A perfect British period drama with Call the Midwife and Doctor Who stars gets new UK streaming home

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A beloved British period drama has found a new streaming home in the UK.

I was so excited to see that *The Railway Children*, the classic film from 1970, is now on BBC iPlayer! It was shown on BBC Two over the weekend, and now I can watch it whenever I want.

The film from writer-director Lionel Jeffries adapts the 1906 novel of the same name by E. Nesbit.

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Featuring Jenny Agutter, known from *Call the Midwife*, and Bernard Cribbins, famous for *Doctor Who*, this film tells the story of three children who move from London to Yorkshire with their mother after their father is arrested, suspected of being a spy.

The family recently moved into an old house close to Oakworth train station, and the Waterbury children quickly started using it as a base for their adventures in the neighborhood.

Bobbie, Phyllis, and Peter become friends with the station porter, Albert Perks, and other travelers on the train, all while unaware of why their father is in prison.

Everyone loves the film *The Railway Children* – it has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes! *The Guardian* praised it as a truly wonderful family movie.

The film was followed by a sequel released in 2022 and titled The Railway Children Return.

Morgan Matthews directed the film, with a screenplay by Danny Brocklehurst. It’s set in 1944 and features a return performance by Lynne Agutter as the character Bobbie.

The story continues with Lily, Patty, and Ted Watts – three siblings who were sent from Manchester to the countryside village of Oakworth for safety during World War II.

Keeping their wishes in mind, Bobbie invites them into the house she shares with her daughter, Annie – a school headmistress played by Sheridan Smith – and her 13-year-old son, Thomas (Austin Haynes).

Critics haven’t been as enthusiastic about the new film as they were about the original. Currently, it has a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 49 reviews.

If you’re looking for a feel-good movie night, *The Railway Children Return* is now streaming on Studiocanal Presents, a channel you can subscribe to through Amazon Prime Video in the UK.

You can watch *The Railway Children* on BBC iPlayer, and *The Railway Children Return* is available through Studiocanal Presents on Prime Video.

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2025-09-22 14:49