Midwives answer the call

Festive mercy mission to Hong Kong

- NICOLA METHVEN

Call the Midwife boss Heidi Thomas has said she will never abandon the BBC or her muchloved drama for a big-money deal with a streaming service such as Netflix, Apple or Amazon Prime.

Asked if she receives poaching attempts, Heidi admitted she did - but that any efforts to lure her away were futile, after 15 years of creating a series every year plus a Christmas special.

Ahead of two new Call the Midwife festive episodes airing on BBC1, she said: "I get wonderful opportunities but this is the best opportunity I have ever had. Why would I give it up for something that is a shot in the dark? "This is my job of a lifetime and I've spent half my lifetime doing it.

"The streamers don't necessarily give anybody the same platform.

"It's all a puff in the dark.

Anything on a streamer comes like a firework and vanishes like a firework. This is solid. It's a building, we've built it from the ground up." The showrunner said that it did not matter how much cash was on the table. She said: "Money can't be my driving force the fact that I'm still doing the show for the BBC is testament to that. It is not about money, it is about values.

"I love the fact that we are a BBC show. The BBC gives us a not unreasonable budget to work with. We put every penny on to the screen. I think that is as it ought to be." Next year the hugely popular series will take a break while a prequel set in 1939 is made, featuring young versions of Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), the late Sister Evangeline (Pam Ferris) and Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt).