Will there still be a ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas special this year?

The creator of Call the Midwife has given fans an update on the show’s production.

The BBC’s hit period drama series about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London returned earlier this year in the UK with a ninth season.

With another two seasons of Call the Midwife already commissioned, filming was set to begin in Surrey, England in March.

However, it was recently announced that production on Season 10 had been suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Executive producer Dame Pippa Harris explained: “Our priority is the safety of our amazing cast and crew, and we don’t believe that shooting at the current time is feasible or responsible.”

The first episode due to be shot was this year’s Christmas special.

Call the Midwife has aired on Christmas Day every year since 2012.

While it’s impossible to tell at this point how events will unfold over the coming months, the Call the Midwife team are still optimistic that this 2019’s festive episode will go ahead.

Writer and creator Heidi Thomas told RadioTimes: “Like everyone, the Call the Midwife family are currently following government advice and living life very differently.”

She said: “Our sets may be under lock and key, and our producers working from home, but we haven’t abandoned our posts! Scripts are still being written, and we will start filming as soon as circumstances allow.”

Thomas added: “The Christmas Special is our absolute priority, and we are determined to get it on screen on Christmas Day.”

Call the Midwife isn’t the only production to be postponed due to the current crisis, with the sixth season of Peaky Blinders and the next Fantastic Beasts movie also shutting down last month.

Fortunately, the fourth season of The Crown was able to rush through its final scenes and filming has been completed.

The ninth season of Call the Midwife is currently airing in the US on PBS Masterpiece on Sunday evenings.

Check out this brilliant official board game if you’re stuck at home self-isolating right now!

Season 9 is available on DVD on Amazon.