With a confirmed Sunday, April 2, 2016 date set for the return of the ladies of Nonnatus House to PBS, the 5th series of Call the Midwife will hit the BBC One schedule on Sunday, 17 January in the UK. While series 5 will have it’s share of lighter moments such as Trixie taking on a side gig running an aerobics class in an attempt to teach the women of Poplar about their bodies, it promises to be one of the most gut-wrenching series to date. Nothing short of what audiences have come to expect over the first four series, equal parts of uplifting AND upsetting.

Several months removed from the Christmas special that ran on BBC One and PBS over the December holidays, it’s now 1961 in Poplar as series 5 begins with Easter fast-approaching which, basically, means more work and more babies. One such delivery, however, brings with it its own set of shocks as the first video trailer below hints at the devastating effects of Thalidomide, the drug Dr Turner was seen prescribing at the end of series four for a patient’s morning sickness.

When the baby is born with severe deformities, the mother refuses to reject her new-born child, the father struggles to come to terms with the harsh realities of his daughter’s problems. Support and intervention from Sister Mary Cynthia, Dr Turner and Shelagh proves invaluable as they try to rebuild this loving family.

Known for its practice of never shying away from a difficult subject, the new series of Call the Midwife will not disappoint as ‘change’ will continue to be a major theme of the series.

Call the Midwife 5 returns 17 January on BBC One and Sunday, April 2, 2016 on PBS.

In: Drama