Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit

Charlotte Coleman as Jess and Geraldine McEwan as Mother

The first part of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit was screened on 10 January 1990. The three-part drama was written by Jeanette Winterson, adapted from her autobiographical novel. It told the story of Jess - an adopted child brought up in a strict Pentecostal family - who rejects her upbringing as she comes to realise she is a lesbian.

Jess was played by Charlotte Coleman, with Emily Aston as young Jess. The part of Jess's fanatical mother was taken by Geraldine McEwan in a towering performance that won her a Best Actress BAFTA. The programme also won the BAFTA for Best Drama and another for Film Sound. Its success led to an early repeat.

Winterson's adaptation was directed by Beeban Kidron and produced by Phillippa Giles. It had a more straightforward narrative than the novel, aiming to draw audiences in without in any way compromising the message of the book. Writing in the introduction to the published script, Winterson said she wanted to challenge "the virtues of the home, the power of the church and the supposed normality of heterosexuality."

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit still stands as a powerful coming of age drama. In 2010 it was named by the Guardian as the eighth best television drama series of all time.