Sex Education (TV series)
Sex Education is a British teen sex comedy drama television series created by Laurie Nunn for Netflix. It follows the lives of the teenagers and adults in the fictional town of Moordale as they contend with various personal dilemmas, often related to sexual intimacy. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Connor Swindells, Kedar Williams-Stirling, Alistair Petrie, Mimi Keene, and Aimee Lou Wood.
The first series was released on Netflix on 11 January 2019. The second, third and fourth series followed in January 2020, September 2021 and September 2023, respectively. Sex Education has received critical acclaim for its performances, writing, directing, production value, 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 Series 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 Milburn, is a sex therapist who frequently has affairs with male suitors but does not maintain romantic relationships.Other students at Moordale Secondary include Eric Effiong, Otis's best friend and the gay son of Ghanaian-Nigerian immigrants; Maeve Wiley, an intelligent and rebellious teen with a troubled family past; Adam Groff, headmaster Michael Groff's son who develops a bullying nature out of his own self-loathing; Jackson Marchetti, the head boy 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 determined to lose her virginity. The school is soon joined by Ola Nyman, whose widowed father, Jakob Nyman, begins a relationship with Jean. Otis's father, womaniser Remi Milburn, and Maeve's mother, drug addict Erin Wiley, later return to Moordale to reconnect with their children.
Plot outline
In the first series, Otis sets up a sex therapy clinic with Maeve to help the students of Moordale Secondary with their sexual problems. Their business becomes a success, but tension arises when Otis finds himself becoming attracted to Maeve.In the second series, new students arrive at Moordale Secondary, including Ola, who becomes Otis's first girlfriend. Maeve struggles to confess her feelings for Otis, Eric helps his former bully Adam come to terms with his sexuality, and Jean becomes the school's resident sex therapist as a chlamydia outbreak highlights the teens' need for better sex education.
In the third series, a new school year begins as Otis is having casual sex with Ruby while Eric and Adam are made official. Maeve works with English teacher Emily Sands to apply for an exchange program in America, Jean expects a baby in the near future, and new headmistress Hope Haddon's plans to revamp Moordale Secondary creates conflict with the students.
In the fourth series, the students adjust to the new term at Cavendish Sixth Form College after Moordale Secondary is shut down. Otis competes with a rival sex therapist on campus while juggling his long-distance relationship with Maeve, who begins her studies at the prestigious Wallace University in the United States.
Cast and characters
Main
- Asa Butterfield as Otis Milburn, a socially awkward teenager who gives sex advice to his peers
- Gillian Anderson as Jean Milburn, Otis's mother and a well-known sex therapist
- Ncuti Gatwa as Eric Effiong, Otis's openly gay best friend who comes from a religious Ghanaian-Nigerian family
- Emma Mackey as Maeve Wiley, an intelligent but troubled teenager who runs a sex therapy clinic with Otis
- Connor Swindells as Adam Groff, the headmaster's son and Eric's bully-turned-love interest
- Kedar Williams-Stirling as Jackson Marchetti, the head boy at Moordale Secondary School and a swimming champion
- Alistair Petrie as Michael Groff, the headmaster of Moordale Secondary School and Adam's strict father
- Mimi Keene as Ruby Matthews, a popular girl at Moordale Secondary School and the leader of the Untouchables clique
- Aimee Lou Wood as Aimee Gibbs, a former member of the Untouchables who becomes friends with Maeve
- Chaneil Kular as Anwar Bakshi, a member of the Untouchables
- Simone Ashley as Olivia Hanan, a member of the Untouchables
- Tanya Reynolds as Lily Iglehart, a girl who writes alien erotica
- Patricia Allison as Ola Nyman, a pansexual girl who joins Moordale Secondary School
- Mikael Persbrandt as Jakob Nyman, Ola's father and a widowed Swedish plumber who develops a relationship with Jean
- Anne-Marie Duff as Erin Wiley, a drug addict and the absent mother of Maeve, Sean and Elsie
- James Purefoy as Remi Milburn, Otis's father and Jean's ex-husband, a therapist and sex addict who lives in America
- Rakhee Thakrar as Emily Sands, an English teacher at Moordale Secondary School
- Jemima Kirke as Hope Haddon, the new headmistress at Moordale Secondary School and Michael Groff's replacement
Recurring
- Jim Howick as Colin Hendricks, a science teacher at Moordale Secondary School who conducts the Swing Band
- Samantha Spiro as Maureen Groff, the headmaster's wife and Adam's mother
- Hannah Waddingham as Sofia Marchetti, one of Jackson's mothers
- Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Roz Marchetti, Jackson's other mother
- DeObia Oparei as Abeo Effiong, Eric's concerned and protective father
- Doreene Blackstock as Beatrice Effiong, Eric's supportive mother
- Chris Jenks as Steve Morley, a student at Moordale Secondary School, who becomes Aimee's boyfriend
- Lisa Palfrey as Cynthia, the owner of the caravan park where Maeve lives
- Daniel Ings as Dan, Joy's real father
- Joe Wilkinson as Jeffrey, Cynthia's husband
- Jojo Macari as Kyle, one of Aimee's ex-boyfriends
- Edward Bluemel as Sean Wiley, Maeve's absent older brother who raised her instead of their parents
- Chinenye Ezeudu as Vivienne 'Viv' Odusanya, a girl who tutors Jackson and is a member of the quiz team
- George Robinson as Isaac Goodwin, a disabled boy who lives on the same campsite as Maeve
- George Somner as Joe Goodwin, Isaac's brother and carer who lives on Maeve's campsite
- Conor Clarke McGrath as Connor Pearson, a student at Moordale Secondary School
- Sami Outalbali as Rahim Harrack, a French exchange student who shows an interest in Eric
- Lino Facioli as Dex Thompson, a member of the quiz team
- Mirren Mack as Florence, an asexual student at Moordale Secondary School
- George Georgiou as Yousef, the owner of the local shop and Rahim's uncle
- Armin Karima as Malek Amir, Olivia Hanan's boyfriend
- Conor Donovan as Quentin, a member of the drama club and enemy of Mr Hendricks
- Jason Isaacs as Peter Groff, older brother of Michael Groff
- Indra Ové as Anna, foster mother of Maeve's younger half-sister Elsie
- Dua Saleh as Cal Bowman, a non-binary student at Moordale Secondary School who relocated from Minneapolis
- Robyn Holdaway as Layla, a non-binary student at Moordale Secondary School
- Dan Levy as Mr Molloy, a teacher in the study program Maeve attends in the United States
- Hannah Gadsby as Celia, a manager at the radio station where Jean works
- Thaddea Graham as Sarah "O" Owens, a rival sex therapist student at Cavendish College
- Anthony Lexa as Abbi Montgomery, a popular girl and the leader of Cavendish College's The Coven clique
- Alexandra James as Aisha Green, a member of The Coven who is partially deaf
- Felix Mufti as Roman Zardari, a member of The Coven and Abbi's boyfriend
- Reda Elazouar as Beau, Viv's love interest
- Lisa McGrillis as Joanna Franklin, Jean's sister
- Anna Francolini as Gloria Masters, a teacher at Cavendish College
- Shak Benjamin as Adedayo, Eric's love interest from his church
- Bella Maclean as Jem, Adam's co-worker at the farm
- Imani Yahshua as Tyrone, a friend of Maeve's in America
- Eshaan Akbar as Principal Lakhani, headteacher at Cavendish College
Guest
- Toby Williams as Tim, one of Jean's patients
- Lu Corfield as Sarah, a mother of three who befriends Maeve
- Anjana Vasan as an anti-abortion activist
- Dominic Applewhite as Charlie, an anti-abortion activist
- T'Nia Miller as Maxine, the chair of the school board
- Thomas Atkinson as Nick, Anwar's boyfriend
- Stephen Fry as himself, a quiz host
- Sindhu Vee as Mrs Hanan, Olivia's mother
- Susan Lynch as Tara Gibbs, Aimee's mother
- Jack Bandeira as Eli, a student at Mountview Military Institution
- David Layde as Roland Matthews, Ruby's father who has multiple sclerosis and is Jeffrey's friend
- Miles Jupp as an obstetrician at Moordale community hospital
- Sophie Thompson as Carol Iglehart, Lily's mother and a nurse
- Jerry Iwu as Oba, a gay photographer from Nigeria
- Reece Richards as Eugene, Viv's boyfriend
- Jack Gleeson as Dodgy Mo, a friend of Sean's
- Andi Osho as Nicky Bowman, Cal's mother
- Jodie Turner-Smith as God, an apparition that appears to Eric
Episodes