Netflix 'looking to poach Call The Midwife from BBC'

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 16 May 2021

Netflix is reportedly looking to poach Call The Midwife from the BBC with the promise of a bigger budget and more episodes.

Netflix has reportedly approached Call The Midwife creator Heidi Thomas about the possibility of the show moving over to the streaming service.

The drama, which follows a group of midwives working in East London in the 1950s and '60s, has been a key part of the BBC One schedules for almost 10 years.

The current series is bringing in around 9 million viewers every Sunday night, and the corporation has already greenlit three more series to keep the show on air until at least 2024.

According to the Daily Mail, Netflix is attempting to convince Thomas to switch allegiances with the promise of a vastly-improved budget and a larger episode count.

"The hour-long format of the programme and its huge viewing figures make it an irresistible prospect for Netflix," a source told the newspaper.

"They would also be able to make more than the current eight episodes per series – and it would be watched globally."

Thomas has previously admitted to being envious of big-budget Netflix shows such as The Crown but is thought to be loyal to the BBC.

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