Lady Killers

Lucky, Lucky Thirteen! presents the story of Ruth Ellis, the final woman ever to be executed by hanging in Britain, recounting the circumstances surrounding her death penalty. Her case marked the end of female capital punishment by hanging in the United Kingdom and remains remembered as an episode in British criminal history.

Lucky, Lucky Thirteen! is a programme presented as a single episode. It falls under the genre of an episode‑style broadcast, meaning the story is contained within one self‑contained instalment rather than a longer series. The format allows the creators to focus tightly on a specific narrative, delivering it in a concise, stand‑alone piece. The core of the episode centres on Ruth Ellis, who holds the grim distinction of being the last woman ever to be hanged in Britain. The narrative follows her life and the events that led to her execution, offering a factual recount of the circumstances surrounding her case. By concentrating on Ellis’s story, the programme highlights a pivotal moment in British legal history. Beyond the central biography, the episode underscores the significance of Ellis’s execution as the final instance of capital punishment being applied to a woman in the United Kingdom. It presents the facts surrounding her trial and sentence without embellishment, providing viewers with a clear picture of why her story remains noteworthy. In doing so, the broadcast serves as a concise record of a historic legal milestone, encapsulated within the brief but focused structure of a single episode.