Call the Midwife creator Heidi Thomas has revealed if she’d ever leave the BBC, after receiving a “constant” array of “wonderful opportunities” from streaming services, including Netflix.
Speaking at a press Q&A, Thomas, who has been at the helm of Call The Midwife since 2012, said: “Why would I give it up for something that’s a shot in the dark?”
“I’ve always had things to say, and I’ve always had brilliant people to say it for me, quite literally. This is my job of a lifetime – I’ve probably spent half my lifetime doing it – and that’s not going to change,” she noted (via Radio Times).
“To work with other women, to be able to tell stories about women and the working classes and the disabled and about newcomers to this country, I feel incredibly privileged to have had this material to work with.
“And… the streamers don’t necessarily give anybody that because it’s all a puff of smoke in the dark. Anything on a streamer comes like a firework and vanishes like a firework.
BBC
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“And this [Call the Midwife] is solid, isn’t it? It’s solid,” Thomas continued. “It’s a building, we built it from the ground up, and there will be more stories.”
Quizzed about the financial incentives of working with streamers, Thomas replied: “It’s not about the money, it’s about values.
“I love the fact that we are a BBC show, because the BBC gives us a not unreasonable budget to work with, but we put every penny onto the screen.
BBC
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“And I think that is as it ought to be. There’s never enough time, and there’s never enough money, but what you make out of not having enough time and not having enough money is a jewel because you put thought into every gesture that you make, both on the screen and behind it. And I don’t think you can put a price on thoughtfulness.”
As of 2025, Call The Midwife has spawned 14 seasons, with a 15th on the way, which is scheduled for release in 2026. Next month, fans of the period drama will also be treated to a two-part Christmas special.
Call the Midwife airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.
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Megan is a freelance news reporter for Digital Spy.