'Call the Midwife' season 6 Christmas special filming begins in South Africa

The nuns and nurses of Nonnatus House travel to South Africa to help the struggling Hope Clinic in the Christmas special of 'Call the Midwife' season 6.facebook.com/callthemidwifeofficial

The cast and crew of "Call the Midwife" are now in South Africa to begin their work on the show's Christmas special for season 6.

In the upcoming Christmas special, Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), Nurse Phyllis Crane (Linda Bassett), Sister Winifred (Victoria Yeates), Shelagh Turner (Laura Main), Dr. Patrick Turner (Stephen McGann), Rev. Tom Hereward (Jack Ashton), Trixie Franklin (Helen George), Barbara Gilbert (Charlotte Ritchie) and Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi) will be travelling to an area in the Eastern Cape of South Africa to extend a helping hand to a small mission hospital.

According to the synopsis released by BBC (via Metro UK), the Nonnatus House gets a call from the small, struggling mission hospital called Hope Clinic, which is on the brink of shutting down. They are tasked to help attend to the patients using limited supplies and resources.

"Far from home and everything familiar, the team are both shaken and exhilarated by the challenges they face – and by the time the mission trip is over, some lives are permanently changed," the synopsis reveals.

The Nonnatus House staff will be joined by Dr. Myra Fitzsimmons (Sinead Cusack), the head of the Hope Clinic.

Meanwhile, reports confirmed that Chummy (Miranda Hart) is set to return to Poplar after appearing in the upcoming Christmas special in "Call the Midwife" season 6.

According to the official statement from the show, as reported by Radio Times, "We are delighted to tell you that our beloved Miranda Hart will be returning to Nonnatus House as the brilliant Chummy Noakes. We've been bursting to share the news that Chummy has now left the Mother and Baby Home and is heading back to Poplar for season 6!"

Hart had to miss the entire season 5 because of prior work commitments such as her own BBC1 sitcom and appearance in the movie "Spy" with Melissa McCarthy. But she is set to return to the show for the rest of the sixth season.

"Call the Midwife" season 6 Christmas special airs later this year.