Half-a-century of slum Britain

ANOTHER landmark of 1966 was the broadcasting of the TV programme Cathy Come Home, an entry in the BBC's acclaimed Wednesday Play series. It was made by a then-unknown film-maker called Ken Loach, and while the likes of Kes and Looking for Eric are perhaps more popular, Cathy is perhaps the most important project he's ever worked on.

"It's a long time ago you know, 1965 I think we shot it. Television was a very modern, new medium, people hadn't grown up with it then and the kind of films we were making were different to what had been made before. So I think we had a sense that we were on the edge; we knew we were onto something. And what we were describing was rather shocking," Loach recalls about the project.

The plot involved Cathy and Reg, a seemingly happy young couple who marry and have children. But when Reg is hurt at work and subsequently can no longer work, they become destitute, lose their lodgings and end up sleeping in a derelict building. The rest of the film charts their efforts to find somewhere to live; eventually Reg leaves in search of work, and Cathy's children are taken from her in one of the most distressing scenes ever committed to celluloid.

The film was watched by around 12 million people and inspired the founding of the charity Crisis. By coincidence, another homeless charity, Shelter, was launched a few days after the broadcast, which helped highlight its cause.

This programme, made by Marcel Mettelsiefen, who documented a Syrian family's journey to the West, highlights photographs taken in 1968 by Nick Hedges on behalf of Shelter, which documented the plight of some of Britain's poorest children. Almost half-a-century later, they are grown up with families of their own, but are tracked down and asked to recount their experiences.

Campbell Robb, Shelter's chief executive, says: "Nick's photographs of the 1960s slums are a sobering piece of history not only for Shelter, but the nation as a whole. It's important to explore the stories of the people behind the pictures, but also of the many more homeless families who struggle today. The sad truth is that, 50 years after these photos were taken, our country is once again at the mercy of a housing crisis. Every day we see the heartbreaking toll bad housing takes on people's wellbeing and the way it breaks up families and communities."

Rillington Place (BBC1, 9pm)

When Richard Attenborough and (Bafta nominated) John Hurt gave outstanding performances in the chiller 10 Rillington Place in 1971, it seemed pointless trying to top what was considered a masterpiece. But the likes of Tim Roth and Samantha Morton have done a fine job of re-telling that story for a 2016 audience. In the latest offering, newlyweds Tim and Beryl move into 10 Rillington Place, and are befriended by their older neighbours, Reg and Ethel Christie. As time passes and their relationship hits a rough patch, Reg's interest and influence over the couple takes a much more sinister turn.

This Is Us (C4, 9pm)

DO you believe in star signs? If not, this new drama series may leave you wondering if your date of birth does have some influence over your life after all, as it explores the interweaving existences of a variety of individuals who share the same birthday – and more besides. In the first episode, Jack is determined that his wife Rebecca should celebrate her birthday, even if she is a bit preoccupied with the fact that she's pregnant with triplets. Meanwhile, Randall marks his special day by tracking down his absent father, and sitcom star Kevin and his twin sister Kate are dealing with personal crises of their own. The impressive ensemble cast includes Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia and Sterling K Brown, who recently won an Emmy for The People v OJ Simpson.

Viv Hardwick