Call the Midwife - Ruf des Lebens

I would have scored 10 for this series, except for the fact that it doesn't truly follow the accounts written in the book from which it is taken.

Some of the diversions from the book are to allow the characters other than Jenny Lee to have stronger story lines, which I can accept to an extent. But some of the story lines have been expanded for dramatic effect, so they are not relying upon the original author's memoirs, but rather the imagination of the scriptwriters, which I think is somewhat regrettable.

Having said that I am finding the series entirely watchable, and enjoyable. All the cast seem to be good, but I must say I am most impressed with Miranda Hart as Chummy, what a brick she is.

As I was a student nurse in the East End of London during the mid fifties,(now an ex-pat living in Mexico) this series brings back many memories. I'm glad that some episodes include general nursing and even male patients as well as midwifery. Perhaps doctors were not always as good as the nurses in those days.I even remember an anaesthetist who sat doing his crossword puzzles during operations and no one dared utter a word of reproach.

Now that the East End is suddenly fashionable, even Shoreditch and Brick Lane, what has happened to Wapping where I trained and which used to be so scruffy?

One thing has changed for the better. In those far off days when a woman was admitted with an attempted abortion, euphemistically called "incomplete abortion", the police had to be notified and a policewoman would sit by the bed (drinking tea with the night nurse) until the unfortunate patient (who probably already had half a dozen children at least) was well enough to be arrested.

If you want history at its truth, watch a documentary. As entertainment this show has it all. Every episode has had me in tears from either laughter or poignancy. The casting is perfect and beautifully shot. It really shows the diverse community that has embedded itself in our culture today. Who cares if the docks were not in the right place! The show is about people coming together in tough times and bonding with a community regardless of class and colour. It makes me yearn for that kind of spirit in todays world where everyone has so much and yet is never satisfied. I really hope the BBC invest in a new series - I already miss Miranda!

Obviously I am a man, and will say without any hesitation that we are hooked on this series! My wife and I are best friends and there is nothing more we enjoy than finding a good British series to immerse ourselves together. We have done this for many years, initially finding them in our travels to Britain, and find that British shows seem to "out weigh" our American television on many levels.

The subject matter is really unique and absorbing and the acting superb! The complexity of the characters and their interaction, the humor, the secrets, the context, and the weight and undercurrents of its gracious messages have impacted us and continue to do so.

So many times it seems that these British series don't last and are canceled just as we are dedicated to them. It is rewarding to see "Call the Midwife" continuing on and we hope it does so for many years to come. We will continue to be fans as long as "Call the Midwife" lives!

I recently found this series on Netflix and instantly fell in love with it. I have never read the books, so I have nothing else to go by. The characters are fabulous. The actors/actresses are amazing. I think every episode has made me both laugh and cry, and I'm looking forward to more!

Some of the episodes can be hard to watch, especially since I am pregnant, and I think that anyone feeling overly anxious about their pregnancy may want to hold off watching this series, because it really shows the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of pregnancy and child birth.

I found one major goof that had me laughing: In one episode they mention knitting blanket squares, and people are shown knitting them. When assembling the squares to make a blanket what they actually have are crocheted granny squares.