'Call The Midwife' creator Heidi Thomas credits its success with the show being a celebration of all women - not just because it's about “midwifery”.
Heidi Thomas
The 59-year-old screenwriter has suggested the hugely popular BBC One series would never have stood the test of time if it was simply focused on childbirth.
Speaking at an event in Los Angeles to promote the drama being shown on Public Broadcasting Service she said: “Our consultant midwife, Terri Coates once said to me, ‘Heidi, there are so many ways a baby can come out of a woman’s body’.
“You wouldn’t run a series for 10 years just on midwifery. I think that’s one of our secret weapons. We are present at life’s commencement and the end.
“So we do stories about birth, death and in between. Then we come to a story about a man who has tuberculosis, or a docker who was injured in an explosion.”
Heidi's husband Stephen McGann, who plays Dr Turner in the show, was also present at the event and he believes seeing “capable women” in a series not “driven by conflict and dramatic and emotional conflict” is “an absolute joy”.
He added: “To see capable women in a show which nurtures people, which isn’t driven by conflict and dramatic and emotional conflict between the characters, it’s driven by something else, is an absolute joy.”
Meanwhile, Stephen previously suggested his wife deserves more credit for her work on the period drama.
He said: "Heidi has got grandma sitting down with grandchildren to watch a drama about abortion and the illegality of homosexuality.
"And how? Because she doesn’t bludgeon them over the head. It’s a fist in a velvet glove."
He explained: "If people want to slump on the sofa before the trials of their working week resume, then it does offer a degree of escapism.
"But because we also tell important stories about major things in life, it’s also possible to dig deep and find meaning."