For Agutter, who turns 64 just five days before the Christmas special, her character’s imagined ship’s voyage to South Africa brought echoes of her own real childhood experiences.
“In America, midwifery is seen as quite radical”, is how Thomas explains the difference in the cultural outlook.
“But you can’t help but be aware of the things that are going round, and the restrictions.
In America, where the show is shown on the PBS network, they are in no doubt.