Call the Midwife has returned from its annual summer break to continue filming the upcoming 14th season of the show.
The BBC drama's official Instagram account revealed that production is back in full swing following the cast's brief hiatus, during which actor Stephen McGann and creator Heidi Thomas attended the wedding of their son, Dominic.
Alongside a selfie of Stephen, who plays Dr Turner, with his real-life son Dominic, and his on-screen son, Max Macmillan - aka Timothy Turner, the caption read: "Call the Midwife Summer Recess: Real son meet fake son!
© @callthemidwife.official/Instagram"We are now all back filming series 14 after our customary summer break. It was our annual leave for the CTM team in the middle of the long year's filming, to allow us to see family and friends, book a holiday, and generally let our hair down!"
Sharing Stephen's joyful family news, the caption continued: "For Stephen McGann (Dr Turner), there was no time for a holiday. He and his partner Heidi Thomas (Writer & Executive Producer) had something rather special to take care of ... their son Dominic's wedding!"
© Photo: Getty Images"It was a wonderful occasion by all accounts, and our Call the Midwife partied the night away after the ceremony! But we were amused to receive this particular photograph Stephen sent us from the after-party, because - for those familiar with our previous Call the Midwife posts - it marks a moment that has been 14 long years in the making! It is the moment when Stephen's real son FINALLY met Max Macmillan, the actor who plays his screen son Timothy!"
The post went on to reveal that Dominic and Max had never met, only "exchanging pleasantries" with each other through Stephen over the years and referring to one another as "real son" and "fake son".
Fans were quick to comment on just how similar the trio look, with one person writing: "Fake son is so well cast. He and real son could be brothers!" while another added: "But why does the fake son look so much like him? Could literally pass as his real son."
Dominic is the only son of Stephen and Heidi, who have been married since 1990. Unlike his parents, he decided not to pursue a career in the entertainment industry and is a DPhil Candidate in Theology & Religion.
Speaking about their son, who was born in 1996, in an interview with The Times in 2022, the actor said: "He's doing a PhD and has moved out. We are empty-nesters. Nobody tells you how great it is. Sometimes we'll sit with our coffee and think, this is great! No disrespect to my brilliant and hilarious son, but there's only one person you choose in life — your partner — and she's the one I chose."
Call the Midwife returns with a new Christmas special later this year, followed by series 14 in 2025.
