Band of Gold (TV series)

Band of Gold is a British television crime drama series, written and created by Kay Mellor, first broadcast on ITV on 12 March 1995.

Principal actresses in the series include Geraldine James, Cathy Tyson, Barbara Dickson, and Samantha Morton.

Each series was released on VHS after its broadcast, followed by DVD reissues under the Cinema Club brand in July 2004.

Gina Dickson (Ruth Gemmell) is a young mother living in Bradford, West Yorkshire who has thrown out her abusive husband, Steve, but finds herself in debt to numerous bill collectors.

But Gina can't find work, and there's no one to look after her three young daughters, while Mr. Moore wants his money back, with interest.

Gina also meets Carol's friends: Rose (Geraldine James), an older hooker who rules the lane, and Tracy (Samantha Morton), a 15-year-old runaway who's hooked on drugs supplied by her pimp.

Anita Braithwaite (Barbara Dickson) is another friend who allows the women to rent out rooms in her flat in exchange for a cut of their earnings.

Gina, putting her safety on the line, decides to work "The Lane" alone hoping to make up the last few pounds from one job so she can pay off her debts and go straight.

Carol spends the rest of the series trying to avoid the serial killer, who proceeds to murder other prostitutes in Bradford.

During the first series, Carol meets and becomes both intrigued and wary of a middle-aged client, named Curly (Richard Moore), who has a stocking fetish.

Tracy is attacked and nearly killed by her pimp Dez (Ashan Bhatti), but she recovers and her parents take her home.

She quits college and leaves town without Tracy, who is unwilling to go back up North as business is good in London.

Fortunately Tracy raises the alarm and the other women, led by Curly, break into the building and the killer is subdued and arrested before he can kill Carol by drowning her in a swimming pool.

In the past several months in between the first and second series, Rose and Carol have turned their backs on prostitution and are trying to make a living by running their own cleaning company, "Scrubbit", with the financial support of Anita.

But the women's old enemy, George Ferguson, is released from jail wanting revenge and needing a way to clear the debts he owes the local gangster Alf Black.

Meanwhile, Tracy is still on the game and is in a sexual dalliance with Alf Black a dirty Old Man and most powerful crime lord on the streets, he also supplies her drugs.

Earlier, Anita lets on about Colette's punter giving them advice about Scrubbit and George's intentions with the company.

The main story arc of the sequel is based around Tracy as her drug addiction becomes worse and leads to psychosis.

Brenda (Margo Gunn) is a Klenzit employee who helps Ferguson in his attempt to sabotage Scrubbit.

Carol worries that the police will accuse her because she had a mental breakdown earlier on in series one and that Curly was one of her punters.

DCI Newell saves Emma and Vinnie is arrested for this and questioned about the death of his uncle, Curly, which he denies killing him.

Tracy also murders George Ferguson in cold blood while he is coming out of where he works in the car park.

Tracy's psychosis leads her in deeper with her demons when she goes back to Harrogate to her parents house and her father answers the door.

The scene ends with Rose, Anita, Carol, Joyce, and Colette sadly toasting Tracy's life, and survival, and The Lane.

The series begins as Carol moves from the Ingram Estate to Curly's large house in an upmarket area.

Also, a young transsexual prostitute named Sherrie is raped and Rose and Carol must ensure the victim gets justice by finding her assailant.

In recent years, however, "The Lane" has fallen into disfavour among sex workers due to alleged intimidation by groups of local residents who have formed "clean-up" gangs.

Listed alphabetically, they include: Mark Addy, Fiona Allen, John Bowler, David Bradley, Tony Capstick, Justin Chadwick, Sue Cleaver, David Crellin, Barbara Durkin, David Fleeshman, Ruth Gemmell, Malcolm Hebden, Richard Hope, Susan Jameson, Bruce Jones, Naomi Radcliffe, Jane Slavin, Meera Syal and Nicola Wheeler.