One of the hits of our recent trek to Liverpool for the 2012 BBC Showcase was the opportunity to screen the hit new kid on the BBC drama block, Call the Midwife. The series, which follows a group of midwives working in London’s East End in the 1950s and stars the likes of Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris, Miranda Hart and Jessica Raine has just been commissioned for a second season having finished its first series tho past Sunday.

With Call the Midwife already heralded as the most successful drama on the BBC since 2001, BBC One controller, Danny Cohen, has targeted the runaway hit for a long-term commitment with the thought that it could become the future Sunday evening franchise that the BBC needs much like Downton Abbey was for ITV this past Fall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfH3NDLZmpE

Sunday’s finale was seen by just over 9 million people. With recorded viewings on both DVR and iPlayer numbers still yet to be counted, the hope is that the numbers will exceed 11 million, surpassing Downton Abbey numbers.

The series should be working its way to America soon, hopefully, with a home on PBS stations nationwide.