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ReviewCall the midwife - a radfem jewel!
I have just discovered this long-running BBC series, but couldn't find anyone talking about it here?? Unless the search bar failed me.
Two (rather long and very intense) episodes in and I'm hooked. It's absolutely and delightfully radfem because it shows the historical truth of women's conditions and the of maternity before legal abortions or the pill. Fantastic actors and so many different great women (and some men I wanted to slap)!
It is based on the diaries of a midwife in a poor district of London in the late fifties, and it realistically covers many topics like
(Edit to add it's obviously very emotionally intense and could be triggering, even if no episode is purely negative)
It really is fabulous. Of course, the books are better but the show is really good. At least the first few seasons. I admit I got bored and stopped watching after Jenny left and the show wasn’t based on the memoirs anymore.
Ah, but there are some great characters that come in after Jenny that are worth watching. Nurse Crane is so worth sticking it out for! And Emerald Fennell is always great.
Oh I didn't know she left at some point, thanks for the heads up! I will be reading the books too given what y'all said 🤩