Call the Midwife Christmas Special 2016: the nuns of Nonnatus House head to South Africa

The heart-warming period drama is back, and it’s headed for sunny climes
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Ben Travis25 December 2016

For its opening few minutes, the Call the Midwife Christmas special offers a picture-perfect winter scene.

There are flurries of snow, a visit from Santa, and a Christmas tree in the corner.

But it doesn’t take long before the nuns of Nonnatus House venture off to sunnier climes – the plains of South Africa.

It’s 1962, and a mission hospital in the Eastern Cape is in dire need of some helping hands. Cue Sister Julienne, Trixie, Barbara and more heading off to try and make things right.

BBC/Neal Street/Coco Van Oppens

This 90-minute festive episode offers a brilliantly conceived change of scenery for the show – and what scenery it is.

The special was shot on location near Cape Town, among stunning mountains, and desert plains. The sweltering heat is palpable – and considering the December chill, you might find yourself wishing for summer.

One thing Call the Midwife has done expertly in the past is exploring social issues – Series 5 especially as the timeline moved into the Sixties – and the Christmas episode is no different, with the characters encountering South Africa in the grip of Apartheid.

Call the Midwife - Christmas Special 2016- Trailer - BBC One

But it's not all serious stuff. There are moments of fish-out-of-water comedy too – goats in the road, Trixie trying to stop her make-up from melting off, and rogue spiders – that make for a warm watch.

Best of all, the show will be back for a full eight-episode series in 2017 – and it’s heading into interesting territory again.

According to show creator Heidi Thomas, the Nonnatus House crew will be facing “the beacon of the pill, the shadow of the Kray twins, the lure of independence and the call to duty” when it returns for good.

BBC One, Christmas Day, 8pm

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