9 Things to Remember Before 'Call the Midwife' Season 14 Premieres

Get out your dancing shoes because it's officially 1970 in Poplar. The doctors, nuns, nurses, and midwives of Call the Midwife enter the new decade in the upcoming Season 14. While the new decade brings medical advancements, it also brings more complicated politics and new enemies for Nonnatus House. The Isle of Dogs protests will be a major obstacle for the midwives this season and a brewing confrontation with the Board of Health. 

Before we discuss what to expect in the new season, it would help to refresh our memory on what happened in Season 13 and the supersized Christmas special. The previous season was also a big one for our favorite people in Poplar, as Trixie (Helen George) faced a crossroads in her marriage to Matthew (Olly Rix), Mrs. Buckle (Annabelle Apsion) made big political moves, and Nonnatus House faced funding issues. 

There were also significant personal developments for Nancy (Megan Cusack), The Turners, and Cyril (Zephryn Taitte). It was almost a year ago since the Season 13 finale and there's been an overwhelming amount of news since the 2024 Christmas special. So don't worry if you can't remember all the major headlines from Season 13 Poplar. Here's everything you must remember about Call the Midwife before the medical period drama returns on March 30. 

The biggest headline of Call the Midwife Season 13 was that Trixie left London. Matthew's financial portfolio collapsed, and they lost everything in England, but he was given a lifeline. The catch was that Matthew had to move to New York to supervise the new business venture. Trixie debated whether she would follow or not but ultimately decided the family needed to stay together. The move is supposed to be temporary, but technically Trixie now calls New York home. 

Matthew and baby Jonty are still stateside, but Trixie returned for the 2024 Christmas special and will be seen in Season 14. She has every intention of returning to London full-time and thus wants to keep her midwifery license up to date. She may have one foot on the other coast, but we haven't had to say goodbye to her yet! 

Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) went to request new funding for Nonnatus House from the Board of Health to make imperative house repairs in the Christmas special but was told the Board of Health was looking at the nuns with new scrutiny. The Board doesn't see the point in having a religious order provide healthcare as venereal diseases are increasing and abortions are becoming more in demand. The nuns and midwives of Nonnatus House may not perform abortions, but they've otherwise been very liberal in providing care for the community. If the Board of Health pulls its funding, it may not be able to survive the incoming modern age. 

The new decade also means women's rights! In Season 13, the junior nurses and midwives joined the nurses' union to protest for higher wages. That fight will continue in Season 14 as Poplar and England, in general, face a nursing shortage. Nurses are essential workers, but they do not make enough money to make the job feasible. However, unionizing comes with risks, so we'll see how that plays out in the upcoming season. 

Nonnatus House will have at least one person high up on the Poplar political food chain to help in the upcoming battle, and that is Mrs. Buckle. Our resident shopkeeper won her campaign for mayor in Season 13 and is trying to do good for the community around her. She will definitely have her hands full in the upcoming season with the Isle of Dogs protests, but she should be able to exercise some political muscle if the nuns need it. 

Nancy took a few seasons to fully settle into Nonnatus House, but she and Colette (Francesca Fullilove) have finally made it their home. So it was about time for Nancy to find some love and happiness outside of The Order in the latest Christmas special. She met a charming man named Roger (Conor O'Donnell) and the two instantly became very serious. There are wedding bells in the air for the happy couple, according to the Season 14 trailer. 

The Christmas special did not bring similar news for Cyril. He received a letter from his wife, who is still on the islands. It seems that long distance has taken a toll on their relationship, and he no longer feels the spark from her letters. Will Cyril go across the ocean to rekindle things, or are we at the beginning of the end for the formerly happy couple? It's clear that Cyril isn't happy with how things are going so something needs to change. 

Miss Higgins (Georgie Glen) also had some family revelations in Season 13. She was introduced to her adult son Victor, who traveled to England from India to get treatment for his advanced kidney issues. However, by the time he made it to Poplar, the disease had spread too far for the doctors to save him. Miss Higgins was by his side when he died, which was heartbreaking, but Victor's arrival also meant that Miss Higgins was able to meet her grandson, Harry (Eisa Latif). He is studying to be a dentist in Liverpool and came to spend Christmas with her.

An eventful day at the beach in Season 13 led to May Turner (April Rae Hoang) having a brief stint in the hospital after she swallowed too much seawater. The health scare triggered an investigation into the Turner home and jeopardized May's adoption, but a few home visits and better communication with May's birth mother led to the young girl's adoption being fully finalized. We shouldn't be getting any more scares like that going forward. 

Call the Midwife Season 14 premieres on most PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel on Sunday, March 30, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET. The series has already been streaming as an early weekly release on PBS Passport for members since Friday, February 28, 2025, and will stream the finale in mid-April. The series will stream on the PBS app and the PBS Masterpiece Channel weekly through mid-May. As always, check your local listings.