Call the Midwife's Stephen McGann prepares for dramatic baby scene in behind-the-scenes snap
Call the Midwife's Stephen McGann, who plays Dr. Patrick Turner, has given fans a sneak peek into how the show films scenes with newborn babies. The 61-year-old actor shared a behind-the-scenes photo on the official Call the Midwife Instagram page, showing him in character as Dr.Turner attending to a very unwell baby, which is actually a plastic doll.
In the image, the actor can be seen gently holding the doll's chest while giving off a serious expression. When the time comes to film the scene, the doll will be replaced with a real-life baby.
The post also explained the use of dolls for rehearsals, stating: "This photo from the set of our latest Call the Midwife Christmas Special shows Stephen McGann (Dr. Turner) rehearsing a detailed medical sequence on the delivery room's Resuscitaire."
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The caption continued: "What first strikes us in this picture is the simplicity of the doll used! As you can see, Stephen is using the kind of plastic child's doll familiar to any child."
It added: "Talk about low-tech! Although we do have more sophisticated (and more expensive) prosthetic models available to us, their use for rehearsal really depends on the qualities needed by our cast for the precise actions in the scene.," reports the Express.
"For instance, prosthetic models have full baby weight and size, so that can be good for specific actions where carrying a baby is required.
"But here, Stephen is concentrating on providing oxygen for a child with breathing issues, so the nature of the doll is less important.
"That said, the cheap plastic doll will soon need to be replaced by the real thing! As we come to film the scene itself, it can often be a bit of a shock for our cast when a real, live, kicking baby suddenly replaces our well-behaved plastic rehearsal assistant!"
"Real babies are our most precious commodities", the show added: "So their time on set is very short, and our cast must be ready to anticipate the differences between plastic and delicate newborn skin.
"Thankfully our team is well accustomed to this and handles our youngest stars with all necessary delicacy. In fact, there is a particular help to performance when actions with an inanimate doll become an interaction with a real human life.
"The baby in this story comes to Nonnatus House with some very specific medical problems. For all their careful rehearsal, will our team be able to save the real thing?"
Call the Midwife enthusiasts were quick to praise the post, with one viewer commenting: "As a real-life midwife I love the attention to detail."
Another fan chimed in: "I am always amazed and impressed at your use of actual 'newborn' babies and not three-month-olds like you see on every other show. Your attention to detail is always noticed by my husband as well, especially the cars!"
A third viewer couldn't contain their excitement, exclaiming: "Absolutely love, love, love this series, really looking forward to next series", while another simply added: "Counting down!"
The much-loved show Call the Midwife is set to air on Christmas Day, marking the end of an era with its last episode thought to be set in the 1960s before the plot moves into the 1970s for series 14 which will air in 2025.
Call the Midwife returns on Christmas Day.
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