We're not big television watchers in this house; the only exceptions seem to be programmes about single males with some otherworldly powers (namely Merlin, Dr Who and Sherlock). The iplayer gets hammered a little more, but I am prone to only ever looking at the 'Factual' category and then watching something about illuminated manuscripts or dark matter until way past midnight.
However, as Mr T had been away testing his mettle against Scottish mountains and Scottish weather all weekend, I decided some r 'n' r was required on Sunday night. Birdsong was recommended (and good it was), but because I flopped in front of the tele early, when I turned on BBC1 I found myself watching Call The Midwife.
The programme could have made for me. Set in Poplar (an area of dockland London I have known for over forty years), it's all centred around the nuns of Nonnatus House, who are an Anglican order and serve through midwifery. And what nuns! There's the wise, patient Sister Jenny Agutter, the irascible, always practical Sister Pam Ferris and best of all the mad-as-a-box-of-frogs-but-makes-gnomic-utterances-so-listen-hard Sister Judy Parfitt.
Then we have the non-nun midwifes who also live and work at Nonnatus House: the glamorous one who talks about fashion and 'chaps', the swotty one who quotes Shakespeare a bit, the posh, clumsy giant who has a 'calling' and the central character, Nurse Jenny Lee, who brilliantly stalks the whole programme as a cipher, so that we can see through her eyes.
Is it all cock-er-knee-gor-blimey-hearts-of-gold guff? Definitely not entirely. The series is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, and the BBC has shirked no production values in reproducing the docks, the men and the women of the era and the realities of childbirth at that time. Episode 2 concluded with a breech delivery by a woman of 42 who actually looked at least ten years older.
There are beautiful, quiet moments as the dramatic (truly) stories progress - the nuns at Compline contrasted with street girls; a wonderful Miranda Hart (the posh midwife) hunched over a sewing machine late at night making herself a uniform that fits, looking to fit in; the rescued prostitute stroking her swelling stomach, and in a clean bed for the first time in her short life.
The shock is that all this takes place in 1957. It feels like I imagine the thirties were, but by this very year my own mother had two children with 'another on the way'. I was born just six years later. I actually, unmetaphorically, shook my head a few times as I re-pondered this fact whilst watching.
So, Call The Midwife. Great stories, great births, great nuns. Watch it if you can.
Other nun-related posts here:
http://titusthedog.blogspot.com/2009/07/weavers-inspiration-meme.html
http://titusthedog.blogspot.com/2010/08/news-bits-bobs-launches-to-come-prizes.html
Geek points: Saint Raymond Nonnatus is a Spanish saint, and the patron saint of childbirth and midwives. His name means 'not born', as he was delivered by caesarean section back in 1240.
15 comments:
I've been watching it. It's really highlights how important the introduction of the National health System was. Don't takek it for granted.
I always cry too. Tiny Babies. Weep. Will I ever grow out of that?
Bravo! And nope, it's on the X chromosome I reckon.
Sometimes you just need a little "girl time". :)
Yes, our household is rather skewed to the spear-side, but then I should be used to that...
The header pic of Titus is enough to melt any dog lover's heart. What a cutie pie!
I'm surprised the saint of midwives isn't a woman. But then this is catholicism, right?
x
Fireblossom: I shall pass on a pat.
Rachel: ah, they are quite strong on the cult of the Mother. I don't think he got his canonisation because of how he was born, but his later deeds. Pretty sure Saint Margaret trumps him as patron saint of childbirth.
I didn't watch Midwives JoAnne but I did read that it was set in 1957 and as Dominic was born in '58 it did strike me as quite scary that we accepted these conditions as the norm in those days.
I enjoyed Birdsong too. I loved the book and found the play really good too although I have read some damning reports as well as 5 star/
yes I enjoyed it too on sunday evening, but birdsong oh dear oh dear I thought it was broodingly boringly dreadful - but then again I had been mistakenly expecting another episode of the brilliant Sherlock, so was pretty much unconsolable.....
I heard of it and now based on your review will catch it on the BBC iPlayer. Thanks a lot for that shoutout. :-)
Greetings from London.
Weaver, AquaMarina: interesting differing opinions on Birdsong. What I found so surprising was that it was almost entirely visual. You could have watched the whole thing with the sound down and missed nothing. I enjoyed it.
Cuban: my pleasure.
We pay a ton of money for satellite TV and nothing that good is ever on it. Finally got public broadcasting channel a few months ago, so late at night after hubby's in bed sometimes I crash on the couch and catch a few good programs. I enjoyed sharing your bit of telly.
Doreen and I watched the first episode yesterday on catch-up. Didn't think it would be my cup of tea. came as a shock to realise that that it set in the year D became 21! "Was it really like that?" was our response. Shall definitely watch the next episode.
Episode 2 was even better!
And my hat off to D.
EO: how did I miss you! It is, I suspect, a universal truth generally acknowledged that the more channels there are, the less there is to watch.
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