Masters of Sex | |
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Genre | |
Based on | Masters of Sex by Thomas Maier |
Developed by | Michelle Ashford |
Starring | |
Composer | Michael Penn |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 4 |
No. of episodes | 46 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers | Michael Sheen Lizzy Caplan Thomas Maier |
Production locations | |
Cinematography | Ben Davis |
Running time | 55–60 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Showtime |
Release | September 29, 2013 – November 13, 2016 |
Masters of Sex is an American period drama television series that premiered on September 29, 2013, on Showtime. [1] It was developed by Michelle Ashford and loosely based on Thomas Maier's biography Masters of Sex . [2] Set in the 1950s through the late 1960s, the series tells the story of Masters and Johnson (Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson) who are portrayed by Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, respectively. The series has received critical acclaim. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Series in 2013. The series was canceled by Showtime on November 30, 2016, after four seasons. [3]
The series explores the research and the relationship between William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), two pioneering researchers of human sexuality at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. [4] The series begins in October 1956 and ends in August 1969 with the fourth season.
As noted by the Los Angeles Times television critic, the series "hangs on bones of fact"; "it's more useful for the viewer to think of it as all made up. Because, mostly, it is, and because to the extent it tells the story of two real people, it also adorns the telling with dramatic practicalities, invented characters and narrative detours. Indeed, it's down these side streets, casting a brief light on a passing character (patients, prostitutes, a provost's wife), that the show finds many of its best moments." [2]
Other than principal characters, which are partly fictionalized, adults are significantly fictionalized, and children are entirely fictionalized. In real life, Masters and Johnson each have two children, but in the series, they have three children each. Episodes featuring the children include a disclaimer stating that their storylines are "entirely fictitious". Series creator Michelle Ashford explained: "We are telling a non-fiction story and one where there are people who are still alive out there, and those people need to be protected. We were advised to add [the baby] to protect the people that are still alive. It wasn't a storytelling prerogative. It had to do with protecting living people." [5]
Showtime ordered the pilot for Masters of Sex in August 2011, [14] and greenlit it for series in June 2012, with the first season consisting of twelve episodes. [15] Paul Bettany was originally cast as William Masters and had a say in the casting of the female lead which had reportedly stalled the process. [16] After his exit, Michael Sheen replaced him and Lizzy Caplan was cast as Virginia Johnson. [17]
Writer/producer Michelle Ashford serves as showrunner for Masters of Sex. She assembled a majority-female writing staff, although she says this was unintentional. [18]
Ashford created the character of Barton Scully out of a combination of several men whom Masters knew. One of them was gay, but was not the man serving as provost during Masters' initial study. [19]
Prop master Jeffrey Johnson noted the difficulty of obtaining accurate information about sexual devices from the time period. "They were so taboo it was hard to find research drawings. People didn't even put them in writing." He obtained some vintage vibrators and dildos for use in the series along with acquiring condoms manufactured in the era (which did not have the reservoir tips of modern condoms). He designed "Ulysses", a transparent dildo with attached camera first seen in the pilot episode, from scratch, along with a diaphragm sizing kit seen in later episodes. [20]
Annaleigh Ashford, who has a recurring role in the first season as Betty Dimello, was promoted to series regular in season two. [21]
The opening credits sequence was created by design studio Elastic. The sequence, which includes suggestive, tongue-in-cheek sex metaphors and symbols, received a mixed response from critics; it placed on both best and worst lists for opening credit sequences. It was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design. [22]
In Canada, the series debuted on September 29, 2013, on The Movie Network. [23] In Australia, the series premiered on SBS One on October 3, 2013. [24] In Ireland, the series premiered on October 4, 2013, on RTÉ Two. [25] In the UK, it debuted on Channel 4 on October 8, 2013. [26] In New Zealand, it debuted on SoHo on October 23, 2013. [27] Virgin Media acquired the UK rights for Masters of Sex and it started airing on September 21, 2018. [28] In the UK, the series was available on STV Player until February 2023. [29]
Season | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
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1 | 90% (59 reviews) | 86 (32 reviews) |
2 | 98% (44 reviews) | 89 (17 reviews) |
3 | 69% (32 reviews) | 72 (15 reviews) |
4 | 80% (10 reviews) | 70 (5 reviews) |
The first season of Masters of Sex received critical acclaim. Based on 59 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the first season received a 90% approval rating from critics, with a rating average of 8.3 out of 10. The site's consensus states: "Seductive and nuanced, Masters of Sex features smart performances, deft direction, and impeccable period decor." [30] Metacritic gave the first season a score of 86 out of 100, based on 32 reviews. [31] The American Film Institute listed it as one of the top ten television series of 2013. [32]
Matt Roush of TV Guide wrote that "There is no more fascinating, or entertaining, new series this fall season." [33] Diane Werts of Newsday gave it an "A" grade, complimenting the series on its use of humor, stating "its deft balance of epic scope and whimsical humanity", as well as the strong performances of the actors and creator Michelle Ashford's "scene-setting scripts". [34] David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle particularly praised the performances, calling them "extraordinary" and "stunning", and noting the series' A-list directors, among them Michael Apted and John Madden. [35] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post wrote that after the first two episodes, "the characters get better and more complex, the story builds, strange things start to happen and now I can't wait to see how its interweaving plots unfold." [36] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix praised lead actors Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, calling them "terrific", and saying that "Masters of Sex is the best new show of the fall by a very long stretch. It's also a refreshing anomaly: a prestige cable drama that doesn't feel like a recombination of elements from 15 shows that came before it." [37] According to Robert Lloyd, the Los Angeles Times television critic, the show is a "handsome thing, another well-dressed romp through the American mid-century, when things (we imagine) were simpler and (so we like to think) less sophisticated, but also more exciting. And it's true that sexual naiveté of that age can seem incredible in a day when pornography is just another thing on your platform of choice. But even in an age when Masters of Sex is a TV show, the subject remains stubbornly powerful, private and confounding. We have come far, and we are still cavemen. [2]
The second season also received critical acclaim equal to if not greater than the first season. It received a score of 89 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 17 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [38] On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 98% approval rating among critics based on 44 reviews, with a rating average of 8.5 out of 10. The consensus reads: "Boasting an expanded storyline and broader focus, Masters of Sex's second season improves on its already outstanding predecessor." [39]
The third season received generally positive reviews from critics, although received more mixed reviews than the previous seasons. It has a Metacritic score of 72 out of 100 based on 15 reviews. [40] On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 69% approval rating among critics based on 32 reviews, with a rating average of 7.6 out of 10. The consensus reads, "With a six-year leap forward in the timeline, Masters of Sex takes an intriguing dramatic turn, but may leave a few viewers feeling frustrated." [41]
The fourth season received generally positive reviews from critics. It has a Metacritic score of 70 out of 100 based on 5 reviews. [42] On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 80% approval rating among critics based on 10 reviews, with a rating average of 7.6 out of 10. The consensus reads, "Masters of Sex closes the book with a stylish final season that doesn't aim to scale the heights of the series' artistic peak, but satisfies with its thoughtful investigation of its two protagonists' diverging paths." [43]
In June 2013, the series was honored, along with five others, with the Critics' Choice Television Award for Most Exciting New Series. [44] The series received two nominations for the 2014 Writers Guild of America Awards, for Best New Series and Best Episodic Drama for "Pilot". [45] For the 71st Golden Globe Awards, the series was nominated for Best Drama Series, and Michael Sheen was nominated Best Drama Actor. [46] For the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, Lizzy Caplan received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Beau Bridges received a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, and Allison Janney won for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. [47] [48]
The Masters and Johnson research team, composed of William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson, pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders and dysfunctions from 1957 until the 1990s.
Michael Christopher Sheen is a Welsh actor. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in Romeo and Juliet (1992), Don't Fool with Love (1993), Peer Gynt (1994), The Seagull (1995), The Homecoming (1997), and Henry V (1997). His performances in Amadeus at the Old Vic and Look Back in Anger at the National Theatre were nominated for Olivier Awards in 1998 and 1999, respectively. In 2003, he was nominated for a third Olivier Award for his performance in Caligula at the Donmar Warehouse.
John Philip Madden is an English director of stage, film, television, and radio. He is known for directing Shakespeare in Love (1998), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. He has also gained recognition for directing The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) and its sequel The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015).
William Howell Masters was an American gynecologist and the senior member of the Masters and Johnson human sexuality research team. Along with his partner Virginia E. Johnson, he pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunctions and disorders from 1957 until the 1990s.
Elizabeth Anne Caplan is an American actress. Her first acting role was on the television series Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000). She received wider recognition with roles in the films Mean Girls (2004) and Cloverfield (2008), she also starred on the television shows Related (2005–2006), The Class (2006–2007), and Party Down.
Virginia E. Johnson was an American sexologist and a member of the Masters and Johnson sexuality research team. Along with her partner, William H. Masters, she pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunctions and disorders from 1957 until the 1990s.
Annaleigh Amanda Ashford is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Her early roles on Broadway include in the musicals Wicked (2007), Legally Blonde (2007), and Hair (2010). She received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for playing Essie Carmichael in You Can't Take It With You (2014–2015). Her other Tony-nominated roles include Lauren in Kinky Boots (2013) and Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2023). She also starred in the Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George (2017).
Christopher William Geere is an English actor. He is known for playing the lead role of Jimmy Shive-Overly in the FX and FXX dark comedy series You're the Worst (2014), Roger Clifford in the 2019 film Detective Pikachu, and Kanduu / Slappy the Dummy in the Disney+/Hulu series Goosebumps (2023).
"Pilot" is the first episode of the first season of the American period drama television series Masters of Sex. It originally aired on September 29, 2013, in the United States on Showtime. The episode was written by series creator Michelle Ashford and directed by John Madden. The series is based on Thomas Maier's biography Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love.
"Race to Space" is the second episode of the first season of the American period drama television series Masters of Sex. It aired on October 6, 2013 in the United States on Showtime.
"Standard Deviation" is the third episode of the first season of the American period drama television series Masters of Sex. It originally aired on October 13, 2013 in the United States on Showtime.
The first season of the American television drama series Masters of Sex premiered on September 29, 2013, and concluded on December 15, 2013. It consists of twelve episodes, each running for approximately 55 minutes in length. Showtime broadcast the first season on Sundays at 10:00 pm (ET) in the United States. Internationally, the season aired in Canada on The Movie Network concurrently with the American broadcast, and it debuted in the UK on Channel 4 on October 8, 2013.
"Manhigh" is the twelfth episode and the season finale of the first season of the American period drama television series Masters of Sex. It premiered on December 15, 2013 in the United States on Showtime.
Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love is a 2009 biography by Thomas Maier. The book chronicles the early lives and work of two American sexologists, Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, who studied human sexuality from 1957 to the 1990s. The 2013 Showtime television series Masters of Sex, starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, is based on the book.
The second season of the American television drama series Masters of Sex premiered on July 13, 2014, and concluded on September 28, 2014. Showtime broadcast the twelve episode second season on Sundays at 10:00 pm (ET) in the United States. The second season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on May 5, 2015.
The third season of the American television drama series Masters of Sex premiered on July 12, 2015, and concluded on September 27, 2015, consisting of 12 episodes. Showtime broadcast the third season on Sundays at 10:00 pm (ET) in the United States.
The fourth and final season of the American television drama series Masters of Sex premiered on September 11, 2016, and concluded on November 13, 2016, consisting of 10 episodes. Showtime broadcast the fourth season on Sundays at 10:00 pm (ET) in the United States. On November 30, 2016, shortly after the season ended, Showtime announced that the series had been cancelled.
"Kamp Krustier" is the sixteenth episode of the twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 612th episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 5, 2017 and in the United Kingdom on Sky 1 on May 5, 2017. The follow-up to the season 4 episode "Kamp Krusty", the episode was directed by Rob Oliver and features a script by David M. Stern, who had not written for the show in 18 years. In the episode, Bart and Lisa return from Kamp Krusty traumatized and Homer becomes a more productive worker.