Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a 1990 BBC television drama, directed by Beeban Kidron. Jeanette Winterson wrote the screenplay, adapting her semi-autobiographical first novel of the same name (published 1985). The BBC produced and screened three episodes, running to a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes. The series was released on DVD in 2005. The series won the BAFTA award for Best Drama. Storyline Charlotte Coleman starred as Jess, a girl growing up in a Pentecostal evangelical household in Accrington, Lancashire, England in the 1970s, who comes to understand that she is a lesbian. The allegorical fairytales that are woven into the novel do not appear on the screen. Miss Jewsbury's love-making with the underage Jess, which appears in the novel, was also excluded. Even with these cuts, the series caused controversy when shown due to the remaining lesbian sex scenes and its portrayal of the Elim Pentecostal faith. Cast Jess - Charlotte Coleman Small Jess - Emily Aston Jess's mother - Geraldine McEwan Pastor Finch - Kenneth Cranham William - Peter Gordon Cissy - Barbara Hicks Elsie - Margery Withers May - Elizabeth Spriggs Mrs Green - Freda Dowie Miss Jewsbury - Celia Imrie Jess's real mum - Sophie Thursfield Mrs Arkwright - Pam Ferris Mrs Virtue - Katy Murphy Mrs Vole - Sharon Bower Doctor - David Thewlis Gypsy - Kay Clayton Church Pianist - Tamar Swade Melanie - Cathryn Bradshaw Graham - Richard Henders Katy - Tania Rodrigues Nurse - Suzanne Hall Awards The series won the BAFTA award for Best Drama. In 1991, via the PBS network, the series won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series. In 2010, The Guardian ranked the serial at number 8 in their list of "The Top 50 TV Dramas of All Time". Further reading Hallam, J. & Marshment, M. "Framing Experience: Case Studies in the Reception of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" Screen No. 36, 1995: pp. 1–15 Hinds, H. ([1992] 1996) "Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit: reaching audiences other lesbian texts cannot reach" In: J. Corner & S. Harvey (eds) Television Times: A Reader London: Arnold, pp. 98–110; References External links Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit at the British Film Institute 1990 British television series debuts 1990 British television series endings 1990s British drama television series 1990s British LGBT-related television series 1990s British LGBT-related drama television series 1990s