Call the Midwife wouldn’t be the same without caring handyman, newsagent and lollipop man Fred Buckle and his no-nonsense haberdasher wife Violet.
But in the latest episode of Call the Midwife season 13, the couple, played by Cliff Parisi and Annabelle Apsion, are put to the test in an emotional storyline.
While local councillor Violet kicks off her campaign to become mayor of Tower Hamlets, a shadow is cast over her political ambitions when Fred falls ill after cutting his hand while renovating a patch of waste ground for the community.
In an exclusive interview, Cliff Parisi and Annabelle Apsion tell What To Watch about their moving Call the Midwife plot…
Call the Midwife is getting political! Why does Violet want to run for mayor?
Annabelle Apsion: “It frustrates her when she can see what could benefit people and it's not being done. She thinks, ‘I could do a better job and I've got the passion.’ I’d definitely vote for her!”
Cliff Parisi: “Violet has great managerial skills too and she and Fred are both community-minded. I also think she's just not satisfied with bossing Fred about, she wants to boss a lot of other people about!”
But she has a rival in smug fellow councillor Bill Regan (The Bill’s Steven Hartley)...
Annabelle Apsion: “Yes, he is patronising, which infuriates her. He’s also a bad local landlord and Violet, who has a sense of right and wrong, sees that he's in a position where he should be helping, not exploiting people. That puts fire in her belly too and she’s determined to stop him from riding roughshod over everybody.”
How does Fred feel about her campaign?
Annabelle Apsion: “He’s a bit threatened and thinks, ‘How is this going to change our lives?’ He’s worried about it.”
Cliff Parisi: “Yes, Fred doesn't want her to be mayor, it’s terrifying for him because he’d have to go to functions and eat with the right knives and forks. But he’s supportive because he knows how hard Violet works. If she won though, he might have to clean up his act, all his little scams would have to stop!”
When Fred becomes ill, events take an unsettling turn, don’t they?
Annabelle Apsion: “Yes, Violet’s frightened because Fred is unwell, it’s shocking. She feels dreadful because she has been taken up with her own things. You see how they love one another.”
Cliff Parisi: “Fred is silly though and tries to hide the infection because he doesn't want to make a fuss. But both he and Violet are vulnerable and it was emotional filming that. It’s a beautifully written episode.”
Was it exciting to be given such an intense storyline?
Cliff Parisi: “It's nice to be challenged but it’s scary coming out of your comfort zone. When they threw this script at me, I thought, ‘Oh, this requires a bit of acting!’”
Annabelle Apsion: “It was a surprise because it's unlike anything they've ever had us do before. It's ambitious writing and ambitious for us as actors to be put through our paces. But we loved it.”
What do you still enjoy about playing Fred and Violet?
Cliff Parisi: “We have such a nice time, long may the Buckles run! Viewers seem to love the affection they have for each other. And it’s great that Violet keeps Fred and Reggie [their ward, played by Daniel Laurie] in line!”
Annabelle Apsion: “I love how Fred’s playful with Violet, even though she can be sharp and concerned with etiquette and doing things nicely and he's the opposite. And I like that they feel complete with Reggie, he brings a lot to their lives.”
Do you all love working together too?
Cliff Parisi: "Daniel’s brilliant and steals every scene. And Annabelle is a bit like a wife, she tells me off!"
Annabelle Apsion: “We always have a laugh, we've become very close. Everybody on Call the Midwife is amazing though. Whenever anyone comes onto the set, they say what an amazingly happy place it is. We're very lucky.”
Call the Midwife continues at 8pm on Sunday on BBC One and will air in the US on PBS from Sunday March 17.
