Good news Call the Midwife fans: season 16 is very much on the horizon.
The beloved show, which is adapted from the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, follows a group of nurse midwifes through changing eras and explores life in East London. Starting out in the 1950s, the most recent series was set in the 1970s and explored topics like women's liberation.
Now, after a whopping 15 seasons (major!), the heart-warming show is branching out into new territory: a prequel series as well as a film. It's certainly busy in the Call the Midwife universe, but what does that mean for its hotly anticipated 16th season?
Well, for everything we know, keep reading below...
Will Call the Midwife return for season 16?
CONFIRMED: Yes, it will! As confirmed by the show's creator, Heidi Thomas, who spoke to Yours at the TV Choice Awards, we can expect a season 16!
The news of season 16 was also confirmed by the BBC, so it looks like it's definitely happening.
When will Call the Midwife season 16 start?
Some bad news, however: we're going to be waiting a little while for the next regular season of Call the Midwife.
"I don't think it's the last series in the classic form," revealed Heidi. "But we are going to take a break from it for a couple of years."
Naturally, with so much going on (a film, and a prequel series, need we remind you!) this has impacted the production schedule for the regular series, which has been pushed back. No release date for season 16 has been provided as of yet, but we'll update you right here as soon as we know more.
What can viewers expect from Call the Midwife season 16?
We know that the film and prequel series deviate from the Call the Midwife format as we know it, but what about season 16?
Well, Heidi has been forthcoming about how the show will change from prior seasons, revealing that the show will have a "different setting".
"We going to do a film that involves most the current cast, set in 1972, possibly 1973," she said. "We're going to do that first, then we'll return to the current style. Series 16 will have a slightly different setting because of changes in NHS. It'll still be in the East End of London but possibly something like a small community hospital or a GP practice, but that's something I'll be working on later this year."
Call the Midwife season 16 cast
Like the release date, the cast for Call the Midwife has yet to be confirmed.
We're hoping that, as a continuation of season 15, we'll see a lot of the current cast return such as Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne, Molly Vevers as Sister Catherine, Rebecca Gethings as Sister Veronica, Helen George as Trixie Aylward, Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane, Natalie Quarry as Nurse Rosalind Clifford, Renee Bailey as Nurse Joyce Highland, Stephen McGann as Dr Turner and Laura Main as Shelagh Turner.
However, as we know, Sister Monica Joan is suffering with chronic kidney disease and seems preparing herself for death. We're keeping our fingers crossed she pulls through, but it seems her declining health could be a major plot point for season 16.
Call the Midwife is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
