CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 2020
Please feel free to comment on my review.
2020 was a year where I reviewed more ‘Call the Midwife’ episodes than usual. As well as reviewing the Series 9 episodes in early 2020, I checked out Series 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 as well as the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Christmas Specials. I saw the 2020 Christmas Special before the year finished. 🙂
At that time, I saw the 2016 Christmas Special before the 2020 one and I was looking forward to checking out Series 6 in 2021. At this point, I’m looking forward to checking out Series 10 of ‘Call the Midwife’ on DVD and it won’t be long before the 2021 Christmas Special and Series 11 comes along.
The 2020 ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas Special was transmitted on Christmas Day in that year. I greatly enjoyed watching it. I admit that I was dubious about there being a ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas Special in 2020, since the global pandemic which involved Covid-19 happened in that year.
Production on the 2020 Christmas Special and Series 10 had been delayed because of the pandemic. I didn’t think that new ‘Call the Midwife’ episodes and other TV shows which I liked were going to happen. Thankfully and surprisingly, it did happen. The 2020 Christmas Special was eventually made.
Transmission of Series 10 on BBC TV was later than usual in 2021, but at least ‘Call the Midwife’ fans were promised that they would be in receipt of Series 10 (albeit in a reduced form of seven episodes instead of eight). At least it wasn’t six episodes which was how Series 1 of ‘Call the Midwife’ started.
A pity Series 10 didn’t get the full complement of episodes that they usually had in previous seasons compared to Series 6 of ‘Grantchester’, which has six and two more episodes. I did wonder how the ‘Call the Midwife’ production team would make their 2020 Christmas Special and Series 10 possible.
This was due to the Covid-19 restrictions and limitations in place for making film and TV productions. And it isn’t just with UK TV productions like ‘Call the Midwife’, ‘Grantchester’ and the new ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ TV series, but also for global productions e.g. live-action Disney+ shows.
I don’t fully understand how the making of a TV/film programme under tight Covid conditions works. It involves the cast and crew filming in a bubble, I believe. Yet, it’s impressive how the ‘Call the Midwife’ production team were able to make their 2020 Christmas Special under those conditions. 🙂
It can’t have been easy. I wouldn’t like that to be the ideal working environment for any cast and crew member for a film or a TV production. At this point, I hope there will come a point where film and TV crews don’t need to abide by strict guidelines and are able to film in a relaxed atmosphere. 🙂
As I watched the 2020 Christmas Special itself that Christmas evening, I wondered if things would be awkward in terms of the cast members having to do a lot of social distancing whilst performing. But surprisingly and with a lot of coordinated effort and clever camerawork, it seemed to work out well.
I applaud the cast for having to cope with abiding by government guidance whilst filming the ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas Special. It’ll be interesting to see how it works out in Series 10. By the second half of the Christmas Special, I almost forgot the cast and crew were filming under tight conditions. 🙂
It was a great joy to see most of the ‘Call the Midwife’ cast back in this special, including Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne, Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane, Helen George as Trixie, Leonie Elliott as Lucille, Laura Main as Shelagh, Stephen McGann as Dr. Turner, and Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan. A great joy indeed!
There’s also Cliff Parisi as Fred Buckle, Annabelle Apsion as Violet Buckle, Fenella Woolgar as Sister Hilda, Ella Bruccoleri as Sister Frances, Daniel Laurie as Reggie, Zephryn Taitte as Cyril and George Glen as Miss Higgins. A lot of these cast members have been mainstays in the show since it began. 🙂
In the special, the circus comes to Poplar, brightening everyone at Christmas time. Sadly, Sister Monica Joan gets rushed into hospital whilst Shelagh is delighted to be reacquainted with an old friend who’s about to have a baby. Trixie meanwhile has an unusual gift to subscribe to a marriage bureau.
After hearing the 2020 ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas Special being green-lit, I didn’t think there was much to interest me. I thought it was going to be mundane. Thankfully, the special has a guest star I was excited about – Peter “There’s always something to look at if you open your eyes!” Davison!!! 😀
From seeing Peter as Tristan in the original ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ series; as the Fifth Doctor in ‘Doctor Who’; and at conventions over the years, I couldn’t be happier to see him in ‘Call the Midwife’. My Christmas became happier in seeing my favourite ‘Doctor Who’ in this drama series. 🙂
Christmas Day 2020 was Peter Davison-filled for me. As well as the ‘Call the Midwife’ 2020 Christmas Special, I also enjoyed Peter in my vinyl edition of ‘1963: Fanfare For The Common Men’ with Sarah Sutton. It’s a Christmas that I cherish greatly in checking Peter out on both on audio/vinyl and on the TV.
Peter guest stars as Mr. Percival, the ringmaster of the circus that comes to Poplar. It was lovely to see Peter as a ringmaster. I enjoyed the story he had about being concerned for his daughter, Lizzy Watts as Jacquetta Elings, who’s about to have her baby. His scenes are standout for me from this. 🙂
There are also some nice scenes between Peter’s character and Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane. Mr. Percival gives Nurse Crane her dream to try out being on a trapeze at his circus. I did wonder if that was Linda Bassett on the trapeze or if it was a stunt woman. It could have been both in this regard. 🙂
It depends on how that scene was filmed under Covid restrictions. I’m thankful that Nurse Crane didn’t end up injuring herself in the special. 😀 It also showcases an interesting side to Nurse Crane, since she’s usually prim and proper and she’s allowed to enjoy herself for a change in this special. 😀
I was concerned when Mr. Percival was coughing a lot due to his smoking cigarettes. I hope Peter was acting-coughing and not actually coughing due to what’s been going on with the pandemic. 😀 I’m sure he’s alright. 🙂 It’s also surreal to see how Peter is made to look older than usual in real-life.
I must admit, I did feel things were a bit slow in terms of setting up the story arc for Peter Davison as Mr. Percival in the special’s first half. Thankfully, by the time we reach the second half of the special, it became more interesting and I’m really glad Peter had a meatier role to play with in his character.
The other subplots in the special are good too. It’s sad that Sister Monica Joan got hospitalised when she had her accident in the special. Apparently, Sister Monica Joan has been watching ‘Doctor Who’ lately. So it’s Christmas 1965 here, so that must mean that she’s watching ‘The Daleks’ Master Plan’.
It was also nice to see Shelagh reunite with Katie Lyons as Gloria Venables from Series 6, Episode 4. At that point when watching the Christmas Special on TV, I hadn’t seen Series 6 yet. Having watching the Christmas Special again on DVD, I do appreciate Shelagh and Gloria’s friendship from that episode.
I also enjoyed Trixie’s story in where she tries to find a suitable match to please her godmother. I don’t know if this is an ongoing thing carrying on into Series 10, but it didn’t seem to go well for Trixie being subscribed to a marriage bureau. I wonder if Trixie will ever find a suitable match in life.
I was saddened to discover that Jennifer Kirby’s Valerie didn’t return to ‘Call the Midwife’ in both the 2020 Christmas Special and Series 10. I’m glad a reference was made to her in the special, since it felt so abrupt and she didn’t have a proper farewell at the end of Series 9 where she lost her gran. 😦
Apparently, Valerie is now working at the Hope Clinic in South Africa. Will Valerie ever return to ‘Call the Midwife’? I hope it’s not a definite exit for her. I’m not sure what the reason was for Jennifer Kirby not returning to play Valerie in the TV series, but I imagine the Covid-19 pandemic was a contributing factor.
So yes! The 2020 Christmas Special of ‘Call the Midwife’ was worth-watching. I’m amazed how the cast and crew made the special under tough conditions and it was great to see Peter Davison make a guest star appearance in it. It was one of the highlights of Christmas Day for me after a tough year. 🙂
Cuddles: And I liked the dog who appeared in the Christmas Special! He was very good! Wuff!
I was looking forward to what will happen next in Series 10 of the show. In 2021, my parents and I made a conscious decision to see Series 6, 7, 8 and 9 before we revisited the 2020 Christmas Special and checked out Series 10 on DVD. At this point, I’m hoping Series 10 will be enjoyable to check out.
On Disc 3 of the Series 10 DVD of ‘Call the Midwife’, there’s a behind-the-scenes ‘Christmas Special Featurette’ looking into the making of the 2020 Christmas Special with cast and crew interviews.
‘Christmas Special 2020’ rating – 9/10
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