The current series of 'Call The Midwife' has been brightening up our Sunday evenings since Christmas, but we're sad to say that this weekend it's coming to an end.
This time around, they've tackled a number of tough topics, but there's still been plenty of laughs - such as the Turners' disastrous camping trip - along the way.
The end of the series means there's no better time to reflect on how fantastic the show is.
Here are 11 things that make it one of the best programmes on TV...
Shelagh’s emotional transition for nun to doctor’s wife was a key plot point of the second series, and since then they’ve become one of our favourite things about the show, providing as many comic moments as serious scenes.
The straight-talking Sister is someone we didn’t exactly warm to at the start, but over the years, she’s shown her softer side on more than one occasion. In the 2015 Christmas episode, after displaying her usual tough attitude, Sister Julienne displayed her kind nature when Sister Monica Joan went missing. Which brings us to…
‘Call The Midwife’ tops the festive season ratings tables for a reason, and quite frankly, sitting down with a Babycham and seeing how the Nonnatus House residents are celebrating has become an integral part of our Christmas Day.
News that Jessica was leaving the show left many viewers worried, as the older voice which provides narration is that of her character Jenny Lee.
However, there was nothing to be worried about as the show continued without a blip and the introduction of other new characters has been seamless.
Fun-time gal Trixie has been brightening up Poplar with her bleached blonde hair and slicks of lipstick since day one, but in series five, we’ve seen things take a darker turn, as she admitted her alcoholism and began attending AA meetings.
While at first, it was sad to see Helen George’s character having a tough time, the development was a much-needed step in making her more well-rounded.
The drama is lacking in young, available men, leaving actor Jack Ashton to play the only regular, single male character and he definitely does a fine job.
After enjoying a brief romance with Trixie, he’s now romancing nurse Barbara Gilbert - could it be the real deal?
Patsy and Delia’s relationship has taken many twists and turns since it began and viewers were left heartbroken following Delia’s catastrophic accident at the end of series four. We’re sure we weren’t the only ones who let out a cheer when she returned during the Christmas episode.
Series five has seen the midwives and Dr Turner puzzled by babies born with deformities, which viewers know is due to thalidomide. A number of other topics that many shows steer away from have also been addressed, including sex workers’ rights, and teenage parents.
Actors who’ve appeared as expectant mothers include Hannah Tointon, Kacey Ainsworth, who is best-known as Little Mo in ‘EastEnders’, and Sharon Small, whose credits include drama ‘Mistresses’ and ‘About A Boy’.
The problem with period dramas is that at some point, the period of choice ends, but the ‘Call The Midwife’ writers have managed to seamlessly transition through the years. When the first series aired, it was set in 1957, and they’ve slowly made their way into the ‘60s, with one of the newest episodes focussing on the invention of the contraceptive pill.
Do they seem slightly cringey when typed out? Yes. Do they make us get a bit teary at the end of every episode? Also, yes. And what better way to end that on one of elderly Jenny’s wise moments: “We are not defined by the things that make us separate and distinct but by the moments we share and the memories we make.”
*reaches for the tissues*
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