Call the Midwife reveals 'tricky' filming obstacle in series 14 update

Call the Midwife has revealed a "tricky" aspect of filming in a new update on the upcoming 14th season.

The period drama's social media page shared a look behind the scenes of the new series, showing Rebecca Gethings, who plays Sister Veronica, filming in London.

The caption detailed how shooting a period drama on-location in the capital can be difficult due to the traffic, noise and modern look of the city.

"As our team race through filming for Series 14, they have had reasons to leave the film studio, and head for locations in the sprawling London metropolis," the post began.

"This isn't something new for us - although it's often been tricky for us to achieve. As you might imagine, not much of the old Poplar remains - being transformed by post-war town planning and urban slum clearance. Locations have had to be carefully chosen, and allowances made for the busy traffic and noise of the capital! For that reason, we usually film our exterior shots in the familiar, age-appropriate, and more congenial surroundings of the Historic Dockyard in Chatham, Kent."

The caption continued: "As the years roll by, however, our needs have begun to change. Series 14 is now in 1970 - a time when much of the old brick terraces of Poplar had already disappeared - to be replaced by imposing concrete high-rise flats and rapid road building. It was now the height of urban post-war modernism - yet our nurses and midwives were still tasked with their traditional role of care in the community. Their task of navigating warrens of grimy victorian slums had been replaced by the need to visit mothers on high floors - whether the lifts were working or not!"

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The post went on to say that while the landscape has changed, Sister Veronica's Nonnatus habit remains the same. "While the landscape changes - and even the mode of transport changes! - the work of the Nonnatus House sisters does not. A mother will always need her midwife - no matter how high she may now live, or how many stairs there may be to reach her," concluded the post.

The cast recently returned from their annual summer break to resume filming on the BBC show, which returns in December with a Christmas special and then in 2025 with the new series.

While an official synopsis has yet to be released, creator and writer Heidi Thomas revealed that the new episodes will take place in 1970. "Series 14 is set in 1970, launching us into an exciting new decade," she said, adding: "We can't wait to bring you another season full of touching, exciting, emotional stories from Nonnatus House."

Much of the main cast will be reprising their roles in the new series, including Stephen McGann, Laura Main, Helen George and Georgie Glen.