Call the Midwife fans who are missing the beloved BBC series can now binge-watch a similar medical drama for free. The Yorkshire-based show, which captivated audiences every Sunday night for almost a decade, has a worthy substitute available on ITVX.
Call the Midwife Season Finale and Future Plans
The latest series of Call the Midwife wrapped in March with the death of Sister Monica Joan, portrayed by Judy Parfitt, leaving the future of Nonnatus House uncertain. The show, which launched in 2012, tells compelling stories of childbirth, social challenges, deprivation, medical advances, and life-threatening health conditions. Set from the 1950s through the 1970s, it is written and created by Heidi Thomas and based on the memoirs of nurse Jennifer Worth, exploring medical challenges faced by the local Poplar community when the NHS was still relatively new.
Call the Midwife has been renewed for season 16, and a special prequel series following the convent during World War Two is in production. Additionally, a movie set abroad is planned, giving fans much to anticipate. In the meantime, viewers are encouraged to watch The Royal, a spin-off from the much-loved show Heartbeat.
What is The Royal About?
The Royal is a medical drama centered on St Aidan's Royal Free Hospital, serving a local coastal town and surrounding areas. It aired from 2003 to 2011, boasting 87 episodes filled with moments of laughter and heart-wrenching scenes. Set in the 1960s, the show focuses on medical issues and the moral dilemmas emergencies bring.
Cast members include Robert Daws (known for Poldark) as Dr. Gordon Ormerod, Linda Armstrong (Emmerdale) as Sister Brigid, Michelle Hardwick (Emmerdale's Vanessa) as Lizzie Hopkirk, and Amy Robbins (Coronation Street's Christina Boyd) as Dr. Jill Weatherill.
Fan Reviews
On IMDB, fans have praised The Royal. One wrote: "Fantastic show. I binged the first season over a weekend and fell in love with this show." Another said: "The Royal centres around a recreation of the medical past." A third added: "This show is amazingly good. The songs from the 60's are tastefully interwoven throughout." Another reviewer described it as "interesting and absorbing medical drama" set in a small community hospital in northern England during the swinging 60s.
Call the Midwife is available to stream on BBC iPlayer, while The Royal can be streamed on ITVX.
