Tell me you watched this Sunday...

Just wanted to ask if anyone watched Call the Midwife on PBS Sunday night?? Any takers?

I may be the biggest midwife fan in the western world, or at least Canada, so I had to watch it when I heard the British show was beginning here. However, I couldn't get my husband to watch with me because in his words, "We call the midwife enough in real life." 

The story revolves around a novice midwife just beginning practice with a group of midwife Anglican nuns in the poor East End of London in the 50's. The poverty is shocking to her, and yet the joy of birth and children is captured beautifully and also shocks her. Its interesting to see that of course, the standard digs at how "some magical potion" is needed to stop the incessant filling of prams is needed. I wonder at how much the idea of birth control being the magic ticket out of poverty will be shoved down our throats as the series continues. 

Even though the idea of too many children being a constant burden that castigates poor women to a life of suffering seems to be one that the show will feed on, the beauty of birth is shown to great effect. It seems contradictory that these astounding moments of children entering the world are brought into a milieu that already doesn't value them. The first episode seemed to have the theme that actually countered the birth control mentality, however. A woman having her 24th child is shown in difficulty and then in the joyful bliss of raising her baby to the astonishment of the midwives. On midwife character comments on how heroic the mothers really are in living in such conditions but continuing to raise their children. And the narration seems to focus on love and its effects beginning at birth and its complicating effects throughout life that the burgeoning midwife is only just learning.

So overall-I think its good stuff! Of course, it doesn't quite have the glamour of Downton, but the great acting, and writing draw you in like most BBC shows. And of course, theres tons of great labor and birth scenes...so that should make everyone watch right??