Call the Midwife has been moving audiences since 2012 with its emotional storylines involving the midwives and medical staff in the Poplar district of London’s East End.
The characters have faced many hardships over the years but season 14 has been particularly sombre in tone, at least according to some viewers who have described the new episodes as “too sad”. For example, one episode saw a pregnant woman who is a carer to her husband (who lives in an iron lung) learn that she is dying from cancer, while in another episode a woman undergoing a sterilisation procedure dies on the operating table.
With some fans of the show calling out the BBC series for its sad storylines, Yahoo wanted to hear from our readers to find out their thoughts and they have now revealed how they see the newest season. Our readers also passed judgement on the series as a whole, and 248 shared how they would rate the new episodes out of five stars with 141 giving the series a full 5 star rating, 50 readers rated it 4 stars, while 27 gave it 3 stars.
Call the Midwife gets the tone just right
For some viewers the BBC series couldn’t be described as too sad, with some commenting on how the writing team’s realistic depiction of life at the time means it gets the tone just right.
Colin P, Croydon: “The series though not as emotionally dynamic and previous ones are true to situations which have changed over the period of time – as a late octogenarian with my wife really enjoy and shed tears at every episode – keep it going.”
June L.B, Coventry: “No not ‘too sad’ just right!”
Lin W, Kent: “Call the Midwife is about real life and hardship. We are losing the reality of life. Call the Midwife is still a great programme.”
N, Canterbury: “No, more realistic however. Perhaps a little too left politically, I don’t think many ordinary people would have supported the bin men’s strikes at the time. Also, at last the rampant racism is being shown for how awful it was in those times.
“The difficulty the show always has had is the need to overlay 21st century mindsets on the 20th century. Attitudes have always felt a little unrealistic because of this if you actually lived through those times. Hey, still my favourite show of the week!”
The show is too depressing now
Not everyone agreed though, and a number of Yahoo readers expressed their concern over how much sadder the drama has become in its most recent series.
Helen F, Southampton: “Although I realise that life was tough in Poplar, I do feel that series 14 of Call the Midwife could use a little more cheer than it has at the moment. It is good but rather sad.”
Caro P, West Sussex: “I’m finding it all a bit too depressing. I am aware that life was hard(and still is for many) but to have so many downbeat story lines all in one episode is just too much. Nigel dying just finished me off and I switched to a other channel.
“The news is depressing enough at present and the weather is grey and gloomy and Spring still seems a long way off. Need a bit of light relief on Sunday evenings to dilute all the doom and gloom.”
Jay A, London: “I think that even tho these stories are based in reality, there is a point when you think, enough. There is joy and happiness in life too, not just one disaster after another.
“It can happen that life is very boring sometimes and just carries on with nothing amazing happening. I realise this doesn’t make gripping TV but it’s a nice break from all the tragedy. I know that the saying is bad luck comes in threes, but the current series is like bad luck x 33.”
Alfie, East Midlands: “Very depressing program to watch. The constant playing of sugary sweet music doesn’t help.”
Frank H, Derbyshire: “This series has become too soppy for words.’
Call the Midwife series 14 airs Sundays at 8pm on BBC One, with episodes available on BBC iPlayer.
