Stephen McGann teased that there will be “a lot of real drama” for the Turners in this year’s Christmas special.

By James Hibbs

Published: Thursday, 21 December 2023 at 15:19 PM


This year’s Call the Midwife Christmas special is just around the corner, and it looks like it’s going to be a dramatic one for the Turners, as played by Stephen McGann and Laura Main.

McGann spoke with RadioTimes.com and other press ahead of the special, and teased: “There is plenty to involve the Turners as a family this year, and there are stories that come out throughout the series.

“Let’s just say things come back to haunt the Turners and there’s a lot of real drama there.”

We already know that their adopted daughter May’s mother will be sending a parcel to the Turners from Hong Kong. Could it be something to do with this that McGann is referring to?

“There are also beautiful moments because, as you know, the Moon mission features this year,” McGann continued. “One lovely moment when Apollo 11 is landing… I’m watching with the kids, and Angela loves space, but the other kids are kind of non-committal.

“And they’re all sitting down watching it, going, ‘Is anything going to happen?’ And you’ve got Edward going, ‘Are there aliens?’ He’s very funny.”

Dr Patrick Turner (Stephen McGann), Timothy Turner (Max MacMillan) and Shelagh Turner (Laura Main) in Call the Midwife smiling against a white background
Dr Patrick Turner (Stephen McGann), Timothy Turner (Max MacMillan) and Shelagh Turner (Laura Main) in Call the Midwife.
BBC/Neal Street Productions/Nicky Johnston

Elsewhere in the special, Sister Julienne will be seen making an offer to allow Colette to move into Nonnatus House for the foreseeable future, and Sister Monica Joan will be convinced that it could be her last yuletide.

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Speaking about this storyline for Monica Joan, Sister Julienne star Jenny Agutter said: “One should recognise there are a lot of people in the population who are older and just feel that they’re never going to make it through [the winter].

“And this to an extreme extent [means she] feels she’s not going to make it through, so it’s a matter of everybody pulling together and getting around that.”

McGann added: “It’s a difficult time of year. And so when we have a character [played by the] brilliant Judy Parfitt, you have the unique opportunity to express Christmas also through elders and through reflections of [how] life has been for people.

“And all these ordinary families who will be watching at Christmas look at a community that in some way resembles their own hopes and fears.”