TV
Band Of Gold (ITV Drama, Geraldine James, Cathy Tyson)
ITV drama series Band of Gold told of the heartaches of a group of prostitutes trying to make a go of their lives. The three key characters were Carol (Cathy Tyson), Rose (Geraldine James) and much younger Tracy (Samantha Morton).
Each of the show’s three seasons had a distinct plotline, season one was very brutal with Ruth Gemmel’s Gina being murdered by a client who then targeted Carol but eventually got caught, in the first series Rose and Carol were also trying to get off the game by starting their own cleaning company.
Season two focuses on Tracy and her descent into a drug fuelled hell, full of shocking twists and turns Rose and Carol lose their business and are prime suspects for two murders that are later to have been committed by a gone insane Tracy (she ends the season by committing suicide), Rose also discovers that her long lost daughter is actually Tracy’s Lesbian lover Colette (Lena Headey). Carol meanwhile learns she has inherited some money.
Season three which changed the title to simply Gold never seemed to quite scale the heights of the first two seasons and centred on Rose getting involved with an escort who has possibly been involved in a pair of murders and also takes under her wing another young and dangerous prostitute.
Often extremely violent but always watchable Band of Gold paved the way for shows such as Bad Girls and Footballers Wives.
Cast: GERALDINE JAMES as Rose Garrity; BARBARA DICKSON as Anita Braithwaite; CATHY TYSON as Carol Johnson; SAMANTHA MORTON as Tracey Richards (Seasons 1-2); REBECCA CALLARD as Tula (Season 2); TONY DOYLE as George Ferguson; LENA HEADEY as Colette Levison; RAY STEVENSON as Steve Dickson; RUTH GEMMELL as Gina (season 1)
Creator: Kay Mellor / Producers: Elizabeth Bradley,Tony Dennis / Costume: Sue Peck / Script Editor: Elizabeth Bradley / Theme Music: Love Hurts sung by Barbara Dickson
UK / ITV Network-Granada / 18x60m-e / 1995-97