1000 Babies (2024)

Episode Overview

Jeremy Sandford penned the British TV drama *Edna, the Inebriate Woman*, broadcast by the BBC on 21 October 1971 as part of *Play for Today*. Ted Kotcheff directed, with Irene Shubik producing. The story centers on Edna, an aging woman drifting through life in an alcoholic daze, lacking home, work, or money. Homeless and defiant despite her wretchedness, she sleeps rough and begs for food and shelter. The drama traces her journey through hostels, a psychiatric ward, and prison. Sandford, who wrote *Cathy Come Home*, spent two weeks living rough for research. Much dialogue and many incidents stem from his 1971 book *Down and Out in Britain*, where he assigns mostly male speakers' words to his female protagonist.