Call The Midwife. Photo Credit: The Guardian UK.
That glorious show, “Downton Abbey,” sucked me in and, of course, I am awaiting the next season of it. It’s fabulously cast, perfectly written, and the settings make one want to jump on a plane to visit Highclere Castle. It is all about the rich, their servants, and the way in which they all communicate and live together under one roof owned by Lord Grantham.
They are filming the next season now and won’t be back for a while.
In the meantime, I am besotted with another group of English folks–the women, both midwives and nuns, who live in London’s East End, who are the main characters in “Call the Midwife,” also on PBS. I have cried, I have laughed, I have felt the pain of women giving birth; this show is absolutely wonderful, and is based on the memoir of the same title written by Jennifer Worth. (Magazine class: beware. We may read a bit of this next year to see how her memoir unfolds). Nevertheless, this series is fascinating, and it is written by women about women. And as an added bonus, the music is fantastic. The story begins post WWII and continues into the 1950s.
The lessons that unfold each week are priceless. Themes such as letting go, holding on, forgiving, following your dreams, doing the right thing, standing up for what you believe in, and loving someone even when they seem unlovable, are touched upon in this well-acted series.
So, if you’re bored with reality television (I seem to have tired of it about 12 years ago), you may want to do what I did, and Call the Midwife.
***
Season I is available on DVD. Season II is currently in progress.
