Afew top-notch character actresses, the wet streets of Bradford and a plot that turns on the fortunes of four women who are trying to run their own cleaning company and you know you can settle back on your sofa and enjoy.
Band of Gold (World, 9.30pm) is the kind of uncompromising, contemporary drama that British television companies do far better than anyone else. Although this one is not in the top echelon, it certainly beats the run of tired made-for-television schlock we have been fobbed off with recently on both channels.
The main characters are Rose (Geraldine James), who used to be a prostitute, but now runs a cleaning agency, called Scrubbit, with her friends. They are Carol, (Cathy Tyson, from Mona Lisa ) who used to be on the game too but now only 'walks' for one particular client; Anita, who is a bit dim; and Joyce.
Joyce has never worked as a prostitute but her daughter, Gina, did until she was murdered. Now Joyce has three grandchildren to bring up.
There are several scenes of the four women having jolly girlie chats in the pub, promising to stick by one another. And an exciting new cleaning contract from the council in the offing.
But other than that, this is grubby, but engrossing stuff. The action kicks off with Rose's house mate Tracey in bed with a punter who insists he calls her daddy. And three scenes later, Tracey and her friend Colette are relaxing over a nice bit of crack in the living room.
There is a lot of scrubbing (toilet bowls and shower units, not the other kind), a nasty run-in (in more ways than one) with former pimp and all-round baddie George, lots of chicken stuffing (again, not a euphemism, Carol's client runs a chicken factory), several hilarious S&M scenes (including a solicitor who likes to sweep the floor) and some heart-rending moments with the motherless children.
