‘Call the Midwife’ recap: What happened in Season 9 Episode 1?

The ninth season of Call the Midwife began in the UK tonight.

The BBC’s hit period drama series about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London is back with eight brand new episodes.

Here’s a plot recap for Season 9’s first episode, which aired at 8pm on Sunday 5th January 2020 on BBC One:

It is January 1965 and, along with the rest of the UK, the Nonnatus House team is stunned by the death of Winston Churchill.

His State Funeral procession brings millions to the capital, causing road closures and congestion, and is avidly watched on TV by Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt).

While working on night duty at the maternity home, Sister Frances (Ella Bruccoleri) is delivering a baby when suddenly there’s a power outage.

Fred (Cliff Parisi) is soon on hand to fix it, but on his way out he follows an unusual sound and finds, abandoned in a dustbin, a newborn baby.

At a run-down homeless unit, Nurse Crane (Linda Bassett) meets heavily pregnant Dena (Jenny Rainsford) and her ten year-old son Terry (Jordan Nash).

Determined to help them move into a proper home in time for baby’s arrival, Nurse Crane manages to secure them a new council flat in one of the Tower Blocks.

Meanwhile Trixie, Lucille and Valerie (Jennifer Kirby) enter a tights competition in the hopes of winning a year’s supply of hosiery.

Season 8 is available on DVD on Amazon.