Pippa Harris, Executive Producer
Interview with Pippa Harris, Executive Producer of Call The Midwife
Published: 15 January 2018
Having a black character central to the show, as opposed to a guest artist, allows us to not just explore racism of the time, which of course was endemic, but also to look at the character’s experience as a whole
As series seven hits our screens, how does it feel to have series eight and nine already confirmed?
It has been extraordinary to work on series seven knowing that series eight and nine are already commissioned. It has given Heidi (Thomas) and me an enormous sense of forward trajectory so we can look at the history books and think we are going to be able to cover that in series seven and cover that in series eight and so on. I think it gives you a fabulous impetus to keep going and keep refreshing what you’re doing because you know that history was moving forwards and every month you move forward there are new developments and new things to look at.
Probably the best thing about knowing we already have two more series commissioned is that you can really plan ahead for all of the characters. You have the freedom, for instance, to watch the ups and downs of Trixie’s romance with Christopher, knowing you can plan it across any number of episodes. If you only have one series commissioned I think it’s your instinct to try and finish off storylines and make everything neat and complete by the end of the series. I think what’s great is you can leave many more strands running and keep storylines open which we couldn’t do in the past.
Why have you chosen now to cast a black/ethnic minority main character?
Call The Midwife has featured a wide range of races and religions throughout its run including West Indian, Somalian, Indian and Chinese characters, among many others.
Our first black midwife - Lucille Anderson - is played by Leonie Elliott. At this time many nurses came over from the Caribbean, we had a shortage in the health service and they were needed here. They came over and did an amazing job for the NHS, and so to be able to include that in the show in an effortless way - it was simply part of the reality of what was going on in the UK at that time - that, for me, is terrific.
By having a black character central to the show, as opposed to a guest artist, allows us to not just explore racism of the time, which of course was endemic, but also to look at the character’s experience as a whole. Lucille has a whole hinterland of experience that she brings to the UK. She herself was a librarian when she lived at home, she is an avid church goer, a great singer, she has all these elements to her so we are exploring her character in totality and not just looking at her as a black person in our drama. She becomes part of the team at Nonnatus House very quickly and is very much loved.
The Turners seem to be embracing a lot of change as a family - tell us about their life in 1963.
One of the places we felt really needed a revamp was the Turners’ house. They had been living in this tiny flat and really as a couple with Dr Turner a professional man, and Shelagh also working alongside him at the surgery, they would have a bit of money and would be able to move out and get somewhere a bit bigger. Working with the design department has been brilliant - bringing in all these 1960s colours and patterns and a few items of furniture and being truthful to the fact like any family the Turners have still got their old settee, for example. Not everything is brand new, but certain elements are and this gives the whole backdrop a lift for them.
One of the other things Heidi has had enormous fun with, and which will ring bells for a lot of people, is this is the era when people first started having au pairs from the continent. The Turners employ Magda, a young au pair, to help with baby Teddy. This is Shelagh’s idea and she is thrilled with the prospect of having the help. But when this glamorous young Eastern European lady arrives it’s not quite what she envisioned! She is first put out by the fact she has brought her own coffee pot and infers English coffee isn’t worth drinking. But she is also an incredibly attractive young lady wearing figure-hugging dresses, and Shelagh, who has just got back into her pantyhose after having Teddy, isn’t very keen to see this around the house.
In this series it’s been great to watch Timothy Turner grow up. He is now a teenager and prey to surges of hormones like all teenagers. We have great fun when the au pair arrives with Shelagh worrying that Timothy might develop a crush on this gorgeous young woman. Through Timothy we can look at the music of the time and the reality was that in 1963 The Rolling Stones really did play down the road, and a character like Timothy could have gone along to see them. And the relationship between Timothy and Dr Turner has grown throughout the years and now they have almost a friendship between them like two adult men as opposed to father and son, but of course at moments it reverts back to father and son when Dr Turner tries to lay down the law.
Sister Monica Joan faces a huge medical dilemma this series – can you share her story?
Sister Monica Joan is in many ways the beating heart of Call The Midwife. She has been there since the beginning. She’s someone who has been part of Nonnatas House forever, who knows all the history, the secrets, everything about that community. She is always the person who will remember somebody’s Grandma or remember being at the birth of one of the characters that you meet. I think that gives the viewers a real link to the past through her. What is terrific about series seven is you see Sister Monica Joan going on her own journey: she is initially terrified at the thought of losing her sight, but equally terrified of the surgery that might prevent that loss of sight. Judy Parfitt is such a fine actress, so nuanced and delicate in what she does as she takes us along with her on Sister Monica Joan’s battle.
What fashion styles have you loved from the new series?
Jennifer: I love Valerie's look because it's incredibly different to what I have in my day-to-day life, and that's always helpful when you’re getting into character. It's 1963 now and Valerie’s hairstyle - the beehive - was a huge trend of the early 60s. It tells me that although she might not say she does, she definitely follows trends and she's up to date on that kind of thing.
Her fashion sense is pretty early 60s. She's a very modern woman, she's forward thinking and I think fairly liberal in her attitudes. She often wears trousers, which are still quite unusual for that time, and I loved wearing them - they’re more comfortable than the dresses, and they illustrate her practical nature. She wears lots of really nice bold colours, she's not a shrinking violet when it comes to fashion, she's pretty daring and she's got great clothes.
Helen: This series has been a bit of a challenge for Trixie’s fashion because I was pregnant and so I was growing in size quite substantially. Ralph (Wheeler-Holes), our Costume Designer, really had his work cut out. We were going for very strong 60s silhouettes, but obviously my body was changing. We went for a lot of capes, lots of gloves, lots of bright colours, lots of geometric prints to try and hide the pregnancy, but to keep it looking like a period costume as well.
It was hard because pregnancy clothes in the 60s were quite ‘mumsy’, so the challenge was to make her not look pregnant and keep her fashionable. I think Trixie is looking towards the Bardot style; she’s not 20 anymore and doesn’t want to dress like a teenager. She’s dressing like a woman but she wants to be sexy, she wants to be looked at, she wants to be glamorous, but still functional because of her job.
