Sunday evening marked the return of Call The Midwife to the BBC, and viewers were reduced to tears after praising the "perfect" first episode.
Created by Heidi Thomas, the long-running series picked up after the Christmas special, which was set in Hong Kong, and returned viewers to Poplar in the 1970s. The series remains one of the BBC's longest-running dramas, with a devoted audience that has followed it for well over a decade.
Reprising their roles are Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne, Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan and Helen George as Trixie Aylward, who all come to terms with the social changes brought on by a new era.
Keep reading to find out what fans are saying about the new season…
© BBC / Neal Street Productions / Olly CourtneyHelen George returns as Trixie
What are fans saying about Call the Midwife season 15?
Fans were quick to show their appreciation for season 15 on social media, with one person calling it "absolutely perfect Sunday viewing" on X.
Meanwhile, on Instagram, one viewer penned: "Call The Midwife reducing me to tears as per usual," while another said: "The only program that puts a lump in my throat! The beautiful narration at the end gets me every time! So happy you are all back."
© BBC / Neal Street Productions / Olly CourtneyViewers were reduced to tears during the first episode
A third added: "Glorious television as ever – lovely to have you back. Daring and warm and heartbreaking and hopeful. The new series is off to a cracking start too."
Elsewhere, in its four-star review, The Telegraph praised the show for remaining: "one of the most radical, rousing shows on TV," while Digital Spy hailed the "triumphant return" that "made us cry three times".
© BBC / Neal Street Productions / Olly CourtneySeason 15 charts the Women's Liberation Movement
What happens in Call the Midwife season 15?
The series returns to Poplar in 1971, where the team at Nonnatus House grapples with a rapidly changing society that has welcomed the decimal system and launched the Women's Liberation Movement.
As well as the social changes, the nuns and midwives get back to what they know best – bringing life into the world. Newly qualified Sister Catherine cares for a mother who has severe morning sickness, while Nurse Joyce Highland tackles a sensitive child neglect case with the Kingsley family.
© BBC / Neal Street Productions / Luke RossSister Catherine helps a woman deliver a premature baby
What have the cast said about working on Call the Midwife season 15?
Speaking to press at a BBC preview event, Laura Main (who plays Shelagh Turner) reflected on the impact of showing a woman having a premature baby on screen in the first episode.
"These are the sort of conversations that don't happen, or they happen just between women. So to have that on national television at eight o'clock is so important."
She continued: "I don't think, until this programme, we really see all of these things with regularity on Sunday night at eight o'clock, and the whole family can watch it.
"I do feel really passionate about that, that it's like, yes, we're looking back at women's issues, which are always evolving and changing, but there are ultimately biological issues that get seen in this programme."
© BBC / Neal Street Productions / Olly CourtneyLinda Bassett plays Phyllis Crane
Linda Bassett, who plays Nurse Phyllis Crane, added: "This is a feminist programme, and it's never been exclusively female feminism. It's feminism for everybody. And the feminism I was engaged with certainly in the 1970s was all about men and women – everyone."
