Heidi Thomas

Renee Bailey (Mood) and Natalie Quarry (Doctors) will play the new pupils, Joyce Highland and Rosalind Clifford. Both young characters are excited to embark on the new chapter in their careers together, even sharing a room in Nonnatus House.

Joyce hails from Trinidad and has set her sights on becoming Matron of a British hospital. She's smart, hardworking and kind-hearted, despite a traumatic past that the BBC hints will eventually come to light.

As Call the Midwife still has the nation crying happy tears, the BBC has commissioned two further series.

It means that the heart-warming period drama, which is nearing the end of its 12^th series, will air on the BBC until 2026.

Celebrating the announcement, Heidi Thomas, creator and writer of the series, said: “I’m overjoyed by the news that the doors of Nonnatus House will be open for a few more years! Call the Midwife is the pride and joy of all who work on it, but it’s our fantastic, loyal audience that matters most.

With series ten premiering on Sunday 18 April and series 11 soon to start filming, Call The Midwife will now be on air until 2024.

Series 12 and 13 will consist of eight 60 minute episodes and two Christmas specials.

Creator, Writer and Executive Producer, Heidi Thomas, said: “It’s an incredible privilege to be able to look back on a decade of Call The Midwife, and yet know that our journey is still very far from over.

Veteran arts programme The South Bank Show has celebrated the best of TV drama from its earliest days. In the very first series it aired a film on Dennis Potter. Since then, Andrew Davies, Paul Abbott, Jimmy McGovern and Sally Wainwright have all featured.

Melvyn Bragg was talking at a special live edition of The South Bank Show, featuring four of the UK’s leading TV writers – Jed Mercurio (writer and creator of hit police corruption thriller Line of Duty); Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith (black comedy anthology Inside No. 9); and Heidi Thomas (period drama Call the Midwife) – discussing their craft.