TV preview: Call The Midwife

Leonie Elliott plays Nurse Lucille Anderson, the first West Indian midwife to feature as a regular character.

Elegant, funny and clever, Lucille is swift to settle in and brings a fresh new energy to life at Nonnatus House. Through her eyes, we explore the experiences of Caribbean nurses who came over in the 1960s to support the growing NHS.

Written by Heidi Thomas, the Christmas special opens with Poplar under a thick blanket of snow, as the midwives face the challenge of the coldest winter for 300 years. The winter of 1963 saw temperatures plunge to a record low and the whole country brought to a standstill.

Battling against snow, ice, power cuts and frozen pipes, the midwives strive to provide the best possible care for their patients. Valerie helps a young couple, newly arrived in London, who experience a traumatic birth, and Sister Julienne strives to reunite a family torn apart by a tormenting father.

Call the Midwife, BBC1, Christmas Day, 7.40pm