Call The Midwife Season 11 recap and what to expect from season 12 of the beloved drama

Call the Midwife season 11 concluded in February 2022, and the new series is set to be released early in the new year of 2023. 

Since 2012 when Call the Midwife first began airing, fans have been hooked to this beloved show that combines heartaching and heartwarming moments. The finale of season 11 featured the Call the Midwife train crash which left fans on the edge of their seats and many wondered if their favorite characters would survive this ordeal.

Ahead of the Call the Midwife Christmas Special, and the release of season 12 in the new year, here is a quick recap of season 11 and what happened in that finale.

What happened in season 11 of Call The Midwife?

Fans are wondering who died in Call the Midwife season 11 and what else happened. Here is a swift recap of the previous season ahead of season twelve. 

Following the shocking train crash that viewers did not see coming, Lionel Corbett and Dorothy Carnie were the characters who did not survive. In the final, it was revealed that Lionel, the train driver, was the husband of Edina, a woman giving birth at Nonnatus House. It was revealed that Lionel had a brain tumor which was what caused him to fall ill and crash the train. Dorothy was the tea lady on the train whose injuries were too severe to survive. 

Other characters such as Sister Julienne and Dr. Turner were injured but survived thanks to trainee medic Timothy Turner who found them in the wreckage and tended to them.  

What to expect from Call the Midwife season 12

The episode description of episode 1 of season 12 tease a new arrival, "It is April 1968 and change is coming to Nonnatus House. The sisters intend to make a good impression on new recruit Sister Veronica. It's clear she is no shrinking violet and will ruffle a few feathers."

The episode will also explore real historic events taking place at the time. The BBC description reads, "Racial tensions cast a shadow over Poplar following Enoch Powell’s incendiary ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech. Nancy and Trixie team up to support terminally ill patient, and Fred is saddened to receive an official letter confirming the disbandment of the Civil Defence Corps."

In season 12 of the show, it is likely that Sister Julienne and Dr. Turner will still be recovering from their injuries from the previous season and dealing with the trauma of the crash. This traumatic event will likely be affecting other members of the cast as they learn to get back to normality.

It has been reported that two key members of the cast will also be leaving the show. Sister Hilda, played by Fenella Woolgar, and Sister Frances, played by Ella Bruccoleri, will be leaving the show according to reports from the Mirror. This will likely be another key aspect of the Christmas episode, and season 12 going forward.

Creator, writer and executive producer Heidi Thomas told Radio Times that fans can expect drama and new ideas in the new season. "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. We are thrilled to be going on for a few more years!" said Heidi as she teased, "Like Nonnatus House itself, we have a proud past but an even more exciting future – full of old favourites, fresh faces, higher hemlines, new ideas. The stories we tell are like babies – they never stop coming, we love them all, and we vow to do our best by every single one."

How to watch Call the Midwife season 12

Call the Midwife Series 12 will begin on New Year's Day in UK. The episode will kick off just one week following the Christmas Special and will jump straight into 1968. Call the Midwife Series 12 begins on Sunday, January 1, at 8 pm on BBC1.