As a long-time fan of "Grey's Anatomy ," I developed the requisite crush on Derek Shepherd, the "sexiest man alive" neurosurgeon with a $2 million-a-year salary and an ego. But these days, I find myself longing for another tall, dark-haired doctor: Dr. Patrick Turner in Call the Midwife .
Dr Turner, played by Stephen McGann, teams up with the nuns and midwives of Nonnatus House in the BBC's much-loved medieval historical drama. (For U.S. viewers, Season 13 premieres March 17 on PBS.)
I'm not alone. Many new fans have discovered Call the Midwife on TikTok, and viral clips of the show regularly pop up in people's feeds, sparking interest in one of the sexiest and kindest doctors on screen — whether he's doing it after giving birth or not. smiling at his mother ("What a beautiful little boy!") or soothing an East End family with affectionate attention.
Under one such video, one comment summed it up best. "I wish more doctors were like Dr. Turner," one user wrote. Another replied: "More people like Dr. Turner."
For his part, McGann was touched by the reception - although he had to laugh at himself first.
"I'm 61 now and it's so sweet that people [say] more than just 'Oh, I want to rip your pants off ,'" McGann told Bustle about Zoom. "It's not like that." He's even prouder that people like Turner's warm, gentle demeanor. “I’ve never had such a fundamentally decent match with anyone, or like most people.”
Turner begins the play as a widowed father to a venerable king filled with repressed longing. For example, in season two, when he bandages the hand of his budding love, Sister Bernadette, he kisses her palm with more tender affection than his body can handle—yet she uses her faith to Pushed away. "If I don't accept this, I don't deserve to live," Turner said in a tense moment. call.
Turner has a quiet consistency. He is not some wizard surgeon or genius diagnostician. He always recognized people's pain even when he was scared, unsure, or could only express sympathy, "Oh, you poor thing." If that translates to boyfriend material, well, McGann gets it.
“People are craving a hand to hold,” McGann said. He has appeared in Emmerdale and was studying for a master's degree in science communication when filming of Call the Midwife began. "You want someone there to actually go, and you've got my attention. What exactly went wrong? Are you okay? That's where love often grows."
The medical treatment itself is almost secondary.
If Turner sounds like the Platonic ideal of a man writing about women, that's because he is. Heidi Thomas, McGann's wife of more than 30 years, wrote "Call the Midwife" based on Jennifer Worth's memoir. "The life of actors and writers on television shouldn't be like this," McGann said of the family business. "But it is. It's just the most beautiful thing."
McGann speaks passionately about his wife—her slow-burning talent, and how deftly she combines historical grit with feel-good scenes—underscoring how much love there is in this show. The Doctors on Call the Midwife are not only fun to watch; He can also change the way viewers think about their own care.
In an article on Medium, writer Amy Greenlee imagined Turner as a real-life doctor, a departure from some of her previous medical experiences. She told Bustle that the doctor who delivered her second child "didn't say a word" during her delivery.
"Watching these [fictional] patients being cared for like that, you realize, yeah, that's not okay ," she tells Bustle, praising Turner for "always coming across as a whole person."
I recall a hilarious moment from Season 6 in which the Nonnatus team discussed the Board of Health's intentions to limit their work. "Closing maternity homes across the country? What's next? Only a man would think that's a good idea," nurse Phyllis Crane fretted, then addressed a man sitting at the table. A gesture of apology. Sorry, it's not you!
But Turner nodded quickly and knowingly, taking it in stride. This is a man who has dedicated his personal and professional life to uplifting the women around him – no egos are allowed to be harmed here. "This is the most important job I've ever had because it's about compassion. It's about caring," McGann said. "Then why not like the nice people on TV? Being a bad boy is an overrated virtue."
