Sex, Drugs & Murder: Life in the Red Light Zone

Last updated

Sex, Drugs & Murder: Life in the Red Light Zone
Genre Documentary
Directed byNick Mattingly
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producersCaroline Short
Rob Unsworth [1]
ProducerNick Mattingly [2]
Production locations Leeds, England
Original release
ReleaseJuly 12, 2016 (2016-07-12) 
October 8, 2017 (2017-10-08)
Holbeck in Leeds is the feature of the documentary Holbecknew2.JPG
Holbeck in Leeds is the feature of the documentary

Sex, Drugs & Murder: Life in the Red Light Zone is a thirteen-part documentary series broadcast on BBC Three from 2016 to 2017. The series centres around prostitutes working in a tolerance zone in Holbeck, Leeds.

Contents

Water Lane in Holbeck is on the edge of the managed zone but is synonymous with prostitution. Water Lane and the Hol Beck, Leeds (19th July 2014).JPG
Water Lane in Holbeck is on the edge of the managed zone but is synonymous with prostitution.
Springwell Court is at the centre of the managed zone. Springwell Court - Holbeck Lane - geograph.org.uk - 712511.jpg
Springwell Court is at the centre of the managed zone.

On 1 October 2014 Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Police enacted a managed zone in the North East of the city's Holbeck district. In recent years the city's main red light area had moved away from its traditional area around Spencer Place in Chapeltown towards Holbeck. The decision was made to contain it in non-residential areas of the district by agreeing not to prosecute sex workers trading within the designated area between the hours of 7pm and 7am. After a years trial the managed zone was made permanent. [3] Two years following this the documentary was made exploring the United Kingdom's first managed red light district.

The programme focuses around the lives of several sex workers in Holbeck. As well as sex work the programme deals with issues such as drug addiction (in particular heroin), domestic violence, family relations and parent-child separation, housing and eviction, shoplifting, imprisonment and the effects of child sexual abuse.

Subjects

Awards

In November 2017, Sex, Drugs & Murder: Life In The Red Light Zone won the Royal Television Society (North West) Award for Best Factual Series.

Criticism

The programme was criticised by the English Collection of Prostitutes for only showing 'darker' areas of the industry such as drug addiction. [4]

See also

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References

  1. "BBC Three - Sex, Drugs & Murder, A Year in the Red Light Zone". BBC.
  2. "Nick Mattingly". IMDb. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  3. "'Managed' red light district in Leeds hailed a success". Yorkshire Evening Post. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  4. "Sex, Drugs & Murder: Life in the Red Light Zone". documentaryvine.com. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2017.