''Sex Education'' is a British
comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
streaming television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air a ...
series created by
Laurie Nunn for
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
. It follows the lives of the students, staff and parents of the fictional Moordale Secondary School as they contend with various personal dilemmas, often related to
sexual intimacy
Human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour is the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts, ranging from activities done alone (e.g., masturbation) t ...
. The series stars an
ensemble cast that includes
Asa Butterfield
Asa Bopp Farr Butterfield (; born Asa Maxwell Thornton Farr Butterfield on 1 April 1997) is an English actor. He has received nominations for three British Independent Film Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and three Young ...
,
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson ( ; born August 9, 1968) is an American actress. Her credits include the roles of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the series ''The X-Files'', ill-fated socialite Lily Bart in Terence Davies's film '' The House of Mirt ...
,
Ncuti Gatwa
Mizero Ncuti Gatwa ( ; born 15 October 1992) is a Rwandan-Scottish actor. He rose to prominence as Eric Effiong on the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Sex Education'' (2019–present), which earned him a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in Te ...
,
Emma Mackey,
Connor Swindells
Connor Ryan Swindells (born 19 September 1996) is an English actor and model. He gained prominence through his role as Adam Groff in the Netflix comedy-drama ''Sex Education'' (2019–present). He has since starred in the BBC One historical dram ...
,
Kedar Williams-Stirling
Kedar Williams-Stirling (; born 14 December 1994) is an English actor. His film roles include the action dramas ''Shank'' (2010) and ''Montana'' (2014). On television, he has appeared as a series regular on the CBBC teen fantasy ''Wolfblood'' ...
,
Alistair Petrie
Alistair Petrie (born 30 September 1970) is a British actor. He has starred in ''The Bank Job'' (2008), '' Cloud Atlas'' (2012), '' Rush'' (2013) and '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (2016). Petrie has also starred in the Channel 4 television ...
,
Mimi Keene
Mimi Keene (born 5 August 1998) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Cindy Williams on the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2013–2015) and Ruby Matthews on the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Sex Education'' (2019–presen ...
, and
Aimee Lou Wood.
The first series was released on 11 January 2019, the second on 17 January 2020, and the third on 17 September 2021. A fourth series was announced on 25 September 2021.
''Sex Education'' has received critical acclaim for its ensemble cast, writing, directing, production values, and mature treatment of its themes. The programme has been a viewership success, with over 40 million viewers streaming the first series after its debut. Wood won the
BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for her role in the second series and the third series won
Best Comedy at the 50th
International Emmy Awards.
Premise
''Sex Education'' primarily follows Otis Milburn, a student at Moordale Secondary School. Otis begins the series ambivalent about sex, in part because his single mother, Jean, is a
sex therapist
Sex therapy is a strategy for the improvement of sexual function and treatment of sexual dysfunction. This includes sexual dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation or delayed ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, lack of sexual interest or arousa ...
who frequently has affairs with male suitors but does not maintain romantic relationships.
Other students at Moordale include Eric Effiong, Otis's best friend and the gay son of Ghanaian-Nigerian immigrants; Maeve Wiley, a highly intelligent, rebellious teen whose independence is overshadowed by her family's troubled past; Adam Groff, the headmaster's son who develops a bullying nature out of his own self-loathing; Jackson Marchetti, the
head boy
Head boy and head girl are student leadership roles in schools, representing the school's entire student body. They are normally the most senior prefects in the school. The terms are commonly used in the British education system as well as in Aus ...
struggling to meet the high expectations set for him; Ruby Matthews, Anwar Bakshi, and Olivia Hanan, members of a popular clique known as "the Untouchables"; Aimee Gibbs, an Untouchable who secretly befriends Maeve; and Lily Iglehart, a writer of alien erotica who is determined to lose her virginity. The school is later joined by Ola Nyman, whose widowed father, Jakob Nyman, begins a relationship with Jean.
In the first series, Otis sets up a sex therapy clinic with Maeve to help the students of Moordale with their sexual problems.
Their business becomes a success, but conflict arises when Otis finds himself becoming attracted to Maeve.
In the second series, new students arrive and challenge the status quo at Moordale, including Ola, who becomes Otis's first girlfriend. Eric helps his former bully Adam come to terms with his sexuality. Jean becomes the school's resident sex therapist as a
chlamydia
Chlamydia, or more specifically a chlamydia infection, is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium '' Chlamydia trachomatis''. Most people who are infected have no symptoms. When symptoms do appear they may occur only several we ...
outbreak causes the teens to question and struggle with topical issues.
In the third series, a new school year begins as Otis enters a relationship with Ruby, Jean expects a baby in the near future, Eric and Adam are made official, and new headmistress Hope Haddon's plans for a major revamp at Moordale cause an extra set of complications for the students.
Cast and characters
Main
*
Asa Butterfield
Asa Bopp Farr Butterfield (; born Asa Maxwell Thornton Farr Butterfield on 1 April 1997) is an English actor. He has received nominations for three British Independent Film Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and three Young ...
as Otis Milburn, a socially awkward teenager who gives sex advice to his peers
*
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson ( ; born August 9, 1968) is an American actress. Her credits include the roles of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the series ''The X-Files'', ill-fated socialite Lily Bart in Terence Davies's film '' The House of Mirt ...
as Jean Milburn, Otis's mother and a well-known
sex therapist
Sex therapy is a strategy for the improvement of sexual function and treatment of sexual dysfunction. This includes sexual dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation or delayed ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, lack of sexual interest or arousa ...
who is frank about all aspects of sexuality
*
Ncuti Gatwa
Mizero Ncuti Gatwa ( ; born 15 October 1992) is a Rwandan-Scottish actor. He rose to prominence as Eric Effiong on the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Sex Education'' (2019–present), which earned him a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in Te ...
as Eric Effiong, Otis's best friend, who comes from a religious Ghanaian-Nigerian family
*
Emma Mackey as Maeve Wiley, an intelligent but troubled teenager who befriends Otis and runs a sex therapy clinic with him
*
Connor Swindells
Connor Ryan Swindells (born 19 September 1996) is an English actor and model. He gained prominence through his role as Adam Groff in the Netflix comedy-drama ''Sex Education'' (2019–present). He has since starred in the BBC One historical dram ...
as Adam Groff, the headmaster's son and Eric's bully-turned-love interest
*
Kedar Williams-Stirling
Kedar Williams-Stirling (; born 14 December 1994) is an English actor. His film roles include the action dramas ''Shank'' (2010) and ''Montana'' (2014). On television, he has appeared as a series regular on the CBBC teen fantasy ''Wolfblood'' ...
as Jackson Marchetti, the
head boy
Head boy and head girl are student leadership roles in schools, representing the school's entire student body. They are normally the most senior prefects in the school. The terms are commonly used in the British education system as well as in Aus ...
at Moordale Secondary School and a swimming champion
*
Alistair Petrie
Alistair Petrie (born 30 September 1970) is a British actor. He has starred in ''The Bank Job'' (2008), '' Cloud Atlas'' (2012), '' Rush'' (2013) and '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (2016). Petrie has also starred in the Channel 4 television ...
as Michael Groff, the headmaster at Moordale Secondary School and Adam's strict father
*
Mimi Keene
Mimi Keene (born 5 August 1998) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Cindy Williams on the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2013–2015) and Ruby Matthews on the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Sex Education'' (2019–presen ...
as Ruby Matthews, a popular mean girl and the leader of the school's Untouchables
clique
A clique ( AusE, CanE, or ), in the social sciences, is a group of individuals who interact with one another and share similar interests. Interacting with cliques is part of normative social development regardless of gender, ethnicity, or popular ...
*
Aimee Lou Wood as Aimee Gibbs, a former member of the Untouchables who becomes friends with Maeve
*
Chaneil Kular
Chaneil Kular (born 20 August 1999) is a British actor. After making his debut as Tariq Amiri on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'' (2018), he began portraying the role of Anwar Bakshi in the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Sex Education'' (2019– ...
as Anwar Bakshi, a member of the Untouchables
*
Simone Ashley
Simone Ashwini Pillai (born 30 March 1995), known professionally as Simone Ashley, is a British actress. She is known for her breakout role in the Netflix period drama ''Bridgerton'' (2022–present) and ''Sex Education'' (2019–2021).
Early ...
as Olivia Hanan (series 1–3), a member of the Untouchables
*
Tanya Reynolds
Tanya Louise Reynolds (born 4 November 1991) is an English actress. She landed her first major role as a series regular on the Sky 1 comedy-drama ''Delicious (TV series), Delicious'' (2016–2019). Reynolds gained further prominence for portrayi ...
as Lily Iglehart (series 1–3), an eccentric girl who writes alien
erotica
Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use ...
*
Mikael Persbrandt
Mikael Åke Persbrandt (; born 25 September 1963) is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films, he is perhaps best known for playing Gunvald Larsson in the ''Beck'' series of movies. He is internationally known for his starring role in the Academy Award ...
as Jakob Nyman, a widowed Swedish
plumber
A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking) water, and for sewage and drainage in plumbing systems. who develops a relationship with Jean
*
Patricia Allison
Patricia Allison (born 7 December 1994) is an English actress. Following a string of guest appearances on television, she landed her first major role as Ola Nyman on the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Sex Education'' (2019–2021).
Early life
At ...
as Ola Nyman (series 1–3), Jakob's
pansexual
Pansexuality is sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity. Pansexual people may refer to themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are not determining factors in their ...
daughter
*
Anne-Marie Duff as Erin Wiley (series 2-3), Maeve, Sean and Elsie's absent mother who reappears
*
Rakhee Thakrar
Rakhee Thakrar (born 29 February 1984) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Shabnam Masood in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2014–2016) and Emily Sands in the Netflix comedy-drama ''Sex Education'' (2019–2021). She als ...
as Emily Sands (series 3; recurring series 1–2), an English teacher at Moordale Secondary School
*
Jemima Kirke
Jemima Jo M Kirke (born 26 April 1985) is a British-American artist, actress and director. She gained international acclaim through her role as Jessa Johansson on the HBO series '' Girls''. She made her film debut in the 2005 indie short '' S ...
as Hope Haddon (series 3), the new headmistress at Moordale Secondary School and Michael Groff's replacement
Recurring
*
Jim Howick
James "Jim" Howick (born 14 May 1979) is an English actor and writer, known for his appearances in television series such as ''Peep Show'', ''Horrible Histories'', '' Stag'', ''Ghosts'' and '' Here We Go''.
Early life
Howick was born in Chiche ...
as Colin Hendricks, a science teacher at Moordale Secondary School who conducts the Swing Band
*
Samantha Spiro
Samantha Spiro (born 20 June 1968) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for portraying Barbara Windsor in the stage play '' Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick'' and the television films ''Cor, Blimey!'' and ''Babs'', DI Vivien F ...
as Maureen Groff, the headmaster's wife and Adam's mother
*
DeObia Oparei
DeObia Oparei (born 7 December 1971) is a British actor and playwright. He is best known for his roles as the Gunner in '' Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'' (2011), Rongo in ''Dumbo'' (2019), and as Boastful Loki in ''Loki'' (2021). ...
as Abeo Effiong, Eric's concerned and protective father (series 1)
* Conor Clarke McGrath as Conor Pearson, a student at Moordale Secondary School with an addiction to
masturbating
Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combinati ...
*
Lisa Palfrey as Cynthia, the owner of the caravan park where Maeve lives
* Jojo Macari as Kyle, one of Aimee's ex-boyfriends
*
James Purefoy
James Brian Mark Purefoy (born 3 June 1964) is an English actor. He played Mark Antony in the HBO series ''Rome'', Nick Jenkins in ''A Dance to the Music of Time'', college professor turned serial killer Joe Carroll in the series ''The Followin ...
as Remi Milburn, Otis's father and Jean's ex-husband, a therapist and sex addict who lives in America (series 1–2)
*
Hannah Waddingham
Hannah Waddingham (born 28 July 1974) is a British actress and singer. She is best known for playing Rebecca Welton in the comedy series '' Ted Lasso'' (2020–present), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actre ...
as Sofia Marchetti, one of Jackson's mothers (series 1–2; guest series 3)
*
Joe Wilkinson
Joseph Roland Wilkinson (born 2 May 1975) is an English comedian, actor and screenwriter. He began his comedy career in 2004 and has supported Alan Carr and Russell Howard on tour. He has also made numerous appearances on television programme ...
as Jeffrey, Cynthia's husband
*
Sharon Duncan-Brewster
Sharon Duncan-Brewster
(born 8 February 1976) is a British actress. She is known for her role as Crystal Gordon in '' Bad Girls'' during the first four series; her role as Trina Johnson on ''EastEnders''; and her role as Maggie Cain in the aut ...
as Roz Marchetti, Jackson's other mother (series 1–2)
* Chris Jenks as Steve Morley, a student at Moordale Secondary School, who becomes Aimee's boyfriend
*
Edward Bluemel as Sean Wiley, Maeve's absent older brother who raised her instead of their parents (series 1)
* Doreene Blackstock as Beatrice Effiong, Eric's supportive mother
*
Sami Outalbali
Sami Outalbali (born 19 March 1999) is a French actor. He rose to prominence for portraying Ilyes on the OCS (TV channel), OCS drama series ' (2016–2019) and gained international recognition for his role as Rahim in the Netflix comedy-drama serie ...
as Rahim Harrack, a French exchange student who shows an interest in Eric (series 2–3)
*
George Robinson as Isaac Goodwin, a
disabled
Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...
boy who lives on the same campsite as Maeve (series 2–)
* George Somner as Joe Goodwin, Isaac's brother and carer who lives on Maeve's campsite (series 2–3)
* Chinenye Ezeudu as Vivienne Odusanya, a girl who tutors Jackson and is a member of the quiz team (series 2–)
*
Lino Facioli
Lino Schmidek Machado Facioli (born 29 July 2000) is a Brazilian-British actor. He is best known for portraying Lord Robin Arryn in '' Game of Thrones'' and Naples in ''Get Him to the Greek''.
Biography
Facioli was born in Ribeirão Preto, S ...
as Dex Thompson, a member of the quiz team (series 2–3)
*
Mirren Mack
Mirren Mack (born 1997) is a Scottish actress, known for portraying Kaya on the BBC drama '' The Nest'', Florence in ''Sex Education'', Queenie in the National Theatre’s 2022 production of '' Small Island'', and Princess/Empress Merwyn in the ...
as Florence, an
asexual student at Moordale Secondary School (series 2)
* George Georgiou as Yousef, the owner of the local shop and Rahim's uncle (series 2)
* Conor Donovan as Quentin, an over-dramatic member of the drama club and enemy of Mr Hendricks (series 2–3)
*
Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs (born 6 June 1963) is an English actor.
Isaac's film roles include Col. Tavington in '' The Patriot'' (2000), Michael D. Steele in '' Black Hawk Down'' (2001), Lucius Malfoy in the ''Harry Potter'' film series (2002–2011), Ca ...
as Peter Groff, older brother of Michael Groff (series 3)
*
Indra Ové
Indra Ové (born 14 October 1967) is a British film, television and stage actress.
Career
Ové was born in Westminster, London. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. She appeared in the 1994 film ''Interview with the Vampire'' ...
as Anna,
foster mother of Maeve's younger half-sister Elsie (series 3)
*
Dua Saleh
Dua Saleh ( ar, دعاء صالح ', Sudanese Arabic, Sudanese ) is a Sudanese-American singer and actor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their debut extended play, EP ''Nūr'' was released in January 2019 by the Against Giants record label to c ...
as Cal Bowman, a
non-binary
Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...
student at Moordale Secondary School who relocated from
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
(series 3-)
* Robyn Holdaway as Layla, a non-binary student at Moordale Secondary School (series 3)
*
Andi Osho
Yewande "Andi" Osho (born 27 January 1973) is a British stand-up comedian, actress and television presenter.
Life and career
Osho was born in Plaistow, East London,In an interview for BBC Radio 4 Extra's ''MacAuley & Co'' in 2011 at the Ed ...
as Nicky Bowman, Cal's mum (series 4)
Guest
*
Toby Williams
Tobias Williams (born November 19, 1959) is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Jets in the 10th round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played six seasons, as a defensive e ...
as Tim, one of Jean's patients (series 1–2)
*
Lu Corfield
Lucy "Lu" Corfield (born 1979 or 1980) is a Welsh actress, known for her roles as Freya Wilson (Doctors), Freya Wilson in ''Doctors (2000 TV series), Doctors'', Ruth in ''Last Tango in Halifax'' and Joyce Edevan in ''Clink (TV series), Clink''. ...
as Sarah, a mother of three who befriends Maeve (series 1)
*
Anjana Vasan
Anjana Vasan (born 31 January 1987) is a Singaporean actress and singer-songwriter based in London. She gained prominence through her stage work, receiving an ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Award nomination for her performance in the 2019 producti ...
as an
anti-abortion activist (series 1)
* Dominic Applewhite as Charlie, an anti-abortion activist (series 1)
*
T'Nia Miller
T'Nia Miller (born 1980) is a British actress, known for her appearances in television series including '' Witless'' (2016–2018), '' Years and Years'' (2019), ''Free Rein'' (2019), ''The Haunting of Bly Manor'' (2020), and ''Foundation'' (2021 ...
as Maxine, the chair of the school board (series 2)
* Thomas Atkinson as Nick, Anwar's boyfriend (series 2–3)
*
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
as himself, a quiz host (series 2)
*
Sindhu Vee
Sindhu Venkatanarayanan (born 19 June 1969) is an Indian actress and stand-up comedian who lives and performs in the United Kingdom under the name of Sindhu Vee. She starred as Mrs Phelps in the 2022 Netflix adaptation of ''Matilda the Musical' ...
as Mrs Hanan, Olivia's mother (series 2)
*
Susan Lynch
Susan Lynch (born 5 June 1971) is a Northern Irish actress. three-times an IFTA Award winner, she also won the British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 2003 film ''16 Years of Alcohol''. Her other film appearances in ...
as Tara Gibbs, Aimee's mother (series 2)
* David Layde as Roland Matthews, Ruby's father who has
multiple sclerosis and Jeffrey's friend (series 3)
*
Miles Jupp
Miles Hugh Barrett Jupp (born 8 September 1979) is an English actor, singer, and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian before playing the role of the inventor Archie in the children's television series ''Balamory''. He also played ...
as an
obstetrician
Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgic ...
at Moordale community hospital (series 3)
*
Sophie Thompson
Sophie Thompson (born 20 January 1962) is a British actress who has worked in film, television and theatre. A six-time Olivier Award nominee, she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of ''Into the Woods' ...
as Carol Iglehart, Lily's mother and a nurse (series 3)
* Jerry Iwu as Oba, a gay photographer from
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
(series 3)
* Reece Richards as Eugene, Viv's boyfriend (series 3)
Episodes
Series 1 (2019)
Series 2 (2020)
Series 3 (2021)
Production
Development
On 28 November 2017, it was announced that
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
had given the production a series order. The series was created by
Laurie Nunn, with Ben Taylor expected to direct. Executive producers were set to include Jamie Campbell and Joel Wilson via their production company
Eleven Film.
On 4 December 2018, it was announced that the series would premiere on 11 January 2019. On 1 February 2019, Netflix renewed the show for a second series which premiered on 17 January 2020. On 10 February 2020, Netflix renewed the show for a third series. As part of a video and letter to its shareholders in April 2021, Netflix's co-
chief executive officer
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...
and
chief content officer
A chief content officer (CCO) is a corporate executive responsible for the digital media creation and multi-channel publication of the organization's content (text, video, audio, animation, etc.).
The CCO is usually an executive role or senior v ...
,
Ted Sarandos
Theodore Anthony Sarandos Jr. is an American businessman who serves as the co-chief executive officer and chief content officer for Netflix.
Early life
Sarandos was born in Phoenix, Arizona. His father was Ted Sarandos Sr, an electrician, and ...
, confirmed that the third series of ''Sex Education'' was expected to be released sometime in the second half of 2021.
On 24 June 2021, it was announced that the third series would premiere on 17 September 2021.
On 25 September 2021, eight days after the premiere of the third series, it was announced that ''Sex Education'' had been renewed for a fourth series.
Casting
On 17 May 2018, it was announced that
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson ( ; born August 9, 1968) is an American actress. Her credits include the roles of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the series ''The X-Files'', ill-fated socialite Lily Bart in Terence Davies's film '' The House of Mirt ...
,
Emma Mackey,
Asa Butterfield
Asa Bopp Farr Butterfield (; born Asa Maxwell Thornton Farr Butterfield on 1 April 1997) is an English actor. He has received nominations for three British Independent Film Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and three Young ...
,
Ncuti Gatwa
Mizero Ncuti Gatwa ( ; born 15 October 1992) is a Rwandan-Scottish actor. He rose to prominence as Eric Effiong on the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Sex Education'' (2019–present), which earned him a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in Te ...
,
Connor Swindells
Connor Ryan Swindells (born 19 September 1996) is an English actor and model. He gained prominence through his role as Adam Groff in the Netflix comedy-drama ''Sex Education'' (2019–present). He has since starred in the BBC One historical dram ...
, and
Kedar Williams-Stirling
Kedar Williams-Stirling (; born 14 December 1994) is an English actor. His film roles include the action dramas ''Shank'' (2010) and ''Montana'' (2014). On television, he has appeared as a series regular on the CBBC teen fantasy ''Wolfblood'' ...
had joined the show's main cast. On 16 July 2018, it was reported that
James Purefoy
James Brian Mark Purefoy (born 3 June 1964) is an English actor. He played Mark Antony in the HBO series ''Rome'', Nick Jenkins in ''A Dance to the Music of Time'', college professor turned serial killer Joe Carroll in the series ''The Followin ...
had been cast in a recurring role.
Filming
![Caerleon Campus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Caerleon_Campus.jpg)
Filming for the first series took place at several locations in the
Wye Valley
The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; cy, Dyffryn Gwy) is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales.
The River Wye ( cy, Afon Gwy) is the fourth-longest river in th ...
in both
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
and
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, including
Llandogo
Llandogo ( cy, Llaneuddogwy) is a small village in Monmouthshire, south Wales, between Monmouth and Chepstow in the lower reaches of the Wye Valley AONB, two miles north of Tintern. It is set on a steep hillside overlooking the River Wye and a ...
,
Tintern
Tintern ( cy, Tyndyrn) is a village in the community of Wye Valley, on the west bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, about north of Chepstow. It is popular with tourists, in particular for the scenery ...
,
Symonds Yat
Symonds Yat is a village in the Wye Valley and a popular tourist destination, straddling the River Wye in the English county of Herefordshire, close to the Gloucestershire border. It is within a few miles of Monmouthshire and the Welsh border. ...
,
Monmouth, and
Redbrook
Redbrook is a village in Gloucestershire, England, adjoining the border with Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located on the River Wye and is within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
History
Both Upper and Lower Redbrook were m ...
. Filming was also progressed in
Penarth,
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol ...
during 2018. The scenes set at Moordale Secondary School were filmed at the former campus of the
University of South Wales
The University of South Wales ( cy, Prifysgol De Cymru) is a public university in Wales, with campuses in Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wa ...
in
Caerleon
Caerleon (; cy, Caerllion) is a town and community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies northeast of Newport city centre, and southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman ...
,
Newport. Scenes set in the swimming pool were filmed at the
Newport International Sports Village
Newport International Sports Village is a multi-sport complex located at Lliswerry in the South East of the city of Newport, South Wales. It is known locally as Spytty Park, the name coming from the original Spytty Fields on which it is built ...
complex. Filming for the second series took place from May to September 2019 including scenes in the
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to ...
.
In February 2021 during filming for the third series production visited several locations in
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
. Filming took place at Shorncliffe Military Cemetery in
Sandgate and The Hawthorne Trench which both double as WWI locations in France for Episode 5. Production also visited the Harbour Arm in Folkestone Harbour to film a scene for Episode 7.
Setting and aesthetics
The setting of ''Sex Education'' appears to be modern-day Britain, in the fictional village of Moordale, with various elements that serve to place the show in an uncertain time and location. Modern technology, such as
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
s, exists, but the show features very few cars from after the 1990s, with most cars featured ranging from the 1970s to the 1990s. Police cars seen during the finale of series two appear to follow 1990s aesthetics rather than modern-day police cars. The show heavily features older technologies such as
CRT televisions and dated household appliances. The décor of the Groffs' house is reminiscent of popular 1970s décor; Maeve's caravan is typical of the 1990s–2000s; and the Milburns' house is a more modern décor with a modern, "American-style" fridge. Moordale Secondary School shows some elements of UK secondary schools but also has a more American high school image. According to showrunner Laurie Nunn, the show's aesthetic is deliberate and a homage to the 1980s films of
John Hughes.
Release
On 2 January 2019, the official trailer for the series was released.
Audience viewership
On 17 January 2019,
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
announced that the series was on pace to have been streamed by over 40 million viewers within its first month of release.
According to Netflix Top 10 global viewership, Sex Education was watched for over 447,750,000 hours between 12 September and 24 October 2021.
Manga adaptation
On July 15, 2022, a manga adaptation illustrated by John Tarachine began serialization in
Kadokawa Corporation's ''Comic Bridge'' online manga magazine.
Reception
Critical response
Series 1
Review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reports that 91% of 80 critic ratings were positive for the first series, with an average rating of 8.10/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Bawdy, heartfelt, and surprisingly wise, ''Sex Education'' is a raucous romp through a group of teenagers whose sexual misadventures are so thoughtfully rendered, adults could learn a thing or two from them."
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
calculated a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 from 19 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".
In a positive review, ''
IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
''s Liz Shannon Miller gave the series a grade of "A−" saying, "Again, though, it's the kids' story, with the fluctuations in both friendships and relationships pinging back and forth with youthful verve. ''Sex Education'' does a lot of things really well, chief amongst them being the creation of a high school world which feels fully developed — realistic to a degree, but..
ith
The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany.
Geography
Location
The Ith is immediatel ...
a sense of escapism." The ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...
''s Lewis Knight awarded it a rating of five out of five, noting that with "a talented ensemble and explicit tackling of sexuality in young people (and their parents)", it "is an hilariously honest and refreshingly diverse comedy". ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''s
James Poniewozik
James "Jim" Poniewozik (; born July 12, 1968) is an American journalist and television critic. He is the chief TV critic for ''The New York Times''. Earlier in his career, he wrote ''Time'' magazine's ''Tuned In'' column for 16 years.
Early life
...
described the series as "timely but not hamfistedly topical, feminist, with a refreshing lack of angst about its subject. Sex, in this show, isn't an 'issue' or a problem or a titillating lure: It's an aspect of health".
In a mixed assessment, ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''s Hank Stuever wrote, "there's the usual problem of Netflix drift for an episode or two midway through, where the plot dawdles while the writers and producers figure out an ending. Yet there's an artfulness to the material and a genuine care on display here, too — a message that we are not just about the size and shape and inventive uses of our private parts". In a negative review, ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
''s Ed Power gave the series a rating of two out of five and criticised it, saying, "''Sex Education'' suffers further for not being grounded in a distinctive time and place...Eager to please but confused, ''Sex Education'' could do with a stint on the therapist's couch itself".
Ncuti Gatwa, who plays gay black teen Eric Effiong, has received praise from critics and cultural commentators, who noted his role was not relegated to the cliché of a gay or black "best friend"
stock character.
The series gained acclaim for its treatment of intimate content and use of an
intimacy coordinator
An intimacy coordinator, sometimes called an intimacy director, is a member of a film or television crew who ensures the well-being of actors and actresses who participate in sex scenes or other intimate scenes in theater, film and television prod ...
,
Ita O'Brien
Ita O’Brien is a British movement director and intimacy co-ordinator for film, TV and theatre. She has taught at some of Britain's leading drama schools, has published research and devises her own work. In 2017, O'Brien introduced the "Intim ...
.
Series 2
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the second series has an approval rating of 98% with an average rating of 8.30/10, based on 57 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "''Sex Education''s
sophomore season definitely has more going on, but by treating each new subject with care and humour, it leaves plenty of space for its characters to grow."
On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the series has a score of 83 out of 100, based on reviews from 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Series 3
On Rotten Tomatoes, the third series has an approval rating of 98% with an average rating of 8.50/10, based on 42 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "With a seemingly endless desire to dive deeper into its characters paired perfectly with its talented ensemble, ''Sex Educations third season is a masterclass in brutally honest, brilliantly heartfelt comedy."
On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the series has a score of 83 out of 100, based on reviews from 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
The third series won
Best Comedy at the 50th
International Emmy Awards.
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sex Education (TV series)
2010s British comedy-drama television series
2010s British LGBT-related comedy television series
2010s British LGBT-related drama television series
2010s British sex comedy television series
2010s British teen television series
2010s high school television series
2010s teen drama television series
2020s British comedy-drama television series
2020s British LGBT-related comedy television series
2020s British LGBT-related drama television series
2020s British sex comedy television series
2020s British teen television series
2020s high school television series
2020s teen drama television series
2019 British television series debuts
2022 manga
British high school television series
British teen drama television series
Coming-of-age television shows
English-language Netflix original programming
Gay-related television shows
Lesbian-related television shows
Sex education television series
Television series about teenagers
Television shows filmed in England
Television shows filmed in Wales
Television series by Sony Pictures Television
Virginity in television
Bisexuality-related television series
Male bisexuality in fiction