Call the midwife

[royboy]

That's how 1957 was for some people

They didn't have many jet planes in 1937

Steve

They didn't have many jet passenger aircraft in 1957 either! The Boeing 707 (which I presume was what the aircraft shown in episode 1 was supposed to be), went into general service in 1958.
Does anyone know what aircraft was ACTUALLY shown in Call the Midwife?
Apart from that, the period detail was excellent - shame that (IMHO) the storyline got a bit tedious after 30 minutes. What Larks Rise next week I wonder...

[Nick Dando]

It didn't have the engines on pylons beneath the wings, as far as I could make out, so I'd say that they'd done their homework and used the CGI toolbox to create a de Havilland Comet, the first commercial jet airliner.

Nick

[Freddy]

Captured the image and enlarged it, looks like a Boeing 707 with the engines beneath the wings. The dark tail suggests BOAC markings but that would be wrong as BOAC introduced the 707 into its fleet in 1960.

[bobsterkent]

I missed the first episode but so glad i got the second one.

[Mark O]

Does anyone know where the Docklands filming was done at all?...........where the kids play and mothers gossip, I must say the kids seem very well dressed when they're playing, no threadbare jumpers, and the kids faces are too clean, no 'mucky chops', lol.

Somehow I don't think it's London's East end, somewhere else standing in for it.

[bobsterkent]

I saw a report that it was filmed in Chatham Dockyard.

[CaptainWaggett]

At last, Call the Midwife has put our work centre stage | Terri Coates | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

[Freddy]

At last, Call the Midwife has put our work centre stage | Terri Coates | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Ah yes, but for the last thirty years librarians have had Timothy Lumsden as their role model, (so long as it wasn't his bath night)

[CaptainWaggett]

Ah yes, but for the last thirty years librarians have had Timothy Lumsden as their role model, (so long as it wasn't his bath night)

[julian_craster]

Yes, they can be quite lovely when they take their specs off and stop cataloguing .......

Christopher Gable to Twiggy, as he removes her specs and looks into her eyes : 'But you're beautiful ! ' (scene from Ken Russell's The Boy Friend).....

[Mr Sloane]

Yes, they can be quite lovely when they take their specs off and stop cataloguing .......

Christopher Gable to Twiggy, as he removes her specs and looks into her eyes : 'But you're beautiful ! ' (scene from Ken Russell's The Boy Friend).....

The problem with The Boyfriend is not Twiggy's cataloguing it is her caterwauling.

[Mark O]

I saw a report that it was filmed in Chatham Dockyard.

Cheers bob, that sounds feasible, I've been to the Dickens world but didn't have time to look at the adjoining dockyard, a good excuse for another visit!

[Mark O]

Yesterday evening's episode was a bit of a weepy with Roy Hudd's character going through what he went through, oh my, no one who watched it could have failed to be moved, British drama at it's best I guess, something I'm wondering is when the Nuns gather for their singing (Vespers?) is it the voices of the actresses themselves or another source?, if it is them they're very harmonious I must say.

Glad to see Miranda Hart's character 'Chummy' may have found love with the Policeman, I hope so, I was a little perturbed when I read that her character from the original books was based on a Nurse who look liked 'a man in drag', I wonder how Miranda felt when she learned of this, being her first straight acting role, I expect after initial surprise she took it in good spirit, no wonder I love her so much!

[Freddy]

Women of a certain age often have telephone voices which match Celia Johnson.

[Steve Crook]

Yesterday evening's episode was a bit of a weepy with Roy Hudd's character going through what he went through, oh my, no one who watched it could have failed to be moved, British drama at it's best I guess, something I'm wondering is when the Nuns gather for their singing (Vespers?) is it the voices of the actresses themselves or another source?, if it is them they're very harmonious I must say.

And they're all singing the prayer to the same tune. Is the tune written in their prayer books?

It was a bit weepy with Roy Hudd's old guardsman. But I thought that the white couple who had the black baby were a bit too twee. It did used to happen, but it wasn't often taken so well

Steve

[Windyridge]

And they're all singing the prayer to the same tune. Is the tune written in their prayer books?

But I thought that the white couple who had the black baby were a bit too twee. It did used to happen, but it wasn't often taken so well Steve

Yes, soooo predictable. And the baby was completely black, not mixed race. Again, sloppy direction!! I know, Shut up Windyridge....

[Mark O]

And they're all singing the prayer to the same tune. Is the tune written in their prayer books?

hmmm, you got me on that one Steve!.........maybe Nuns learn the tunes after taking their vows, I'm guessing the thespians had voice coaching.

It was a bit weepy with Roy Hudd's old guardsman. But I thought that the white couple who had the black baby were a bit too twee. It did used to happen, but it wasn't often taken so well

Steve

As Windyridge, I also thought the baby wasn't a genuine mixed-race child, maybe one wasn't available for filming, but it was sweet of the father to immediately accept little Edward as his own, as the saying goes, to err is natural, to forgive is divine.

[Windyridge]

it was sweet of the father to immediately accept little Edward as his own, as the saying goes, to err is natural, to forgive is divine.

He was a bit bonkers if you ask me. He seemed away with the fairies for most of the ep.

[Rick C]

If its of any relevance, the author of the original story the late Jennifer Worth was the guest in 2008 on the Radio 3 Desert Islands Discs programme "Private Passions" repeated last Sunday to coincide with the TV version. BBC Radio 3, Sunday 29 January @ 12 noon. Maybe still on the i-player.