Ken Loach-Cathy Come Home (1966)

Sandford's passionate tale of one family's relentless fall into poverty and homelessness - directed by Loach with characteristic vigour - was a watershed in British TV drama. Only a few moments in television's history can match the emotional charge of Cathy Come Home's heartrending climax, in which Social Services officials separate a hysterical Cathy from her children. Hugely influential in its day - its broadcast gave a major boost to the launch of the homelessness charity Shelter a few days later. BFI




Cathy Come Home is a landmark play in British television drama. It was first broadcast in 1966, and again in 1967, both times watched by 25% of the British population. The drama was so powerful it provoked questions in the Houses of Parliament. It coincided with the launch of the housing charity, Shelter, giving it a huge boost in publicity. BFI



The play follows young lovers Cathy (Carol White) and Reg ( Ray Brooks) from the optimism of their early married days through a spiral of misfortune that follows Reg's work accident, leading to eviction and separation, and culminating, in what remains one of TV's most memorable scenes, in a hysterical Cathy having her children forcibly taken away by Social Services. The play was written by Jeremy Sandford, who had previously written a radio documentary on homeless families. Disappointed by the reaction to this, he wrote a television play, which was taken up by Tony Garnett, producer of The Wednesday Play, a series that had a reputation for topical drama. Garrett asked Ken Loach to direct Cathy Come Home. They wanted to show the 'reality' of homelessness, in what was thought at the time to be an affluent society. BFI