In the radius of series flagship teenage girls Netflix, Sex Education clearly has pride of place. On the occasion of the release of its new season 3, discover five anecdotes and other little filming secrets about the program to discover now.
1. The inspiration behind the “Sex Education” series
Behind every successful program hides an anecdote. And if some fictions are inspired by true stories, Sex Education, she was born from a “Really interesting process” according to its creator Laurie Nunn. Asked by the American site Thrillist in January 2019, she told the story behind the creation of the series.
“The production company I was working with on this series, called Eleven Film, had watched a documentary on Channel 4 called The Joy of Teen Sex and it was about those teens talking to a sex therapist about their sex lives. From there, one of the producers came up with the idea of ’what if there was a teenage sex therapist on a school campus?’. ” Recalls Laurie Nunn.
She continues: “Then I came along and I’ve always had a kind of love and adoration for the teen genre, whether it’s movies or series about teenagers. So together we started to develop the world of Sex Education. I created all the characters, giving free rein to my imagination and it became this gigantic choral series, which nobody expected in my opinion. “
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From left to right: Aimee Lou Wood, Emma Mackey and Asa Butterfield in the “Sex Education” series. © NETFLIX
Read also: Available on Netflix, season 3 of Sex Education is a success
2. A high school universe half-English, half-American
The action of the series Sex Education is set in the UK and the main characters study at Moordale High School. Nevertheless, there are many references to American high school culture, including some teenage series shots such as the presence of an American football team.
Interviewed by E! Online in January 2019, Gillian Anderson (who plays Jean in the series) described Sex Education like “A contemporary British love letter to American high school films”.
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Connor Swindells lends his features to high school bully Adam Groff in the “Sex Education” series. © NETFLIX
3. Gillian Anderson threw the “Sex Education” script in the trash when she received it
If Gillian Anderson (Otis’ mother, Jean, sex therapist) plays in Sex Education a role totally opposite to the one she occupied in X-Files, the actress almost missed it. During an interview for Netflix in January 2020, she revealed that she was not initially interested in the teenage series. Worse, she threw the script squarely in the trash.
“When I got the script, I threw it in the trash, which is true. I read part of it and found it to be too predictable. And then my boyfriend who’s a writer read it and said, ‘You have to do this. It’s so funny, read it over and over again ‘. I did and I couldn’t let go of the script. Maybe I was just in a bad mood. (Laughs) » says Gillian Anderson.
The actress emphasizes how well she found the writers “Daring and courageous” from the first season of Sex Education.
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Gillian Anderson almost turned down the role of Jean Milburn in “Sex Education”. © NETFLIX
4. Asa Butterfield’s mother (Otis) is truly a psychologist
It is not uncommon for fiction to join reality. We think for example of these pregnant actresses in their series who are also pregnant in real life, or to those actors who have important points in common with their character. This seems to be the case with Asa Butterfield, the interpreter of Otis Milburn in Sex Education.
The comedian has a relationship with his mother, Jacqueline Farr, quite similar to the one between Otis and Jean in the series, given that he is the son of a psychologist and therapist. However, as a reminder, the character of Gillian Anderson in Sex Education is a sex therapist.
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Otis (Asa Butterfield) and his mother Jean (Gillian Anderson) in the “Sex Education” series. © NETFLIX
5. A sexual health educator participates in the filming
As the creator of Sex Education, a series that still carries the word “education” in its title, Laurie Nunn feels that she has a certain responsibility towards viewers, and especially young audiences. It is for this reason that a sexual health educator is present full time on the set of Sex Education. He ensures the accuracy of the scripts for each episode and the safety of the actors on set.
“The series has to be entertaining. It must be involved. But there must also be a responsibility when someone is teaching and giving advice to make sure what we are saying is correct. ” director Ben Taylor told the site BT in January 2020. This is what makes Sex Education moon unmissable series for teens to discover on Netflix.
