 Tipping the Velvet was adapted into a BBC television drama serial of the same name , originally screened in three episodes on BBC Two in 2002 . It was produced for the BBC by the independent production company Sally Head Productions , and starred Rachael Stirling as Nan , Keeley Hawes as Kitty , Anna Chancellor as Diana , and Jodhi May as Florence . The BBC had previously adapted Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit in 1990 and some other scenes in dramas to follow , but none had been so explicit . Sally Head Productions defended the decision to air the entire program uncut . Waters was quite surprised that the BBC chose to produce and broadcast a television adaptation that faithfully followed the relish and detail of sexual escapades in the book . Stirling thoroughly enjoyed the role , despite her avowed heterosexuality : " To counteract any hard @-@ core sex within it , there 's a huge sense of humour and a huge sense of fun and frivolity and joy of life . It was so utterly believable that you never for a moment thought , Fuck , there 's no reason why I 'm standing here naked . " 
