Banana
2015
Original language: English
- drama
The story
Through eight stand-alone stories, this series follows different aspects of LGBT life. Each episode focuses on the unique storyline of a diverse character dealing with life, loves and losses. Scotty is a young lesbian dealing with unrequited love, while Dean harbors family secrets and has an affair with a mystery man from Newcastle. Sian is torn between her lover and her overprotective mother. Helen has an ex who won't leave her alone.
What it’s like
Grounded, everyday Manchester: terraced streets under grey skies, bedrooms lit by lamps and phone screens, pubs and kitchens with a lived-in clutter. The camera stays close and unfussy, favouring handheld intimacy in quiet domestic rooms over stylised set pieces, and the palette runs to muted daylight and warm interiors. The soundtrack leans on indie-pop and pulsing synths in the brighter moments, with long stretches of ordinary room tone between scenes. Each of the eight self-contained episodes moves briskly and then lingers on a single feeling, so the rhythm is brief and emotionally direct. The tone is tender, wry and sometimes bruising, a mix of first crushes, awkward family conversations and the sting of an ex who won't let go. Romance and sexuality are frank but not explicit, the hurt is emotional rather than graphic, and there is little violence. It suits a comfortable evening alone, or a patient weekend binge when you want something warm and honest about young queer life. It is for viewers who like character-led drama about love, belonging and family, and who would rather sit with a feeling than be pushed through a plot.
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