Band of Gold (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Band of Gold is a television drama series written by Kay Mellor
and produced by Granada Television
. It was
originally shown on ITV
between 1995 and 1997. Starring Geraldine James
, Cathy Tyson
, Barbara Dickson
and Samantha Morton
, the series revolves around the lives of a group of women who live and work in Bradford
's red-light district.
) is a young woman and a mother living in Bradford, West Yorkshire who has thrown out her abusive husband, Steve, but finds herself in debt with numerous bill collectors. Gina goes to a loan-shark named Mr. Moore to pay off her debts. But Gina can't find work, and there's no one to look after her three young daughters, and Mr. Moore wants his money back—plus interest. She meets Carol (Cathy Tyson
), their children go to the same school and are friends Carol who currently works as a prostitute to support herself and her young daughter Emma. The desperate Gina tells Carol that she wants in on her profession to pay off her debts. Carol teaches Gina how to "work The Lane" and introduces Gina to the world of ponces, punters, and police. Gina also meets Carol's friends: Rose (Geraldine James
), an older hooker who rules the lane, and Tracy (Samantha Morton
), a young teenage runaway who's hooked on drugs supplied by her pimp. Anita Braithwaite (Barbara Dickson
), is another friend of theirs who allows the women to rent out rooms in her flat in exchange for a cut of their earnings.
In the very first episode, Carol decides to steal money off a client, and the result is that the client murders Gina with Carol as a partial witness. 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 by and wary of a middle-aged client, named Curly (Richard Moore), who has a cleaning fetish. Anita struggles to get by in which her benefactor George Ferguson, controls her. Tracy gets attacked and nearly killed by Dez (Ashan Bhatti) her pimp, but she recovers and her parents take her home. But unable to stand living under their rules, and because Tracy's father abused her, she is not sure that her mother believes her and her sister is resentful towards her for leaving home because her parents argrued a lot since Tracy left. As a result, Tracy runs away from home again.
Tracy and Rose travel to London where Tracy continues her street-walking profession and Rose tries to go straight by going to college and meets a man, named Richard, who she starts to have feelings for but Tracy puts one of her cards in Richard's pocket and he rings Tracy and asks for two girls thinking that Rose will come with Tracy he arranges to meet her. Seeing that Rose did not turn up, he leaves Rose who comes clean to Richard after they sleep together about her life up North in Bradford and working the Lane. Rose can`t stand it that Richard rejects her as she liked him she quits College and without Tracy who was unwilling to go back up North as business is good in London, goes back to Bradford.
In another subplot, Gina's murder sends shock waves through the community as her husband, Steve, is forced to help Gina's mother, Joyce, raise their three kids as well as try to find a way to pay off her debts to the loan shark Mr. Moore.
DCI
Newall, the police detective in charge of the murder investigation, is revealed to be having a tryst with Carol, who allows herself to be taken advantage of by the corrupt police officer in order to avoid being arrested for prostitution. She ends up suffering an emotional breakdown after pouring a kettle of hot water on Curly. Carol spends some time in a mental hospital and her daughter Emma is taken away from her. Upon her release, Carol sets off to try to find Gina's killer, and encounters many red herrings, from Curly, to Newall, to George Ferguson and Gina's husband, Steve.
In the final episode of the first series, Rose returns to Bradford to try to find another legitimate way to go straight. Tracy soon follows her, but still wants to keep her old profession. Carol finally comes face-to-face with the killer in a deserted community centre: he is revealed to be Ian, a psychotic community board member whom Carol and Gina briefly met in the first episode. Fortunately, Tracy raises the alarm and the other women, led by Curly, break into the building and the killer is subdude and arrested before he can kill Carol by drowning her in a swimming pool.
The first series ends on a somewhat upbeat note when Carol and Rose, still distraught over Gina's death, decide to quit prostitution and set up a legitimate cleaning company, with Anita and Gina's mother, Joyce, as silent partners, to rival that of the businessman, George Ferguson, whom the loan shark, Mr. Moore, was revealed to be working for, and who was responsible for Gina's harassment that lead to her demise.
).
In the beginning of the second series, Rose and Carol are still going straight and working for Scrubbit. Tracy is now living with Rose and using the house as a Brothel much to Rose's dismay. Tracy has befriended Collette, who Rose dislikes by saying to Tracy she is bad news as Collette is a drug user as is Tracy whom is spiralling out of control. George Ferguson tries to seek revenge on the women since he owns part of Scrubbit as his estranged wife Kathleen backed the company for the woman so they could set it up, as Anita went and told Kathleen she had been having an affair with her husband George for years. Anita lies and tells George that the woman are interested in having him involved they set up a meeting with him where they work and get George admitting on tape that he has still got financial wealth Anita tapes it and blackmaiils him and tells him to stay away or she will take the tape to the police.
The woman's celebrations are short lived when George runs Anita over with his car and snatches the tape from Anita's handbag. Earlier, Anita lets on about Colette's punter giving them advice about Scrubbit and George's intentions with the company. Rose knows that Tracy was letting Colette use the house as a Brothel and goes to confront Tracy the episode ends with Anita laid in the road as George drives off in his Jaguar.
Series 2 contains the most graphic portrayal of prostitution and has Tracy perform in some explicit sex scenes, the main story and character arc of the sequel is based around Tracy as her drug addiction become worse and leads her to psychosis.
Rose is the only member of the team who isn’t fed up with running Scrubbit. Carol's old client, Curly (Richard Moore) has become more of a friend. Brenda (Margo Gunn) is a Klenzit employee who helps Ferguson in his attempt to sabotage Scrubbit. She is working for Scrubbit and going behind the women's backs to Ferguson telling him information about Scrubbit. Carol and Rose dispose of Curly’s body after finding him with his throat cut, but the police find Carol’s fingerprints. The women suspect George Ferguson of the murder, but he too is then found murdered.
Meanwhile, there’s heartbreak for Rose when she thinks that cellist Sarah is her long-lost daughter. Rose tells Sarah that she thinks she is her daughter. Sarah gets upset and explains that she had a sister, named Hannah, a foster child who ran away when she was 12. Rose goes back to the house to speak to Sarah's mother only to find out Hannah went to a children's home in Sheffield after running away several times and tying Sarah to a chair and cutting all her hair off and stabbing her three times.
Later on, Rose finds out that Collette is her daughter. Sarah's family fostered Colette but she ran away after being violent towards Sarah who tells Rose what Collete did to her when they were children. Rose is shocked by the news, Carol could be in the clear after police discover Ferguson was killed in the same way as Curly. Vinnie is still pestering Carol and he kidnaps Emma after she comes back from swimming he rings Carol and tells her hes got Emma, Carol quicky goes to where Vinnie says hes holding Emma. DCI Newell saves Emma and Vinnie is arrested for this and questioned about the death of his uncle Curly who was murdered in Carol's house by Tracy.
Meanwhile, Tracy is in deeper trouble with Alf Black. Rose is shocked when she discovers that her daughter is actually Colette. Carol re-evaluates her feelings for DCI Newall, whom is now investigating these latest murders. Tracy's ex-pimp, Dez, who almost killed her in Series 1, is released from jail. Tracy enlists Colette's help in order to take her revenge against Dez, but Collete hadn't bargained for Tracy murdering him. Tracy also murders Curly in Carol's house when he comes round to visit her but Carol is not in as she had taken Emma to the park. Tracy also murders George Ferguson in cold blood while he is coming out of where he works in the carpark. Tracy slits his throat and leaves him for dead. Anita hits him over the head with a crutch and knocks him out, she is later brought by the police as a suspect but is later released, she later on realises that it was Teacy who murdered all three men and is now a mass murderer. Carol worries that the police will accuse her because she had a mental breakdown earlier on in series one. Curly was one of her punters she panics and disposes of his body with Rose's help, but police find the car the next day with Carol's fingerprints all over the car. Carol is arrested for Curly's murder.
Meanwhile, Joyce takes her grandkids to Blackpool to see Steve who is now working there they have a nice day at the seaside but things are soured when they both have too much to drink and sleep together, they both wake up the next day regretting what they have done as Steve was married to Joyce's dead daughter Gina who was murdered in series 1.
In the final episode, Colette asks for Rose’s help to cover up Dez's murder when Tracy refuses to acknowledge what she has done in committing cold-blooded murder. Tracy's phycosis leads her in deeper with her demons when she goes back to Harrogate to her parents house and her father answers the door she is alone with him. Rose rings the house and Tracy answers hearing Rose's voice she unplugs the phone. Rose borrows a van and the girls go to Harrogate to rescue Tracy, but they get there too late Tracy had committed suicide upstairs in her mother and father's house. The scene ends with Tracy laid in her bed covered in blood after having stabbed herself.
At the end of series 2, sees the girls sitting at the pub where they were in the beginning of the first series but it's revealed that it's the day of Tracy's funeral and they are saying goodbye to her. Carol sees Curly’s solicitor and discovers she has inherited his factory and all his wealth. The scene ends with Rose, Anita, Carol, Joyce, and Colette sadly toasting Tracy's life and surviving life and The Lane.
Carol's inheritance is threatened when Curly's nephew, Vinnie, has hired a private detective to try and prove that Carol is still on the game as a prositute. Meanwhile, Rose take on a cause celebrate when a beautiful escort, named Paula, is implicated in two murders. After DCI Mace is killed, Paula disappears and Rose is asked to assist the police to find her. Rose finally locates Paula and takes her to Carol's house only to find her dead. The only person who can save Paula is murdered. Paula goes back home to her husband where he shoots her and them himself. Rose finds them both dead.
Also, a young transsexual prostitute, named Sherrie, is raped and Rose and Carol must ensure the victim gets justice by finding her assailant. In the final arc of the series, Rose takes on dangerous gangsters from Leeds
and a confused but dangerous young prostitute (Alicya Eyo
). Rose works hard with police to clear the name of young rent boy, Zac (Richard Calabro).
Meanwhile, Carol accuses Vinnie of trying to take over Curley's factory and arranges for him to be dealt with. Rose continues to do good work in the community and on the tolerance zone all the girls are being targeted. Sherrie identifies the attacker as one of the workers from Carol's factory. The worker, Ed Smithson, is stalking Sherrie when he breaks into her flat and threatens her with a razor. Sherrie is raped by Ed Smithson again and afterwards she tells Rose about it. The police become involved and Sherrie then retracts her statement. Rose accuses Smithson of blackmailing and bribing Sherrie. Rose loses her job and Inspector Henryson awards Rose by giving her job back and sacking Smithson as the sponsor and hiring someone else.
Elsewhere, Carol's half sister, Lisa, turns up at her house because their mother is in hospital. Lisa ends up leaving after her and Carol had an argument and she called Carol a whore. Lisa leaves to live with Charlie.
The body of a murdered black woman is found and is identified as Marva. Raymond is questioned by the police. After he is released. he comes after Rose and attacks her with a gun.
In the final episode, Raymond kidnaps Rose, who tells her that Shaun killed Marva. Shaun is then killed and Carol and Rose realise that Shaun is the killer. Vinnie burns down the factory to get back at Carol and collect the insurance money, but he does not know that Carol, Rose, Emma, Lisa, and Charlie are still inside. They all manage to get out, except for Charlie who perishes in the fire, as the series comes to a dramatic and tragic end.
Series written by Kay Mellor; produced by Tony Dennis; executive producer: Sally Head.
Series written by Kay Mellor; produced by Elizabeth Bradley.
Series produced by Gillian McNeill.
, historically renowned for being the location of choice for many prostitutes. In recent years however "The lane" is disfavoured due to alleged intimidation by numbers of local residents forming "clean-up" gangs.
Kay Mellor
Kay Mellor, OBE is an English actress, scriptwriter, and director best known for her work on several successful television drama series.-Early life:...
and produced by Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
. It was
originally shown on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
between 1995 and 1997. Starring Geraldine James
Geraldine James
Geraldine James, OBE is an English actress.-Early life and family:James was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, to a cardiologist father...
, Cathy Tyson
Cathy Tyson
Catherine "Cathy" Tyson is an English stage, film and television actress.-Early life:The daughter of a Trinidadian barrister father and an English social worker mother, Tyson and her family moved to Liverpool when she was approximately two years old.-Career:Tyson attended the Everyman Youth...
, Barbara Dickson
Barbara Dickson
Barbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
and Samantha Morton
Samantha Morton
Samantha Jane Morton is an English actress and film director. She began her performing career with guest roles in television shows such as Soldier Soldier and Boon before making her film debut in the 1997 drama film This Is the Sea, playing the character of Hazel Stokes...
, the series revolves around the lives of a group of women who live and work in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
's red-light district.
Series 1
Gina Dickson (Ruth GemmellRuth Gemmell
-Early life:Ruth Gemmell was born in Darlington, Durham, England. She has three brothers. She attended an all girls school in Darlington called Polam Hall.Her parents divorced when she was a child and she moved with her mother to Darlington from Barnard Castle....
) is a young woman and a mother living in Bradford, West Yorkshire who has thrown out her abusive husband, Steve, but finds herself in debt with numerous bill collectors. Gina goes to a loan-shark named Mr. Moore to pay off her debts. But Gina can't find work, and there's no one to look after her three young daughters, and Mr. Moore wants his money back—plus interest. She meets Carol (Cathy Tyson
Cathy Tyson
Catherine "Cathy" Tyson is an English stage, film and television actress.-Early life:The daughter of a Trinidadian barrister father and an English social worker mother, Tyson and her family moved to Liverpool when she was approximately two years old.-Career:Tyson attended the Everyman Youth...
), their children go to the same school and are friends Carol who currently works as a prostitute to support herself and her young daughter Emma. The desperate Gina tells Carol that she wants in on her profession to pay off her debts. Carol teaches Gina how to "work The Lane" and introduces Gina to the world of ponces, punters, and police. Gina also meets Carol's friends: Rose (Geraldine James
Geraldine James
Geraldine James, OBE is an English actress.-Early life and family:James was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, to a cardiologist father...
), an older hooker who rules the lane, and Tracy (Samantha Morton
Samantha Morton
Samantha Jane Morton is an English actress and film director. She began her performing career with guest roles in television shows such as Soldier Soldier and Boon before making her film debut in the 1997 drama film This Is the Sea, playing the character of Hazel Stokes...
), a young teenage runaway who's hooked on drugs supplied by her pimp. Anita Braithwaite (Barbara Dickson
Barbara Dickson
Barbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
), is another friend of theirs who allows the women to rent out rooms in her flat in exchange for a cut of their earnings.
In the very first episode, Carol decides to steal money off a client, and the result is that the client murders Gina with Carol as a partial witness. 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 by and wary of a middle-aged client, named Curly (Richard Moore), who has a cleaning fetish. Anita struggles to get by in which her benefactor George Ferguson, controls her. Tracy gets attacked and nearly killed by Dez (Ashan Bhatti) her pimp, but she recovers and her parents take her home. But unable to stand living under their rules, and because Tracy's father abused her, she is not sure that her mother believes her and her sister is resentful towards her for leaving home because her parents argrued a lot since Tracy left. As a result, Tracy runs away from home again.
Tracy and Rose travel to London where Tracy continues her street-walking profession and Rose tries to go straight by going to college and meets a man, named Richard, who she starts to have feelings for but Tracy puts one of her cards in Richard's pocket and he rings Tracy and asks for two girls thinking that Rose will come with Tracy he arranges to meet her. Seeing that Rose did not turn up, he leaves Rose who comes clean to Richard after they sleep together about her life up North in Bradford and working the Lane. Rose can`t stand it that Richard rejects her as she liked him she quits College and without Tracy who was unwilling to go back up North as business is good in London, goes back to Bradford.
In another subplot, Gina's murder sends shock waves through the community as her husband, Steve, is forced to help Gina's mother, Joyce, raise their three kids as well as try to find a way to pay off her debts to the loan shark Mr. Moore.
DCI
DCI
-Technology:* D-chiro-inositol, an isomer of inositol* Data, Context, and Interaction, an architectural pattern in computer software development* Direct Count & Intersect, an algorithm for discovering frequent sets in large databases...
Newall, the police detective in charge of the murder investigation, is revealed to be having a tryst with Carol, who allows herself to be taken advantage of by the corrupt police officer in order to avoid being arrested for prostitution. She ends up suffering an emotional breakdown after pouring a kettle of hot water on Curly. Carol spends some time in a mental hospital and her daughter Emma is taken away from her. Upon her release, Carol sets off to try to find Gina's killer, and encounters many red herrings, from Curly, to Newall, to George Ferguson and Gina's husband, Steve.
In the final episode of the first series, Rose returns to Bradford to try to find another legitimate way to go straight. Tracy soon follows her, but still wants to keep her old profession. Carol finally comes face-to-face with the killer in a deserted community centre: he is revealed to be Ian, a psychotic community board member whom Carol and Gina briefly met in the first episode. Fortunately, Tracy raises the alarm and the other women, led by Curly, break into the building and the killer is subdude and arrested before he can kill Carol by drowning her in a swimming pool.
The first series ends on a somewhat upbeat note when Carol and Rose, still distraught over Gina's death, decide to quit prostitution and set up a legitimate cleaning company, with Anita and Gina's mother, Joyce, as silent partners, to rival that of the businessman, George Ferguson, whom the loan shark, Mr. Moore, was revealed to be working for, and who was responsible for Gina's harassment that lead to her demise.
Series 2
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, called 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 who also supplies her drugs. There’s also a new prostitute on the streets, S&M specialist Colette (Lena HeadeyLena Headey
Lena Headey is an English actress. Headey's performance in a one-off show when she was 17 caught the attention of a casting agent, who took a photo and asked her to audition and eventually she got a supporting role alongside Jeremy Irons and Ethan Hawke in the 1992 British drama film Waterland and...
).
In the beginning of the second series, Rose and Carol are still going straight and working for Scrubbit. Tracy is now living with Rose and using the house as a Brothel much to Rose's dismay. Tracy has befriended Collette, who Rose dislikes by saying to Tracy she is bad news as Collette is a drug user as is Tracy whom is spiralling out of control. George Ferguson tries to seek revenge on the women since he owns part of Scrubbit as his estranged wife Kathleen backed the company for the woman so they could set it up, as Anita went and told Kathleen she had been having an affair with her husband George for years. Anita lies and tells George that the woman are interested in having him involved they set up a meeting with him where they work and get George admitting on tape that he has still got financial wealth Anita tapes it and blackmaiils him and tells him to stay away or she will take the tape to the police.
The woman's celebrations are short lived when George runs Anita over with his car and snatches the tape from Anita's handbag. Earlier, Anita lets on about Colette's punter giving them advice about Scrubbit and George's intentions with the company. Rose knows that Tracy was letting Colette use the house as a Brothel and goes to confront Tracy the episode ends with Anita laid in the road as George drives off in his Jaguar.
Series 2 contains the most graphic portrayal of prostitution and has Tracy perform in some explicit sex scenes, the main story and character arc of the sequel is based around Tracy as her drug addiction become worse and leads her to psychosis.
Rose is the only member of the team who isn’t fed up with running Scrubbit. Carol's old client, Curly (Richard Moore) has become more of a friend. Brenda (Margo Gunn) is a Klenzit employee who helps Ferguson in his attempt to sabotage Scrubbit. She is working for Scrubbit and going behind the women's backs to Ferguson telling him information about Scrubbit. Carol and Rose dispose of Curly’s body after finding him with his throat cut, but the police find Carol’s fingerprints. The women suspect George Ferguson of the murder, but he too is then found murdered.
Meanwhile, there’s heartbreak for Rose when she thinks that cellist Sarah is her long-lost daughter. Rose tells Sarah that she thinks she is her daughter. Sarah gets upset and explains that she had a sister, named Hannah, a foster child who ran away when she was 12. Rose goes back to the house to speak to Sarah's mother only to find out Hannah went to a children's home in Sheffield after running away several times and tying Sarah to a chair and cutting all her hair off and stabbing her three times.
Later on, Rose finds out that Collette is her daughter. Sarah's family fostered Colette but she ran away after being violent towards Sarah who tells Rose what Collete did to her when they were children. Rose is shocked by the news, Carol could be in the clear after police discover Ferguson was killed in the same way as Curly. Vinnie is still pestering Carol and he kidnaps Emma after she comes back from swimming he rings Carol and tells her hes got Emma, Carol quicky goes to where Vinnie says hes holding Emma. DCI Newell saves Emma and Vinnie is arrested for this and questioned about the death of his uncle Curly who was murdered in Carol's house by Tracy.
Meanwhile, Tracy is in deeper trouble with Alf Black. Rose is shocked when she discovers that her daughter is actually Colette. Carol re-evaluates her feelings for DCI Newall, whom is now investigating these latest murders. Tracy's ex-pimp, Dez, who almost killed her in Series 1, is released from jail. Tracy enlists Colette's help in order to take her revenge against Dez, but Collete hadn't bargained for Tracy murdering him. Tracy also murders Curly in Carol's house when he comes round to visit her but Carol is not in as she had taken Emma to the park. Tracy also murders George Ferguson in cold blood while he is coming out of where he works in the carpark. Tracy slits his throat and leaves him for dead. Anita hits him over the head with a crutch and knocks him out, she is later brought by the police as a suspect but is later released, she later on realises that it was Teacy who murdered all three men and is now a mass murderer. Carol worries that the police will accuse her because she had a mental breakdown earlier on in series one. Curly was one of her punters she panics and disposes of his body with Rose's help, but police find the car the next day with Carol's fingerprints all over the car. Carol is arrested for Curly's murder.
Meanwhile, Joyce takes her grandkids to Blackpool to see Steve who is now working there they have a nice day at the seaside but things are soured when they both have too much to drink and sleep together, they both wake up the next day regretting what they have done as Steve was married to Joyce's dead daughter Gina who was murdered in series 1.
In the final episode, Colette asks for Rose’s help to cover up Dez's murder when Tracy refuses to acknowledge what she has done in committing cold-blooded murder. Tracy's phycosis leads her in deeper with her demons when she goes back to Harrogate to her parents house and her father answers the door she is alone with him. Rose rings the house and Tracy answers hearing Rose's voice she unplugs the phone. Rose borrows a van and the girls go to Harrogate to rescue Tracy, but they get there too late Tracy had committed suicide upstairs in her mother and father's house. The scene ends with Tracy laid in her bed covered in blood after having stabbed herself.
At the end of series 2, sees the girls sitting at the pub where they were in the beginning of the first series but it's revealed that it's the day of Tracy's funeral and they are saying goodbye to her. Carol sees Curly’s solicitor and discovers she has inherited his factory and all his wealth. The scene ends with Rose, Anita, Carol, Joyce, and Colette sadly toasting Tracy's life and surviving life and The Lane.
Series 3
Re-titled Gold, the third and final series begins as Carol moves from the Ingram Estate to Curly's large house in an upmarket area. Carol is spending her inheritance money like water on everything having newfound wealth and she doesn't know what to do with it. She goes to visit Collete in the house where she lived with Tracy, but she doesn't recognise Carol. She asks what Carol is doing there she explains that she has come to visit old friends.Carol's inheritance is threatened when Curly's nephew, Vinnie, has hired a private detective to try and prove that Carol is still on the game as a prositute. Meanwhile, Rose take on a cause celebrate when a beautiful escort, named Paula, is implicated in two murders. After DCI Mace is killed, Paula disappears and Rose is asked to assist the police to find her. Rose finally locates Paula and takes her to Carol's house only to find her dead. The only person who can save Paula is murdered. Paula goes back home to her husband where he shoots her and them himself. Rose finds them both dead.
Also, a young transsexual prostitute, named Sherrie, is raped and Rose and Carol must ensure the victim gets justice by finding her assailant. In the final arc of the series, Rose takes on dangerous gangsters from Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and a confused but dangerous young prostitute (Alicya Eyo
Alicya Eyo
Alicya Eyo is a British theatre, film and television actress. She is best known for portraying Denny Blood in the award winning and critically acclaimed prison drama series Bad Girls.-Early life:...
). Rose works hard with police to clear the name of young rent boy, Zac (Richard Calabro).
Meanwhile, Carol accuses Vinnie of trying to take over Curley's factory and arranges for him to be dealt with. Rose continues to do good work in the community and on the tolerance zone all the girls are being targeted. Sherrie identifies the attacker as one of the workers from Carol's factory. The worker, Ed Smithson, is stalking Sherrie when he breaks into her flat and threatens her with a razor. Sherrie is raped by Ed Smithson again and afterwards she tells Rose about it. The police become involved and Sherrie then retracts her statement. Rose accuses Smithson of blackmailing and bribing Sherrie. Rose loses her job and Inspector Henryson awards Rose by giving her job back and sacking Smithson as the sponsor and hiring someone else.
Elsewhere, Carol's half sister, Lisa, turns up at her house because their mother is in hospital. Lisa ends up leaving after her and Carol had an argument and she called Carol a whore. Lisa leaves to live with Charlie.
The body of a murdered black woman is found and is identified as Marva. Raymond is questioned by the police. After he is released. he comes after Rose and attacks her with a gun.
In the final episode, Raymond kidnaps Rose, who tells her that Shaun killed Marva. Shaun is then killed and Carol and Rose realise that Shaun is the killer. Vinnie burns down the factory to get back at Carol and collect the insurance money, but he does not know that Carol, Rose, Emma, Lisa, and Charlie are still inside. They all manage to get out, except for Charlie who perishes in the fire, as the series comes to a dramatic and tragic end.
Cast
- Geraldine JamesGeraldine JamesGeraldine James, OBE is an English actress.-Early life and family:James was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, to a cardiologist father...
… Rose Garrity - Cathy TysonCathy TysonCatherine "Cathy" Tyson is an English stage, film and television actress.-Early life:The daughter of a Trinidadian barrister father and an English social worker mother, Tyson and her family moved to Liverpool when she was approximately two years old.-Career:Tyson attended the Everyman Youth...
… Carol Johnson - Barbara DicksonBarbara DicksonBarbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
… Anita Braithwaite (Series 1–2) - Samantha MortonSamantha MortonSamantha Jane Morton is an English actress and film director. She began her performing career with guest roles in television shows such as Soldier Soldier and Boon before making her film debut in the 1997 drama film This Is the Sea, playing the character of Hazel Stokes...
… Tracy Richards (Series 1–2)
Series 1
- "Sold" — directed by Richard Standeven (12 March 1995)
- "Caught" — directed by Richard Standeven (19 March 1995)
- "Damaged" — directed by Richard Laxton (26 March 1995)
- "Revenge" — directed by Richard Laxton (2 April 1995)
- "Told" — directed by Charles Beeson (9 April 1995)
- "Clean" — directed by Charles Beeson (16 April 1995)
Series written by Kay Mellor; produced by Tony Dennis; executive producer: Sally Head.
Series 2
- "Hustling" — directed by Betsan Morris Evans (3 March 1996)
- "Kiss" — directed by Betsan Morris Evans (10 March 1996)
- "Betrayal" — directed by Betsan Morris Evans (17 March 1996)
- "Hurt" — directed by Matthew Evans (24 March 1996)
- "Love" — directed by Matthew Evans (31 March 1996)
- "Release" — directed by Matthew Evans (7 April 1996)
Series written by Kay Mellor; produced by Elizabeth Bradley.
Gold
- "She's Back (part one)" — written by Kay Mellor; directed by Sheree Folkson (27 October 1997)
- "She's Back (part two)" — written by Kay Mellor; directed by Sheree Folkson (3 November 1997)
- "The Catch (part one)" — written by Mark Davies-Markham; directed by David Innes-Edwards (10 November 1997)
- "The Catch (part two)" — written by Mark Davies-Markham; directed by David Innes-Edwards (17 November 1997)
- "Tainted Love (part one)" — written by Catherine Johnson; directed by Rachel Talalay (24 November 1997)
- "Tainted Love (part two)" — written by Catherine Johnson; directed by Rachel Talalay (1 December 1997)
Series produced by Gillian McNeill.
Locations
"The lane" referred to in the production is a reference to "Lumb Lane" which is a real street in Manningham, BradfordManningham, Bradford
Manningham is an area of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, approximately a mile north of the city centre and is seen as the centre of the city's south Asian population.- Geography :...
, historically renowned for being the location of choice for many prostitutes. In recent years however "The lane" is disfavoured due to alleged intimidation by numbers of local residents forming "clean-up" gangs.