Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Ended19901 season · 3 episodes55 min

Jess grows up believing that her future has already been settled by her adoptive mother's faith. She is meant to preach, obey and carry…Read more +Read less −

Jess grows up believing that her future has already been settled by her adoptive mother's faith. She is meant to preach, obey and carry certainty into a world her church regards with suspicion. Falling in love with Melanie creates a conflict that cannot be resolved by the explanations she has been taught to trust. The people who promise to save her are also the people asking her to deny a fundamental part of herself. Across three television episodes, Jess tests the meaning of loyalty, belief and home while imagining an adulthood beyond those rules. The adaptation places a young lesbian's struggle for self-definition at the center of its darkly funny family story.

Drama

Sapphic characters & cast

Charlotte Coleman

as Jess

Main sapphic character

1968-04-03 · ♈ Aries

Performer portrait via TVmaze; photographer and reuse rights unconfirmed

Cathryn Bradshaw

as Melanie

Main sapphic character

1964-01-13 · ♑ Capricorn

Performer portrait via TVmaze; photographer and reuse rights unconfirmed

Tania Rodrigues

as Katy

Supporting sapphic character

Performer portrait via TVmaze; photographer and reuse rights unconfirmed

BEHIND THE SCENES

Details & credits

Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Premiere: 1990-01-10
Finale: 1990-01-24
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 3
Runtime: 55 minutes

Western TV draft; series only. Lightweight relevant credits, no public People profiles. Qualifying seasons separately specified.

Series promotional artwork via TVmaze; rights holder unconfirmed

Artwork source & permission status

Editorial review approved — rights not independently confirmed

Series promotional artwork via TVmaze; rights holder unconfirmed

Original publication ↗

Sources & editorial notes (7)

Last researched 2026-10-27. Editorially approved.

year: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
genres: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
country: Production country/version checked independently from language and current viewing territory: United Kingdom. Checked 2026-10-27.
language: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
description: Verified qualifying storyline: The complete three-part 1990 BBC serial follows Jess’s lesbian coming of age, including Melanie and Katy. The television character is Jess, not the novel’s Jeanette. Checked 2026-10-27.
finale date: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
watch links: Official exact title/episode or series storefront destination; region United Kingdom. Playback not tested. Checked 2026-10-27.
season count: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
western cast: Verified qualifying storyline: The complete three-part 1990 BBC serial follows Jess’s lesbian coming of age, including Melanie and Katy. The television character is Jess, not the novel’s Jeanette. Checked 2026-10-27.
episode count: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
premiere date: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
runtime minutes: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
classification note: Verified qualifying storyline: The complete three-part 1990 BBC serial follows Jess’s lesbian coming of age, including Melanie and Katy. The television character is Jess, not the novel’s Jeanette. Checked 2026-10-27.
representation type: Verified qualifying storyline: The complete three-part 1990 BBC serial follows Jess’s lesbian coming of age, including Melanie and Katy. The television character is Jess, not the novel’s Jeanette. Checked 2026-10-27.