The sparkling ensemble of nurses and nuns includes national treasure Miranda Hart as Chummy and Judy Parfitt’s eloquent Sister Monica Joan. We follow Jenny as she joins Nonnatus House, a nunnery where the inhabitants serve their East London community as midwives. Call the Midwife ’s origins can be easily traced with the best-selling book by Jennifer Worth acting as the springboard for the show, translated into the first series and a half, and her eloquent narrative framing the episodes through Vanessa Redgrave. Realism aids this careful dichotomy in both shows, with authenticity required to construct these distinct identities. As in real life, these characters shouldn’t be defined by facets of their identity or their traumas, nor should these parts of their daily existence be ignored. In establishing this strategy from their inception, the repertoire between audience and the characters was built simultaneously to the driving principles, so the two are intrinsically linked. Despite their somewhat formulaic approach to addressing different issues every episode, the engineered conversations don’t shatter the personalities crafted by the writers. These shows are well-established and loved amongst viewers and critics alike, garnering high scores on Rotten Tomatoes. This concept is far better demonstrated in more limited series, with One Day At A Time running for three seasons so far, and Call The Midwife having completed Series 8 this year. In my opinion, this is the shortcoming of long-running soaps which can run out of ideas, pack too many arcs into one character or exaggerate storylines for shock factor. Exploring different narratives can serve as a safe way to bring up controversy and taboo, but walking the line between education and escapism is tricky.

0 Perfecting the Art of Empathy in Call the Midwife and One Day At A Timeįamily television, to a certain extent, has an educational responsibility, prompting debate between generations on and off screen through the numerous hypotheticals of storytelling.

System shock midwife fan art