It's been another busy year for the cast and creators of Call the Midwife, who have once again stolen hearts with a festive episode to remember.
Loyal fans will know that the show has delivered a Christmas Special every year since 2012, however, there is some unexpected news looking ahead to 2026, as creator and lead writer Heidi Thomas has confirmed there will be no traditional Christmas Special next year.
Why there will be no Call the Midwife Christmas Special in 2026
Speaking to press ahead of the Series 16 launch, Heidi explained: "No, there won't be a Christmas special next Christmas – not in the traditional mold, so all of us get to enjoy our Christmas Day that little bit more, which is nice."
She continued: "Because it can be nerve-wracking going out every year, especially when your whole family sit and watch it, like mine do, because they've never seen it before. And it's like, I cook Christmas dinner sometimes and I've cooked for up to 16 people. I'm covered in gravy like every other mum in Britain, and then when all the other mums in Britain say, 'Now it's me time', I sit down and it's Call the Midwife!"
The reason for the omission has a very special reason, though, as the long-running drama is preparing to begin filming both a prequel series and a feature film, which have now entered pre-production.
"This is really just a very temporary pause in the usual pattern," clarified Heidi. "You know, 15 years! I don't think any other show has produced a series every year for that period of time.
"You hear about other shows maybe celebrating a 10th anniversary, but they might have done four or five series in that time, and not necessarily as many episodes as we do. So I think this is just a lovely opportunity for us to sort of press pause and refresh a little bit and come back with even more exciting things."
What will the new Call the Midwife series and prequel be about?
The upcoming film will be set overseas in 1972 and will feature characters from the existing TV series. Meanwhile, the prequel will travel further back in time, exploring life in Poplar in 1939 during World War II.
"The film is already in preparation for pre-production," said Heidi. "But viewers will see the prequel [series] first, then we'll see the film with this cast set in 1972, and then series 16 will be in 1973, sometime in the future."
What happens in the Call the Midwife 2025 Christmas Special?
Fans can rest assured there is still plenty of Call the Midwife content to enjoy, starting with the epic 2025 Christmas Special, which aired in two parts across Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
In this year's festive story, members of Nonnatus House travel to Hong Kong on a mercy mission after tragedy strikes, while the younger midwives, led by Trixie, hold the fort back in Poplar.
The two-hour special also marked the first meeting between Doctor and Shelagh Turner and their adopted daughter May's birth mother, Esther Tang, as well as May's brother, Christopher.
Call the Midwife season 15 will premiere on Sunday 11 January at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.