Nostalgic Dramas from your Childhood

[tjyflhol]

Finally after almost 20 years found, downloaded and watch 'Oranges are not the Only Fruit', a BBC 2 drama adapated by a novel of the same name. It was shown on TV in 1990 when I was just turning 13 years old when any kind of drama or international film put on CH4 or BBC2 after the 9pm watershed held special interest for me before the days of internet porn.

I wondered that it might have lost it's edge over that time, and I would only like it for nostalgic reasons and of course the lesbian sex scene that is probably worn a bit jittery on the old VHS copy I had of it. But I was really pleased to see that it's a great drama in it's own right, a coming of age story of an orphan girl Jess (Charlotte Coleman) brought up in 1970s Lancashire adopted by a strict religious woman (Geraldine McEwan).

The plot centres around Jess discovering she is a lesbian and rebelling against the strict Pentecoastal Evangelist church she has been brainwashed into, and defying her adopted mother's plan for her to become a missionary. Almost 3 hrs long, fantastic story, script and acting. Geraldine McEwan is a real scene stealer playing the part of a religious zealot, and she's matched by superb performace by Charlotte Coleman in her most famous role, before she tragically died so young at the age of 33.

Loved this drama as a kid, and still love it now. I miss those days of late night BBC dramas and some of the American daytime dramas too. They could really take you away into another world when you was young and it's nice to have such fond memories of them.

Downloading a few others now, Boys from the Black Stuff, Lonesome Dove, Anne of the Green Gables, Truly Madly Deeply and whatever else I can think of.

Any other reminders or recommendations would be nice. Looking especially for ideas on British CH4 and BBC2 style dramas and TV movies.

[Thetyim]

I never got around to watching 'Oranges'
Thanks for reminding me I will try and download it.

One of my all time favourites was 'Love on a Branch Line'
First shown in the early 90's and set in pre war Britain

[tjyflhol]

Cheers Thets, checking that out now.

Oranges was a hard torrent to find, a lot of them had no seeders, but make sure you look for it. Actually being 32 now I appreciated it much more for the acting, story and script now than I did before. Admittedly most of my attention as a 13 years old was focused on the lesbian sex scene. Funnily enough on watching it last night that part lasted only for about 30 seconds, yet it seemed so much longer then.

I watched the first two seasons on northern Exposure recently also. Not quite as good as I remembered it, but still very good. I think the magic of watching it as a kid in a bedroom in London was seeing all those great shots of the Alaskan scenery and really wanting to be part of that community. And of course Maggie O'Donnel (Janine Turner)who was absolutely beautiful in it. I heard they started getting a bit rubbish towards the end though so will have to get some more of that downloaded and give it a viewing.

Got 'Our Friends from the North' coming down too, which I heard is excellent.

[tjyflhol]

The TV adaptions of some of the James Clavell Asian novels were great too, 'Noble House' and most memorably 'Shogun'. I remember watching that with my Dad and older Brother when houses only had one TV, all fighting for elbow space on the beanbag.

[Fstop]

The Wonder Years. I loved every minute of that show when I was growing up.

[tjyflhol]

Yep, a classic series, will get it downloaded.

[DrB0b]

I never got around to watching 'Oranges'
Thanks for reminding me I will try and download it.

One of my all time favourites was 'Love on a Branch Line'
First shown in the early 90's and set in pre war Britain

Yes, that was one of my favourites - I've still got the VHS tape I made of it. The very first BBC drama I really enjoyed was Robert Grave's "I Claudius" with Derek Jacobi and, I think, John Hurt. The acting and the storyline were superb but the sets looked like they were built on a budget of about 20 quid.

That was in 1976 and I was 10 years old, I remember my Dad sent me out of the room during a particularly gory scene involving Caligula and Caligula's pregnant sister.