Is Call the Midwife woke?
TV Show · 2012
Call the Midwife has a wokeness score of 7/10, which we rate as Strongly Ideological. Woke messaging is very prominent and often feels forced or shoehorned in. Characters and plot are primarily shaped to serve the ideology. Many viewers feel the agenda overshadows the entertainment.
Key points
- Prominently features episodes on abortion, LGBT rights, racism, and reproductive issues framed as social justice commentary.
- Portrays historical NHS and women's health advancements with progressive political undertones appreciated in modern context.
- Includes diverse characters and storylines on prejudice, same-sex attraction, and feminism that serve ideological messaging.
Wokeness analysis
Call the Midwife, premiering in 2012 and ongoing, is a period drama set in 1950s-1970s East End London following midwives at Nonnatus House. While rooted in historical memoirs and focusing on childbirth, poverty, and community, it deliberately weaves in progressive social issues across seasons. Episodes address abortion, teen pregnancy, adoption, miscarriage, stillbirths, birth defects like thalidomide, prostitution, incest, epidemic diseases, the NHS as a political statement, racism and prejudice, same-sex attraction and LGBT rights (including lesbian characters Patsy and Delia), interracial relationships, domestic violence, reproductive issues, and women's liberation. Later seasons incorporate elements like Women's Lib and burn-the-bra scenes set in 1971. Commentators describe it as 'quietly feminist and progressive,' 'subversive,' and a 'torchbearer of feminism,' with storylines serving to highlight marginalized experiences and social injustices of the era in ways that resonate with modern progressive values. Some viewers and cast notes note it becoming more message-driven over time, with characters like Dr. Turner portrayed as ahead of their time on social issues, leading to criticisms of it feeling preachy or agenda-pushing despite period accuracy claims. Conservative-leaning audiences often view the consistent emphasis on these themes as ideological rather than purely narrative, overshadowing the core midwifery stories and escapism. The inclusion of diverse representations (e.g., Jamaican midwife Lucille) and explicit handling of taboo topics feels intentional to educate on 'injustices' rather than organic storytelling alone.
Plot
Call the Midwife follows newly qualified midwife Jenny Lee and the team of nurses and Anglican nuns at Nonnatus House in London's impoverished Poplar district of the East End. Set from the late 1950s through the 1970s, the series depicts their daily work delivering babies, providing community healthcare, and navigating personal lives amid post-war poverty, medical challenges, and societal changes. Based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, it blends heartfelt childbirth stories with broader explorations of family, faith, and hardship in a changing Britain.
Analyzed by AI on June 15, 2026