While Call the Midwife is taking a brief break, fans of the midwives of Nonnatus House won’t have to wait long to return to the East End. Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms is an upcoming prequel series that will transport viewers back to the early days of Nonnatus House, introducing younger versions of beloved characters while exploring the events that shaped the world of Call the Midwife.
Helmed by the franchise’s creative team, including creator and showrunner Heidi Thomas alongside executive producers Pippa Harris and Ann Tricklebank, Sisters in Arms stars Helen Schlesinger as a young Sister Monica Joan, Helena Wilson as Sister Julienne, and Amy Booth-Steel as Sister Evangelina. The series is narrated by Jenny Agutter, who reprises her role as the older Sister Julienne.
In addition to the sisters, fans will also get to see Dr. Patrick Turner (Ben Rose) as a younger man, as well as Fred Buckle (Ciaran Bowling).
Set in September 1939 as Britain stands on the brink of World War II, the prequel finds Sister Monica Joan in her prime, while Sisters Julienne and Evangelina are still new to the Order. With Nonnatus House at the heart of Poplar, the series promises to reveal how the beloved order navigated the uncertainty of wartime.
Some longtime fans of the series may already have some idea of what to expect, as Call the Midwife has revealed bits and pieces of its characters’ backstories over the years. Those clues offer hints about where the prequel is headed, allowing viewers to predict certain events and milestones. Even so, the three-part miniseries Sisters in Arms has plenty of room to fill in the gaps, revealing the formative experiences and relationships that shaped these beloved characters long before audiences first met them.
Below is everything we know so far about the beloved legacy characters set to return in Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms.
Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms, Christmas Day 2026, PBS and the PBS App