festive special.
Fans will return to Nonnatus House as the midwives prepare to watch Apollo 8 land on the moon.
Viewers will watch as a heavy snow falling over the festive season could leave some fan-favourites lives' hanging in the balance.
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At the start of December the official Call the Midwife social media account teased the highly anticipated Christmas special.
In a post to fans, bosses posted a snap from their snowy set in Kent and said: "Filming for this year's Christmas Special took place in late spring and early summer.
"And like every year before it, the episode brought its own particular challenges.
"The weather was an important factor in this year's story, and so the exterior conditions really had to match the plot, no matter how warm and sunny the weather might have been on on the day. And it was VERY warm!!"
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Here we take a look at who is starring in this years festive edition:
Helen George
Helen plays nurse Trixie Franklin in the show, and was trained in 1950s medical techniques to prepare for the role.
During the first series in 2012, she practised delivering babies at home — with her husband taking the role of a pregnant woman and her Yorkshire Terrier being the "baby".
Her character is an alcoholic and regularly attends AA meetings.
Speaking about the upcoming Christmas special, Helen told the Manchester Evening News: "It's lovely that Call The Midwife has become part of the TV menu.
"This is Matthew and Trixie's first Christmas together with Jonty [Matthew's son from his first marriage] as a family following their wedding, so it's special as they are really coming together as a unit.
"Trixie's brother is back, too, and it was so much fun to continue that story. Christmas and Geoffrey just go together really well."
Stephen McGann
Stephen McGann shot to national fame when he starred in Emmerdale from 1999 until 2002 playing Sean Reynolds.
He has played Dr Patrick Turner on the BBC drama for over a decade.
Speaking about filming the Christmas special, Stephen explained: "It was a particularly warm spell [when we started filming], very nice and mild, like we tell you every year.
The actor continued to Radio Times: "But there's a big sequence… in the cold.
"I remember turning up in Chatham in Kent where we filmed some of the big ambulance sequences, and it's that weird thing where you're walking along the road in the sunshine and then you turn the corner and it was literally January.
"And the atmosphere, there was a lot of dry ice, it seemed psychologically freezing.
"So we don't just have snow this year, like I always say. It was dangerous snow, high drama where it really affects and endangers people, and affects the plot."
Who else is in the cast?
The rest of the Christmas special cast is as follows:
- Kulvinder Ghir (Still Open All Hours) — Kulvir Sharma, a former Indian air force navigator.
- Christopher Harper (Coronation Street) — Geoffrey Franklin, Trixie’s brother.
- Libby Rodliffe (Best Interests) — Brenda Shelby, a woman expecting a baby.
- George Howard (Sherwood) — Vincent Shelby, Brenda's husband.
- Dugald Bruce-Lockhart (The Crown) — Mr Mathers, a doctor.
- Donna Coulling (Emmerdale) — Aggie, Brenda's mother.
- Beth Dillon (Pistol) — Toni Douglas, who’s also pregnant; the father is away at sea.
- Jenny Agutter — Sister Julienne
- Laura Main — Shelagh Turner
- Linda Bassett — Nurse Phyllis Crane
- Judy Parfitt — Sister Monica Joan
- Megan Cusack — Nancy Corrigan
- Zephryn Taitte — Cyril Robinson
- Georgie Glen — Miss Higgins
- Olly Rix — Matthew Aylward
- Rebecca Gethings — Sister Veronica
- Cliff Parisi — Fred Buckle
- Annabelle Apsion — Violet Buckle
- Daniel Laurie — Reggie Jackson
- Alice Brown — Angela Turner
- April Rae Hoang — May
- Francesca Fullilove — Colette Corrigan
- Max Macmillan — Timothy Turner
- Edward Shaw — Edward "Teddy" Turner
- Archie O'Callaghan — Jonty Aylward
- Dame Vanessa Redgrave — the voice of Jennifer Worth
When is the Call the Midwife Christmas special on BBC One?
The Call the Midwife Christmas special will air on Christmas Day.
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The show starts at 8.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
All 12 series of Call the Midwife are also available to stream on the BBC iPlayer.
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