CALL The Midwife have taken on dramatic new measures ensure that the newborn babies are protected during labour scenes.
Actress Ella Bruccoleri, who plays sister Frances in the popular BBC period drama, has lifted the lid on just one of the ways they’ve been able to keep the tots safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The cast wrapped up filming for the Christmas special back in September, six months after they had originally planned due to Covid-19.
They’ve also been filming for the tenth series, which is due to hit our screens in early 2021.
So many of us must be wondering how they’ve managed to ensure that everyone on set has as little chance of contracting the deadly bug – and especially how they’ve been able to incorporate real-life babies into the birthing scenes without any danger.
Show bosses have thought up many ways around it – using prosthetics, body doubles during filming, getting cast and crew regularly tested and incorporating protective equipment into scenes.
Actress Ella Bruccoleri revealed that they’ve had to change how they work around set.
She explained: “It’s completely different. So before, we actually got to touch the little babies, which was really nice, I really enjoyed that.
“And now we don’t get to have any contact with the babies at all, in any scenes… we have to be off set for them to come on, so it’s like a super closed set.”
The cast have also been replaced by their real-life mums during the birthing scenes so that there is as little contact as possible when needed.
She added: “It’s the mums that have to dress as us and stand in for those shots. So the mums are wearing the full habits and stuff.
“So they’ve just given birth and now they’re basically on camera… but I guess maybe in a way they feel better about that.
“Because it must be so weird, I think, handing over your new-born baby to essentially a stranger, to enact this weird reproduction of what you’ve just done with it, that’s super-weird, isn’t it?
“It’s sort of crazy for them at the minute, with the pandemic, to be coming into this environment with their tiny fragile baby.”
In the upcoming festive special, viewers will see Laura Main (Nurse Shelagh Turner) put all the new measures in place whilst filming a birthing scene for the upcoming Christmas special alongside actress Katie Lyons.
Despite being challenged with where they should both place themselves in the frame, they managed to adapt well to their surroundings and still use a real baby.
For extra precautions, Katie, who plays the mum-to-be in the episode, was tested for the virus too.
Speaking out about the scene, Laura explained: “But the alternative is not to be here, and not to be doing this, and you know – it’s amazing how quickly you start to adapt and hopefully learn these new little tricks of the trade at this current time.”
The Christmas special, which is set in December 1965, is certainly not one to miss.
As well as Nurse Shelagh being involved in a deeply moving birth, many other exciting things happen to the nurses in Popular.
Sister Monica Joan is rushed to hospital, Trixie receives a subscription to a Marriage Bureau, Nurse Crane goes out on an adventure and even the circus arrives in town.
Watch Call the Midwife this Friday at 7:40pm on BBC One.
