Mickel Clark
BBC has commissioned a fresh comedy series titled Push, created by Jessica Knappett, that centers on life inside a busy maternity ward. The show is set in a small rural hospital in Yorkshire and offers a workplace ensemble comedy exploring both professional challenges and personal stories of midwives.
The Premise & Tone
In Push, the maternity ward may be underfunded and chaotic, but the midwives are deeply devoted to their work and to one another. They navigate daily emergencies, birth complications, and administrative struggles while also juggling gossip, flirting, hallway drama, and moments of levity. The comedy is pitched as a “laugh out loud celebration of the chaotic, high-stakes reality of pulling off a miracle several times a day.”
Knappett describes the team as “glorious oddballs and lovable misfits,” who, despite the pressure and obstacles, see delivering babies as the best job in the world.
Origin & Commissioning
The idea for Push came from Knappett herself. She has spoken about how her own experiences with childbirth inspired her to tell a story about midwives, saying she viewed the opportunity as both creative and a service to the public.
Push is notably the first commission under the BBC Comedy Sitcom Project. An initiative that supports new sitcom development by funding writers’ rooms led by experienced showrunners. The project aims to help incubate the next generation of BBC sitcoms.
In putting Push together, Knappett led a writers’ room with both established and emerging talent.
Production & Key Creative Team
The series will consist of six half-hour episodes.
Production is handled by Various Artists Ltd, the same company behind other BBC comedies.
The show’s producers include Helen Williams, while executive producers are Jessica Knappett herself and Jack Bayles (with additional producing credits such as Phil Clarke).
Commissioning editors for the BBC include Gregor Sharp and Roya Eslami.
Jon Petrie, the BBC’s Director of Comedy, has praised Push for its warmth, sharp writing, and high joke rate. He commented that the concept fills a long-awaited gap in BBC’s workplace comedy offerings.
Casting & Broadcast Plans
As of now, full casting details and transmission dates have not been revealed. The series is expected to air on BBC One and also be available via BBC iPlayer in the UK. Knappett and the BBC are yet to announce a premiere date.
Why Push Is Worth Watching
Push brings together an underrepresented environment in comedy, the maternity ward, and uses it to explore both human vulnerability and professional pressure. The choice of midwives as protagonists offers room for emotional depth and everyday heroism, while the show’s structure allows for moments of absurdity and humor.
Because the setting is a public hospital ward, Push may also resonate with audiences emotionally, as it touches issues such as NHS pressures, resource constraints, and the personal lives of caregivers.
Jessica Knappett’s involvement as creator and showrunner ensures a distinctive voice. Her previous work (for example, Drifters) shows she is adept at combining humor with character-driven storytelling.
Finally, being the first sitcom from the BBC Comedy Sitcom Project gives Push a symbolic role: it may signal the direction of future BBC workplace comedies. Also, check out everything you need to know about The Celebrity Traitors 2025 and Here We Go Returns: Festive Special.
