How to watch
Call the Midwife Watch Order in the correct order
How to watch Call the Midwife in order
Last updated: September 30 2026
Written by: ChronoAlice
Call the Midwife is the beloved BBC period drama about nurse-midwives serving London's East End. With many seasons and annual Christmas specials, this guide lays out the best order to follow the nuns and nurses of Nonnatus House.
Call the Midwife follows a group of nurse-midwives and the nuns of Nonnatus House as they care for expectant mothers in the impoverished Poplar district of London, beginning in the late 1950s. Based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, the heartfelt series has become one of Britain's most cherished dramas, chronicling social change one delivery at a time.
π Release Order
Release order follows the regular seasons interspersed with the show's traditional Christmas specials, which air between series.
- Series 1 (2012)
- Annual Christmas specials (2012 onward, between each series)
- Series 2 through the latest series (2013 onward)
Because the show advances year by year through the 1950s and 1960s, its story chronology closely follows the broadcast order, specials included.
π Story Chronology
Story chronology follows each series in order, with the Christmas special that precedes a new series acting as its lead-in.
- Series 1 (2012) β set in 1957
- Each Christmas special β watch before the series that follows it
- Subsequent series β advancing through the late 1950s and 1960s
Which Order Should You Choose?
Watch Call the Midwife in broadcast order, starting with Series 1, and be sure to slot each Christmas special into place before the series it precedes. The specials aren't optional extras β they continue the ongoing storylines and often introduce important developments, so viewing them in sequence keeps the timeline intact. Follow the episodes as they aired and you'll journey smoothly through the decades with Nonnatus House.
π Related Guides
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