5 BEST TV SERIES THAT TALK ABOUT SEX

In the vast world of TV series, there is a fundamental aspect of life that is given more and more space: sex. In recent years, in fact, streaming platforms have opened up their catalogs to a new era of narratives that address the theme of sexuality in an open, honest and, sometimes, provocative way, offering products suitable for all tastes and all age groups. age. There are shows dedicated to younger viewers - such as Sex Education - which explore the topic with great sensitivity and a pinch of humour, and others designed for those looking for more passionate stories, such as Sex/Life and You Me Her.

To guide you in choosing the right vision for you, in this article we will illustrate what, in our opinion, are the best TV series that talk about sex in circulation. Ready to explore the more intimate and passionate side of the serial universe?

1. Sex Education (2019 - 2023)

We could only start our article on the best TV series that talk about sex with what, since its debut on Netflix in 2019, has become one one of the platform's flagship shows, teen drama beloved by young (but not only) viewers, arriving in its fourth and final season in 2023: Sex Education. The protagonist of the narrative is Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield), a British teenager son of an internationally renowned writer and sexual therapist, Jean (played by Gillian Anderson). Equipped with innate therapeutic abilities, the boy - supported by his determined and rebellious schoolmate Maeve (Emma Mackey) - soon begins to put these skills to good use, starting a sexual counseling business in his high school, Moordale Secondary School.

Although it is an entertainment product, Sex Education has the merit of raising public awareness on the topic of sexuality, providing simple but clear indications, for example, on how to relate to others , express your most intimate desires without fear of prejudice and prevent some of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. The series also has the ability to explore the extremely multifaceted world of adolescents through a wise use of irony, lightly (but not superficially) tackling highly relevant issues such as abuse, bullying and illness mental.

2. Big Mouth (2017 - ongoing)

More provocative - but still set in the world of very young people - is Big Mouth, irreverent animated comedy created by Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg and landed on Netflix in 2017. Frankly addressing issues related to the period of adolescence, the series follows the lives of a group of New York teenagers who, with curiosity and horror, discover the changes - physical and psychological - which brings with it the “magical” world of puberty. At their side in this complex phase made up of first encounters and sexual desires of all kinds are the hormone monsters, large and hairy anthropomorphic creatures who answer to the names of Maurice and Connie and who guide our immature protagonists through the travails of adolescence, giving advice that often ends in tragicomic situations.

Big Mouth, however, does not just try to get a few laughs from its audience, but aims to bring to the screen what we have all experienced, tackling without mincing words and with great realism the fears, difficulties and experiences - often embarrassing - related to puberty, and using an educational approach on important issues related to sexuality, respect for oneself and others, as well as the acceptance of one's imperfections.

3. Masters of Sex (2013 - 2016)

The TV series Masters of Sex has a more historical-scientific approach, broadcast for four seasons, from 2013 to 2016, and centered on the life of two pioneers in the reformulation of modern sexology between the 1950s and 1960s. Based on Thomas Maier's biography “Masters of Sex - The true story of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the couple who taught America about sex”, the show revolves around the two protagonists, Doctor William Masters (Michael Sheen), an esteemed and uncompromising gynecologist and a secretary of the gynecology department, Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), who undertake groundbreaking research into human sexuality at Washington University in St. Louis.

A research that breaks the social conventions of the time, exploring taboo themes such as gender identity and sexual desire and challenging the moral restrictions of the context in which William and Virginia operate. Masters of Sex is a bold and brazen series, with the ability to never seem vulgar despite the issues addressed being often particularly intimate, if not downright scabrous.

4. Sex/Life (2021 - 2023) 

If you are looking for a fair dose of eroticism and transgression, Sex/Life is certainly the television series that suits for you. The story follows Billie Connelly (Sarah Shahi), a former doctoral student in psychology who, trapped in a daily life marked by her duties as a wife and mother and taking care of the house, begins to fantasize about the exciting life she led years ago with her ex-boyfriend Brad Simon (Adam Demos). So, when Brad suddenly reappears, the fire of passion is rekindled in the woman, inevitably leading her to reflect on her past choices and what the price to pay is to have a more adventurous and fulfilling existence back.

If , on the one hand, Sex/Life offers an interesting insight into female desire and pleasure, speaking openly about sex and showing it, without fear, in all its forms (with numerous nude scenes), from Altro brings to the screen a realistic representation of human relationships, tackling - often ruthlessly - the challenges, joys and conflicts that characterize life as a couple.

5. You Me Her by her (2016-2020)

We conclude our article with the series which, upon its debut in 2016, was presented as the first polyromantic comedy on television . Just as the title suggests, at the center of the narrative we find a love triangle, the one that forms between Jack (Greg Poehler) and Emma (Rachel Blanchard), a married couple now plunged into the monotony of daily routine, and Izzy (Priscilla Faia), an escort (but also a psychology graduate) who the two contact in the hope of rekindling their marriage. But what begins as a simple adventure soon turns into something more complicated: husband and wife fall in love with the new arrival, giving life to a threesome relationship made of passion but also a lot of jealousy.

You Me Her addresses, with great intellectual honesty and a fair dose of irony, the dynamics of polyamorous relationships, offering an innovative point of view on a phenomenon that is more relevant than ever and which breaks the mold - often imposed by society or our value system - of monogamous relationships.

by Sofia Biagini of CInemaSerieTV.it for Filmamo