He also wrote a 1976 TV movie adaptation of James and the Giant Peach.
in 1981 he received the Bafta Television Writers' Award for the TV series Fox.
Preston was the second of four children of Phyllis (nee Parker), a teacher, and Robert Preston, a soldier who had fought in both World War One and World War Two.
[1] Preston's television career began when the ITV arts show Tempo requested if the RCA’s film and television design department would produce an episode for the show.
Preston directed the episode "The Medium Sized Cage" for Tempo.