or


[05/15/12 - 12:02 PM]
BBC Worldwide and PBS Sign Deal to Bring Critically Acclaimed "Call the Midwife" to the US
The series completed its first season in the U.K. on BBC One in February, attracting 10.7 million viewers for its peak episode.

[via press release from PBS]

BBC WORLDWIDE AND PBS SIGN DEAL TO BRING CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED "CALL THE MIDWIFE" TO THE US

Neal Street Productions' Drama Will Premiere This Fall

- Highest-Rated New Drama Launch in BBC History Strengthens PBS as a Destination for Drama on Sunday Nights Leading Into MASTERPIECE CLASSIC "Upstairs Downstairs" -

Watch Call the Midwife Preview on PBS. See more from pbs.

ARLINGTON, VA - May 15, 2012 -- BBC Worldwide America Sales & Distribution and PBS announced today the sale of the first season of the critically acclaimed British drama, CALL THE MIDWIFE to PBS.

The series will premiere on September 30, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. leading into MASTERPIECE CLASSIC "Upstairs Downstairs," transforming Sunday nights into a destination for drama on PBS.

Written by Heidi Thomas ("Cranford," "Upstairs Downstairs") and directed by Philippa Lowthorpe ("Five Daughters") and Jamie Payne ("The Hour"), CALL THE MIDWIFE completed its first season in the UK on BBC ONE in February 2012. Attracting 10.7 million viewers for its peak episode, CALL THE MIDWIFE was the highest-rated BBC new drama launch on record. A second season has been commissioned and will air in the UK in 2013. CALL THE MIDWIFE is a Neal Street production for BBC. Executive Produced by Pippa Harris (Revolutionary Road, "The Hollow Crown") and Heidi Thomas. The series is produced by Hugh Warren ("Survivors").

Matt Forde, EVP Sales and Co-productions, BBC Worldwide America said, "CALL THE MIDWIFE has been a phenomenal hit in the UK and we expect that its appeal will successfully cross the pond." He continued, "Public television has historically set the standard for quality programming. We look forward to bringing unique content to PBS and continuing our long and mutually beneficial relationship."

"CALL THE MIDWIFE is a riveting new series that strengthens PBS as a destination for drama on Sunday nights," said Paula Kerger, PBS President and CEO. "We look forward to working with our BBC partners to introduce the story and the characters that were so beloved in Britain to the American audience."

Based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth, CALL THE MIDWIFE is a moving and intimate story of midwifery in London's East End in the 1950s. The first season follows a young Jenny Lee as she and her fellow midwives, attached to an order of nursing nuns, navigate the crowded East End streets teeming with children, workers and a culture remarkably different from the wealthy English countryside where Jenny was raised.

Executive producer Pippa Harris said, "CALL THE MIDWIFE has excited the imagination of viewers in the UK and I am confident it will do the same in the US. Heidi Thomas' witty and emotional scripts have perfectly captured a unique snapshot of British history, but the universal themes of childbirth, nursing and parenthood ring true throughout the world."

CALL THE MIDWIFE stars Jessica Raine as Jenny Lee, along with Jenny Agutter (The Railway Children, "Spooks") as Sister Julienne, Pam Ferris ("Little Dorrit," "Darling Buds of May") as Sister Evangelina, Miranda Hart ("Miranda") as Chummy, Judy Parfitt ("Little Dorrit," Girl with a Pearl Earring) as Sister Monica Joan, Helen George ("Hollyoaks," "Doctors") as Trixie Franklin, Bryony Hannah (Cemetery Junction) as Cynthia Miller, Laura Main ("Monarch of the Glen") as Sister Bernadette and Cliff Parisi ("East Enders") as Fred. Vanessa Redgrave provides the voice of the mature Jennifer.

The drama unfolds as Jenny meets her patients, including one woman who is on her 25th pregnancy and a young, 15 year-old prostitute pregnant for the first time. Initially shocked by the health and living conditions of the East End, Jenny soon learns to admire the families she works with, along with the sisters and fellow midwives who witness the daily drama of life in this vibrant community.

Full episodes of CALL THE MIDWIFE will be available for viewing on the PBS Video Portal for 30 days after each national broadcast.

The deal was brokered by Jemma Adkins, Senior VP Sales and Co-productions, BBC Worldwide Americas.

About BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution

BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution is one of seven core businesses under BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the UK public service broadcaster, BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). BBC Worldwide exists to maximize the value of the BBC's assets for the benefit of the BBC, and invests in programming in return for rights. The Sales & Distribution business negotiates, sells and distributes television programs to networks and secures co-production partners, in the Americas region.

About PBS

PBS, with its nearly 360 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 123 million people through television and more than 21 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS' broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS' premier children's TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents' and teachers' most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices.

About Neal Street Productions

New Street Productions was formed in 2003 by Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris and Caro Newling. The company has been successful in film, theatre and television with hit movies including Revolutionary Road and Starter for Ten; television productions as diverse as the award-winning BBC/HBO co-production "Stuart: A Life Backwards", the hugely successful CALL THE MIDWIFE, and the upcoming BBC/NBC Universal/WNET Shakespeare mini-series "The Hollow Crown"; and in theatre the hits "Red" and "Shrek the Musical" as well as the forthcoming production of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."





  [may 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· CALL THE MIDWIFE (PBS)
· HOLLYOAKS (BBC AMERICA)
· HOUR (BBC AMERICA)
· MI-5 (BBC AMERICA)
· SURVIVORS (BBC AMERICA)
· UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS (PBS)





[10/03/25 - 02:17 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting '25 MLB Wild Card Series
Across eight games, the MLB Wild Card Series is averaging 4.4 million viewers, up 65% from last year.

[10/03/25 - 12:37 PM]
BET+ Sets October 23 Premiere for "Carl Weber's The Family Business" Season 6
The 10-episode season will premiere with two episodes, followed by one episode weekly, with the finale on Thursday, December 18.

[10/03/25 - 12:07 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Continues to Shatter Records - Growing Two Weeks in a Row Since Season Premiere for First Time Since 2005
Plus: "High Potential" hit a season high in Total Viewers (4.24 million), growing by double digits over the show's comparable third episode from last fall.

[10/03/25 - 10:57 AM]
Legends, Champions and Icons of October Highlight FOX Sports' Postseason Broadcaster Lineup
FOX Sports begins its Postseason coverage Saturday, October 4 at 4:00 PM ET on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App and FOX One as the New York Yankees face the Toronto Blue Jays.

[10/03/25 - 10:05 AM]
All-New Season of "Gold Rush" Returns with High-Stake Risks and Land Fury on Friday, November 7 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery
With only a few short months to mine, top bosses and rising underdogs collide in a race to claim new ground, move more dirt, and strike it rich.

[10/03/25 - 09:12 AM]
FOX Nation Secures Exclusive U.S. Rights to Docuseries "Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar"
The acclaimed series will make its anticipated U.S. debut on FOX Nation on Monday, October 6.

[10/03/25 - 08:02 AM]
TNT Sports to Be Exclusive Home of 2025 NLDS & NLCS
Both best-of-five NLDS series begin Saturday, October 4.

[10/03/25 - 08:01 AM]
TNT Sports Sets BIG EAST Men's College Basketball Schedule for Inaugural 2025-26 Season
TNT Sports' regular season BIG EAST men's basketball schedule will feature 40 appearances by St. John's, UConn, Creighton, Xavier, and Marquette, programs that each clinched berths in last season's NCAA Men's Tournament.

[10/03/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "27 Nights" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a woman is admitted by her daughters to a psychiatric clinic for her carefree ways, an expert must judge if she is ill or simply wants to enjoy life.

[10/03/25 - 04:01 AM]
Video: "Steve" - Official Trailer #2 - Netflix
Over one intense day, the devoted head teacher of a last-chance reform school strives to keep his students in line while facing pressures of his own.

[10/03/25 - 03:02 AM]
Miguel Herran Will Play Poli Diaz in "El Porto the Vallecas," the New Film by Daniel Calparsoro for Netflix
Inspired by true events, the film follows the life of Policarpo "Poli" Díaz (Miguel Herrán), a young man from Vallecas who, despite a childhood marked by poverty and family violence, became a boxing legend in 1980s Spain, even fighting for the world lightweight title.

[10/03/25 - 03:01 AM]
Netflix Honors Jane Goodall with Posthumous Release of "Famous Last Words" Docuseries Following Her Passing
The series showcases reflective interviews with some of the world's most influential cultural figures, who agreed to sit down and discuss their legacy, and give their final words, with the understanding that it would only be shared with the world after they passed.

[10/02/25 - 04:09 PM]
ESPN Delivers the Most-Watched WNBA Semifinals Ever
Game 5 between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.8 million viewers, peaking at 2.1 million.

[10/02/25 - 03:01 PM]
Video: "Twisted Wonderland" - Trailer - Disney+
Your favorite villains reimagined in ways you've never dared to dream.

[10/02/25 - 02:51 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting Day One of MLB Wild Card Series
Coverage of Red Sox versus Yankees averaged 6.5 million viewers, peaking at 9.9 million.