Yet Another Gem on PBS: "Call the Midwife"

We cancelled cable about three years ago and subscribed to Netflix.  Aside from a few cable shows like "Top Chef" that we can't seem to find anywhere or the occasional Husker football game that doesn't air on a major network, we haven't missed cable or the bill.  

Since cancelling cable, Philip and I have found some fantastic movies and television shows that we previously probably never would have given a second look.  

One of the gems that we found is "Call the Midwife" on PBS.  

Photo from PBS.org

The show chronicles the stories of the midwives and nursing nuns in 1950's London's East Side Nonnatus House.  The women live together between making bicycle house calls to the nearby pregnant women.  Each episode introduces us to new patients with quirky family members.  We watch as the midwives navigate the medical and social problems hurled at them as the patients go through pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period.  The stories range from gut-wrenching to gut-busting.  I laugh and cry several times each episode.  

We've all heard that "truth is stranger than fiction."  Knowing that the show is based Jennifer Worth's memoir makes the characters and their stories even more powerful.  The memoir was previously published as The Midwife and is now titled Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times.  

Call the Midwife cover image from Amazon.com

The show just aired the first episode of Season 2 on March 31.  Here is a 30-second video that gives you a glimpse into the show:

Watch Season 2 Preview on PBS. See more from Call the Midwife.

In my opinion, "Call the Midwife" is one of the few shows on television that:

• Convincingly and beautifully develops its characters
• Conveys their wide range of emotions
• Shares the gut-wrenching stories without being vulgar or explicit 

Season 2 of "Call the Midwife" airs on PBS through May 19, 2013 Sunday evenings at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  I hope you'll catch up on the previous episodes and start tuning in Sunday evenings to this fantastic show.  

Once you've seen a few episodes, take this fun "Which Midwife Are You?" quiz!  Are you Jenny, Chummy, Trixie, or Cynthia?  Apparently I'm Cynthia Miller.  Which Midwife Are You?

"Cynthia Miller" photo from PBS