News and notes from across the TV universe:
- Peter Pan might not be completely defeated on "Once Upon A Time," but a new Big Bad is already headed to Storybrooke. "Lost" alum Rebecca Mader will have a multi-episode arc as an unnamed fairy-tale villain when the show returns from hiatus in March. Viewers will get their first look at Mader's character during the mid-season finale on Dec. 15, and her identity will be revealed in a promo following the episode. [E! Online]
- Katy Perry and Taylor Swift performances have been added to "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!" The ladies will join the broadcast hosted by LL Cool J from Canada and Australia, respectively. Previously announced performers include Robin Thicke, Lorde, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.
- Past winners of "The Voice" Cassadee Pope and Danielle Bradbery will be on hand for Tuesday's (Dec. 10) live show when coach Christina Aguilera performs her song...
- Peter Pan might not be completely defeated on "Once Upon A Time," but a new Big Bad is already headed to Storybrooke. "Lost" alum Rebecca Mader will have a multi-episode arc as an unnamed fairy-tale villain when the show returns from hiatus in March. Viewers will get their first look at Mader's character during the mid-season finale on Dec. 15, and her identity will be revealed in a promo following the episode. [E! Online]
- Katy Perry and Taylor Swift performances have been added to "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!" The ladies will join the broadcast hosted by LL Cool J from Canada and Australia, respectively. Previously announced performers include Robin Thicke, Lorde, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.
- Past winners of "The Voice" Cassadee Pope and Danielle Bradbery will be on hand for Tuesday's (Dec. 10) live show when coach Christina Aguilera performs her song...
- 12/5/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
The watershed seventh episode of "Masters of Sex" (Showtime), "All Together Now," brought the show into focus for me as a screwball romantic comedy for the post-privacy era. It has a "marriage plot" that happens to be a true story. We know going in that sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson were married shortly after their magnum opus, "Human Sexual Response," was published in 1966. They had become a couple a decade earlier, when they recruited themselves as subjects for their laboratory studies of sexuality at Washington University. The show plausibly imagines, and actors Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan touchingly convey, that the researchers were not motivated entirely by a zeal for science. It is, however, liberating for them to be able to tell themselves that it's all for science, a motif that was introduced in past episodes, with test subjects who happily engaged in extra-marital sex, but only under the aegis of science.
- 11/13/2013
- by David Chute
- Thompson on Hollywood
Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan star in this original one-hour Showtime drama series chronicling the unusual lives, romance, and pop culture trajectory of human sexuality. Masters Of Sex is a one-hour drama starring Emmy® and BAFTA Award nominee Michael Sheen and acclaimed actress Lizzy Caplan, who portray the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The series chronicles the unusual lives, romance, and pop culture trajectory of Masters and Johnson. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a midwestern teaching hospital in St. Louis to the cover of Time magazine and nearly a dozen appearances on Johnny Carson's couch. Season 1, Episode 7: 'All Together Now' As the study continues and despite Virginia's concerns...
- 11/4/2013
- by Pietro Filipponi
- The Daily BLAM!
Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan star in this original one-hour Showtime drama series chronicling the unusual lives, romance, and pop culture trajectory of human sexuality. Masters Of Sex is a one-hour drama starring Emmy® and BAFTA Award nominee Michael Sheen and acclaimed actress Lizzy Caplan, who portray the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The series chronicles the unusual lives, romance, and pop culture trajectory of Masters and Johnson. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a midwestern teaching hospital in St. Louis to the cover of Time magazine and nearly a dozen appearances on Johnny Carson's couch. Season 1, Episode 6: 'Brave New World' Masters and Libby decide to go on holidays to Miami to...
- 10/28/2013
- by Pietro Filipponi
- The Daily BLAM!
Masters of Sex showrunner Michelle Ashford is admittedly uncomfortable with some of what she sees on screen. "We're prudes," she says of herself and her producing partner Sarah Timberman, who had to sit through scores of sex scenes in preparation for their Showtime period drama. Squeamish as the women were, the exercise paid off. Masters, which tells the story of real-life 1950s sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson, is up more than 30 percent from Homeland's average in the same time slot during its freshman run. And on Oct. 22, the Michael Sheen, Lizzy Caplan vehicle was officially renewed for a second season. As
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- 10/28/2013
- by Bryn Elise Sandberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Finishing up her midweek outing, Lizzy Caplan departed the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood on Wednesday night (October 23).
The “Hot Tub Time Machine” actress wore a pretty patterned dress as she scurried back to her car following the Cfda & Vogue Fashion Fund fete, smiling for the shutterbugs along the way.
In career news, Lizzy’s show “Masters of Sex” was just renewed by Showtime and will film 12 one-hour episodes for 2014’s season.
Also starring Michael Sheen, the series looks at real-life human sexuality pioneers William Masters and Virginia Johnson.
The “Hot Tub Time Machine” actress wore a pretty patterned dress as she scurried back to her car following the Cfda & Vogue Fashion Fund fete, smiling for the shutterbugs along the way.
In career news, Lizzy’s show “Masters of Sex” was just renewed by Showtime and will film 12 one-hour episodes for 2014’s season.
Also starring Michael Sheen, the series looks at real-life human sexuality pioneers William Masters and Virginia Johnson.
- 10/24/2013
- GossipCenter
Showtime viewers will bear witness to frantic nature of Carrie Matheson and the stoicism of Dr. William Masters for at least 12 more episodes next summer.
The network announced today that Homeland Season 4 and Masters of Sex Season 2 have both been picked up and will air in the middle of 2014.
“Homeland continues to prove its strength for Showtime, and is one of television’s most exciting, provocative and widely-discussed shows,” said network president David Nevins in a statement. ”The critical and audience reaction to Masters of Sex since its great launch has been incredibly gratifying.”
Homeland Season 3, while under critical fire for its latest episode, is averaging 6.5 million weekly viewers across all platforms through four weeks; while Masters of Sex is bringing about 5.4 million.
Both air new episodes this Sunday.
The network announced today that Homeland Season 4 and Masters of Sex Season 2 have both been picked up and will air in the middle of 2014.
“Homeland continues to prove its strength for Showtime, and is one of television’s most exciting, provocative and widely-discussed shows,” said network president David Nevins in a statement. ”The critical and audience reaction to Masters of Sex since its great launch has been incredibly gratifying.”
Homeland Season 3, while under critical fire for its latest episode, is averaging 6.5 million weekly viewers across all platforms through four weeks; while Masters of Sex is bringing about 5.4 million.
Both air new episodes this Sunday.
- 10/23/2013
- by matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal)
- TVfanatic
Masters of Sex, Season 1, Episode 4: “Thank You For Coming” Written by Amy Lippman Directed by Jennifer Getzinger Airs Sundays at 9pm Et on Showtime -
Despite the wink-wink, nudge-nudge titling, “Thank You For Coming” is likely the gravest episode of Masters of Sex yet, concerned as it is with male abuses of power and privilege (not to mention outright physical abuse). The best thing the series has going for it right now is that it’s able to pursue its themes in multiple directions – even through the spectrum of a single character.
Take poor William Masters, for instance. This week, we meet his mother Estabrooks (Ann Dowd, who you might remember from being incredible in Compliance) for the first time. Before her arrival, “Bill” warns that having her around will be a nuisance and a half. When she actually turns up, she’s far more self-sufficient than he’d made her out to be,...
Despite the wink-wink, nudge-nudge titling, “Thank You For Coming” is likely the gravest episode of Masters of Sex yet, concerned as it is with male abuses of power and privilege (not to mention outright physical abuse). The best thing the series has going for it right now is that it’s able to pursue its themes in multiple directions – even through the spectrum of a single character.
Take poor William Masters, for instance. This week, we meet his mother Estabrooks (Ann Dowd, who you might remember from being incredible in Compliance) for the first time. Before her arrival, “Bill” warns that having her around will be a nuisance and a half. When she actually turns up, she’s far more self-sufficient than he’d made her out to be,...
- 10/22/2013
- by Simon Howell
- SoundOnSight
Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan star in this original one-hour Showtime drama series chronicling the unusual lives, romance, and pop culture trajectory of human sexuality. Masters Of Sex is a one-hour drama starring Emmy® and BAFTA Award nominee Michael Sheen and acclaimed actress Lizzy Caplan, who portray the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The series chronicles the unusual lives, romance, and pop culture trajectory of Masters and Johnson. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a midwestern teaching hospital in St. Louis to the cover of Time magazine and nearly a dozen appearances on Johnny Carson's couch. Season 1, Episode 5: 'Catherine' Attraction comes into play when Masters and Virginia decide to...
- 10/21/2013
- by Pietro Filipponi
- The Daily BLAM!
By Rachel Bennett
Contributor
* * *
When a book becomes a hit, topping bestseller lists and leaving store shelves vacant, one question always quickly follows: “When will it be turned into a movie?”
Audiences have seen this time and time again, with major examples being Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Lord of the Rings series, among many others.
Adapting literature to film can be a win-win situation, as it provides an original story with a built-in audience that will likely buy tickets come opening day. At the same time, not every book translates to box-office success, with some vehicles being better suited to a smaller medium — like TV.
Creating TV adaptations of beloved literature is not a new phenomenon, but it’s one TV executives should increasingly consider in the face of a disappointing fall season.
Why? Because of all of the new offerings this season, a...
Contributor
* * *
When a book becomes a hit, topping bestseller lists and leaving store shelves vacant, one question always quickly follows: “When will it be turned into a movie?”
Audiences have seen this time and time again, with major examples being Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Lord of the Rings series, among many others.
Adapting literature to film can be a win-win situation, as it provides an original story with a built-in audience that will likely buy tickets come opening day. At the same time, not every book translates to box-office success, with some vehicles being better suited to a smaller medium — like TV.
Creating TV adaptations of beloved literature is not a new phenomenon, but it’s one TV executives should increasingly consider in the face of a disappointing fall season.
Why? Because of all of the new offerings this season, a...
- 10/21/2013
- by Rachel Bennett
- Scott Feinberg
Here’s some (s)excellent news: Showtime’s Masters of Sex is a fantastically thoughtful and original series. Based on the research (and eventual romance) between real-life sexologists William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the show has overcome a middling pilot and the disadvantage of inevitable comparisons to its mid-century contemporary Mad Men in just three episodes. If Don Draper and company are constantly reacting to the ground moving beneath their feet, with the values of 1960s America undergoing sudden tectonic shifts, Bill Masters (Michael Sheen) and Gini Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) are actively trying to get those seemingly immobile tectonic plates to budge, just a little bit. Even as a renowned Obgyn with the Nobel Prize just out of his reach, Masters has to fight — and fight dirty – to get his university to sponsor studies of human sexuality. (Surprise: it’s not easy to get paid to watch other people doing it.) As...
- 10/16/2013
- by Inkoo Kang
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Masters of Sex, Season 1, Episode 3: “Standard Deviation” Written by Sam Shaw Directed by Lawrence Trilling Airs Sundays at 10pm Et on Showtime -
The title “Standard Deviation” more obviously refers to William Masters’s chance encounters with homosexual men, who provide his latest ethical and moral hiccups in pursuing sexuality scientifically, but it also works to demarcate the episode as being the precise point Masters of Sex decides to make a clean break from history and chart a potentially very different path for its characters. I won’t go into too many specifics for fear of potential future-series spoilers, but it’s already clear that Michelle Ashford is setting out to use Masters and Johnson as more of a loose framework to probe big ideas about societal relationships to sexuality than strict historical portraiture.
The result is a bit of a mishmash, moreso than the first two episodes. The...
The title “Standard Deviation” more obviously refers to William Masters’s chance encounters with homosexual men, who provide his latest ethical and moral hiccups in pursuing sexuality scientifically, but it also works to demarcate the episode as being the precise point Masters of Sex decides to make a clean break from history and chart a potentially very different path for its characters. I won’t go into too many specifics for fear of potential future-series spoilers, but it’s already clear that Michelle Ashford is setting out to use Masters and Johnson as more of a loose framework to probe big ideas about societal relationships to sexuality than strict historical portraiture.
The result is a bit of a mishmash, moreso than the first two episodes. The...
- 10/15/2013
- by Simon Howell
- SoundOnSight
Network: Showtime
Episodes: Ongoing (hour)
Seasons: Ongoing
TV show dates: September 29, 2013 -- Tbd
Series status: Has not been cancelled
Performers include: Michael Sheen, Lizzy Caplan, Caitlin FitzGerald, Nicholas D'Agosto, Teddy Sears, Beau Bridges, Allison Janney, and Julianne Nicholson.
TV show description:
This dramatic series follows the unusual lives of two real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality -- William Masters and Virginia Johnson. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a midwestern teaching hospital to the cover of Time and multiple appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.
Already a leader in his field of obstetrics and gynecology, Doctor William Masters (Michael Sheen) is intent on exploring the nature of human sexuality and how the body responds during sexual stimulation. He himself is quite sexually repressed despite his unabashed...
Episodes: Ongoing (hour)
Seasons: Ongoing
TV show dates: September 29, 2013 -- Tbd
Series status: Has not been cancelled
Performers include: Michael Sheen, Lizzy Caplan, Caitlin FitzGerald, Nicholas D'Agosto, Teddy Sears, Beau Bridges, Allison Janney, and Julianne Nicholson.
TV show description:
This dramatic series follows the unusual lives of two real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality -- William Masters and Virginia Johnson. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a midwestern teaching hospital to the cover of Time and multiple appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.
Already a leader in his field of obstetrics and gynecology, Doctor William Masters (Michael Sheen) is intent on exploring the nature of human sexuality and how the body responds during sexual stimulation. He himself is quite sexually repressed despite his unabashed...
- 10/15/2013
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
After William Masters' sex study was booted from the hospital, he was forced to move his work to a brothel.
In "Standard Deviation," we see that the study isn't working out the way Masters had hoped because he's not getting the type of subjects he planned for. In his words, his subjects must be "normal" or "average" and this, in his view, does not include homosexuals.
In a series of flashbacks between Masters and Provost Scully, we also learn just how long Masters has been interested in conducting an exploratory study on human sexuality and the lengths he has gone to get here, while delving into the close history between these men.
Human sexuality and physiology are something William Masters was interested in studying before he was even finished being a student. Around the time he applied for his fellowship, he asked his friend Scully (pre-Provost) what it would...
In "Standard Deviation," we see that the study isn't working out the way Masters had hoped because he's not getting the type of subjects he planned for. In his words, his subjects must be "normal" or "average" and this, in his view, does not include homosexuals.
In a series of flashbacks between Masters and Provost Scully, we also learn just how long Masters has been interested in conducting an exploratory study on human sexuality and the lengths he has gone to get here, while delving into the close history between these men.
Human sexuality and physiology are something William Masters was interested in studying before he was even finished being a student. Around the time he applied for his fellowship, he asked his friend Scully (pre-Provost) what it would...
- 10/14/2013
- by leigh.raines@gmail.com (Leigh Raines)
- TVfanatic
The Great British Bake Off: 8pm, BBC Two
This year's quarter-final sees the contestants bake a signature loaf with unconventional flours such at spelt, rye and potato. The technical challenge involves throwing together a gluten-free dacquoise and then a novelty, dairy-free cake for the showstopper round.
Masters of Sex: 9pm, Channel 4
Starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, this new drama set in the 1950s chronicles the lives of two pioneering sex researchers. William Masters, a doctor at St Louis University, and Virginia Johnson, a secretary at the hospital at which Masters also works, team up together while fighting their own dramas and jealousies.
The Wrong Mans: 9pm, BBC Two
James Corden's successful new comedy thriller returns for its third outing. Sam tries to make an exchange, trading Mrs Stevens for Jason, Mr Lau's nephew. Scarlett is taken home to her husband when the pair have...
This year's quarter-final sees the contestants bake a signature loaf with unconventional flours such at spelt, rye and potato. The technical challenge involves throwing together a gluten-free dacquoise and then a novelty, dairy-free cake for the showstopper round.
Masters of Sex: 9pm, Channel 4
Starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, this new drama set in the 1950s chronicles the lives of two pioneering sex researchers. William Masters, a doctor at St Louis University, and Virginia Johnson, a secretary at the hospital at which Masters also works, team up together while fighting their own dramas and jealousies.
The Wrong Mans: 9pm, BBC Two
James Corden's successful new comedy thriller returns for its third outing. Sam tries to make an exchange, trading Mrs Stevens for Jason, Mr Lau's nephew. Scarlett is taken home to her husband when the pair have...
- 10/8/2013
- Digital Spy
Showtime’s “Masters of Sex” has emerged from its refractory period bigger and more forceful than ever. The new showtime drama — which stars Michael Sheen as sex researcher William Masters — aired its second episode on Sunday, enjoying a 9 percent spurt in the ratings over its series premiere. Also read: ‘Masters of Sex’ Review: Stylish and Seductive, With a Lot of Pleasurable Dramatic Foreplay Sunday’s episode at 10 p.m. drew 1.1 million total viewers, versus 1 million total viewers. Meanwhile, the network’s drama “Homeland,” which premiered its third season last week to its best premiere numbers so far, mostly retained its premiere.
- 10/7/2013
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
In last week's Masters of Sex pilot, we watched Dr. William Masters go to great lengths to get a risqué study approved at his hospital. Unsurprisingly, in "Race to Space," we found out that details have been leaked about the content of the studies and Masters is now in a heap of trouble.
With his pivotal experiment being uprooted from his office, Masters turned to the help of one of his subjects, a prostitute named Betty. He decided the best course of action would be to move his sex study to a brothel.
Masters is already getting enough heat about this, so I couldn't imagine how well it would go over for the provost to find out that he was now operating at a cathouse.
However, desperate times call for desperate measures. Betty has also been one of the most valuable and compliant subjects. Speaking of, it was definitely not...
With his pivotal experiment being uprooted from his office, Masters turned to the help of one of his subjects, a prostitute named Betty. He decided the best course of action would be to move his sex study to a brothel.
Masters is already getting enough heat about this, so I couldn't imagine how well it would go over for the provost to find out that he was now operating at a cathouse.
However, desperate times call for desperate measures. Betty has also been one of the most valuable and compliant subjects. Speaking of, it was definitely not...
- 10/7/2013
- by leigh.raines@gmail.com (Leigh Raines)
- TVfanatic
Lizzy Caplan has talked about her desire "to be able to do everything" in her career.
Caplan, best known for her comedic roles in movie Mean Girls and television show Party Down, can be seen in Showtime's new drama Master of Sex with Michael Sheen.
When asked by Collider if her latest part has changed what kinds of roles she wants to pursue, Caplan answered: "I'd like to be able to do everything. I don't want to be limited.
"Part of the reason why I want this show to work, selfishly, is that I want to be seen as something other than one type of actress. I'd love to do something like this again.
"Obviously, Michael Sheen has far more experience playing real people than I do, but it's been really interesting. I've been an actress for half of my life, so to be able to have a new experience is very exciting.
Caplan, best known for her comedic roles in movie Mean Girls and television show Party Down, can be seen in Showtime's new drama Master of Sex with Michael Sheen.
When asked by Collider if her latest part has changed what kinds of roles she wants to pursue, Caplan answered: "I'd like to be able to do everything. I don't want to be limited.
"Part of the reason why I want this show to work, selfishly, is that I want to be seen as something other than one type of actress. I'd love to do something like this again.
"Obviously, Michael Sheen has far more experience playing real people than I do, but it's been really interesting. I've been an actress for half of my life, so to be able to have a new experience is very exciting.
- 10/6/2013
- Digital Spy
Last week, following the much anticipated return of Homeland, Showtime premiered Masters Of Sex to strong reviews and ratings.
The bio-series on Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen, who we talked to last week) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan, below with Sheen) continues tonight with the sex study getting more involved and the relationship between Masters and Johnson finding itself at an interesting place.
I recently sat down with series creator Michelle Ashford, who talked to me about her experience with these types of shows, as well as what we can expect moving forward on Masters of Sex...
TV Fanatic: How did projects like John Adams help you with this project since you’re adapting a book based on the real lives of Masters and Johnson.
Michelle Ashford: I’ve written now a ton of non-fiction. I did do John Adams, then I worked on The Pacific and I had...
The bio-series on Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen, who we talked to last week) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan, below with Sheen) continues tonight with the sex study getting more involved and the relationship between Masters and Johnson finding itself at an interesting place.
I recently sat down with series creator Michelle Ashford, who talked to me about her experience with these types of shows, as well as what we can expect moving forward on Masters of Sex...
TV Fanatic: How did projects like John Adams help you with this project since you’re adapting a book based on the real lives of Masters and Johnson.
Michelle Ashford: I’ve written now a ton of non-fiction. I did do John Adams, then I worked on The Pacific and I had...
- 10/6/2013
- by jimhalterman@gmail.com (Jim Halterman)
- TVfanatic
Sex, time travel and Nicole Scherzinger - have you ever heard of such a glorious combination? Compose yourself people, because that's what's coming your way on the telly this week, as we reveal in our shortlist of Must-See TV.
Make sure you check out Digital Spy's new daily rundowns too for a quick guide on what to watch in the next 24 hours...
Masters of Sex: Tuesday (October 8) at 9pm on Channel 4
Channel 4 have gone sex mad this week, the saucy devils, as not only are they having Mariella Frostrup urge couples to have sex in a box for...erm...Sex Box (Monday, October 7 at 10pm), but they've also unleashed this fun drama with an 'Ooh, er' premise.
Masters of Sex stars Michael Sheen as Dr William Masters, a curious fellow who along with his loyal and lovely assistant Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) sets out to revolutionise the...
Make sure you check out Digital Spy's new daily rundowns too for a quick guide on what to watch in the next 24 hours...
Masters of Sex: Tuesday (October 8) at 9pm on Channel 4
Channel 4 have gone sex mad this week, the saucy devils, as not only are they having Mariella Frostrup urge couples to have sex in a box for...erm...Sex Box (Monday, October 7 at 10pm), but they've also unleashed this fun drama with an 'Ooh, er' premise.
Masters of Sex stars Michael Sheen as Dr William Masters, a curious fellow who along with his loyal and lovely assistant Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) sets out to revolutionise the...
- 10/6/2013
- Digital Spy
A weekly feature in which we spotlight shining stars
The Performer | Lizzy Caplan
The Show | Masters of Sex
The Episode | “Pilot”
The Airdate | Sept. 29, 2013
The Performance | If an actress is very, very lucky, once in her career, she’ll get the part — the one that finally shows all the world just how brilliantly she sparkles. For Sarah Michelle Gellar, for instance, that role was Buffy. For Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars. And now, for Lizzy Caplan, at last there is Virginia Johnson.
We’ve loved her for years, in everything from The Class to New Girl. But not until we saw...
The Performer | Lizzy Caplan
The Show | Masters of Sex
The Episode | “Pilot”
The Airdate | Sept. 29, 2013
The Performance | If an actress is very, very lucky, once in her career, she’ll get the part — the one that finally shows all the world just how brilliantly she sparkles. For Sarah Michelle Gellar, for instance, that role was Buffy. For Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars. And now, for Lizzy Caplan, at last there is Virginia Johnson.
We’ve loved her for years, in everything from The Class to New Girl. But not until we saw...
- 10/5/2013
- by Team TVLine
- TVLine.com
Showtime’s Masters of Sex isn’t the only historical drama coming to TV. Below we run down six new and upcoming greenlit drama series with some handy details for distinguishing each. There’s mobsters, pirates, princesses, nerds and more. Let’s start with…
Masters of Sex (Sept. 29) / Showtime
Setting: 1957, Washington University in St. Louis.
Think: Mad Men meets Kinsey.
Plot: The story of Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, two research pioneers of human sexuality.
Fashion: Golden age collegiate conservative (except when nude).
Accuracy: Based on Thomas Maier’s biography Masters of Sex. Finally, a Hollywood version of history...
Masters of Sex (Sept. 29) / Showtime
Setting: 1957, Washington University in St. Louis.
Think: Mad Men meets Kinsey.
Plot: The story of Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, two research pioneers of human sexuality.
Fashion: Golden age collegiate conservative (except when nude).
Accuracy: Based on Thomas Maier’s biography Masters of Sex. Finally, a Hollywood version of history...
- 10/3/2013
- by James Hibberd
- EW - Inside TV
Last night, Showtime premiered Masters of Sex, a new hour-long drama set in the fifties about real-life sex researchers Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson. (I wrote the recap, which you can find here.) Their methods were unconventional — they eventually wired themselves up as sexual guinea pigs and participated in their own research — but their lengthy partnership resulted in the debunking of centuries worth of sexual superstitions. We spoke with prop master Jeffrey Johnson, a Hollywood veteran whose twenty years in the industry have spanned projects from Sweet Valley High to Parenthood, about tracking down the vintage machines that fill the show's hospital-room sets, building Ulysses (a transparent dildo with a magnifying glass on the end), and the inevitable comparisons to Mad Men.So about Ulysses, is that something you can just buy online?I was able to buy some vintage vibrators and dildos, but when you consider the time...
- 9/30/2013
- by Molly Langmuir
- Vulture
After spending last week in Hawaii at the beach-side premiere of Hawaii Five-0 (check out my red carpet interviews here), I’m off to Vancouver for set visits to Arrow, Supernatural, Once Upon A Time, Rogue and new shows The Tomorrow People, The 100, Almost Human and Once Upon A Time: Wonderland.
It'll be a very busy week, but you can Follow me and TV Fanatic on Twitter for multiple visit pics and scoop.
Before leaving, though, I made sure to clear out my Notebook with tantalizing nuggets on on Scandal, Beauty and the Beast and Masters of Sex. Ready? Let’s go!
Scandal The Scandal Season 3 premiere does not disappoint and I grabbed some time with Katie Lowes (Quinn Perkins) to find out if she’s had the chance to work with upcoming guest star Lisa Kudrow yet. She said she's filmed scenes with the Web Therapy star and added: “She’s amazing,...
It'll be a very busy week, but you can Follow me and TV Fanatic on Twitter for multiple visit pics and scoop.
Before leaving, though, I made sure to clear out my Notebook with tantalizing nuggets on on Scandal, Beauty and the Beast and Masters of Sex. Ready? Let’s go!
Scandal The Scandal Season 3 premiere does not disappoint and I grabbed some time with Katie Lowes (Quinn Perkins) to find out if she’s had the chance to work with upcoming guest star Lisa Kudrow yet. She said she's filmed scenes with the Web Therapy star and added: “She’s amazing,...
- 9/30/2013
- by jimhalterman@gmail.com (Jim Halterman)
- TVfanatic
Showtime threw the full weight of the network behind Masters of Sex, giving it one of its most desirable slots — right after Homeland — and promoting it so heavily that between all the banner ads, posters, and press (not to mention the pilot appearing on YouTube two weeks ago), its actual premiere last night ran the risk of feeling like old news. But other than a few stutters, the pilot actually (mostly) lived up to the hype. The premise, drawn from a nonfiction book of the same name, is this: Two swashbuckling sexologists, Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, team up in the late fifties and proceed to elbow their way through the jungle of prudery, misunderstanding, and superstition surrounding sex. Ultimately, they produce a study that “revolutionized our understanding of human sexuality,” as the pilot explains. It also helped usher in the sexual revolution and changed the way sex...
- 9/30/2013
- by Molly Langmuir
- Vulture
3 stars (out of 4) Could this be the new Mad Men? Masters of Sex, Showtime's steamy new drama series, premiered with a bang -- excuse the pun -- on Sunday, Sept. 29. Michael Sheen stars as Ob-Gyn William Masters, who sets out in 1956 St. Louis to demystify sex by clinically monitoring subjects as they, er, get busy! Evocative and provocative (research participants range from fellow doctors to prostitutes), this fact-based drama is most invigorating when showing how the findings helped ignite women's lib. Lizzy Caplan captivates [...]...
- 9/30/2013
- Us Weekly
Masters of Sex, Season 1, Episode 1: “Pilot”
Written by Michelle Ashford
Directed by John Madden
Airs Sundays at 10pm Et on Showtime
The most immediately striking element of Masters of Sex, Showtime’s new hourlong drama based on the lives and work of Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) and his assistant Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), is that its approach to historicity is utterly distinct from the series it’s most likely to be compared to, AMC’s Mad Men. Where Matthew Weiner’s series, especially in its first season, wrung laughs and pathos from the social and political disparities between the America of 1960 and the present, Masters of Sex (which opens in 1956) is more interested in how things haven’t changed much at all, in many important respects. - Masters of Sex is the only current series that comes to mind that – for now, anyway – is closely based on real...
Written by Michelle Ashford
Directed by John Madden
Airs Sundays at 10pm Et on Showtime
The most immediately striking element of Masters of Sex, Showtime’s new hourlong drama based on the lives and work of Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) and his assistant Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), is that its approach to historicity is utterly distinct from the series it’s most likely to be compared to, AMC’s Mad Men. Where Matthew Weiner’s series, especially in its first season, wrung laughs and pathos from the social and political disparities between the America of 1960 and the present, Masters of Sex (which opens in 1956) is more interested in how things haven’t changed much at all, in many important respects. - Masters of Sex is the only current series that comes to mind that – for now, anyway – is closely based on real...
- 9/30/2013
- by Simon Howell
- SoundOnSight
In the Midwest during the middle of the 20th century, fertility doctor William Masters decided to do something unprecedented in the field of science: he wanted to study what happens to the human body during sex. As portrayed by Michael Sheen in Showtime’s new drama Masters of Sex, Masters is a private man forcing his subjects to be very public with their thoughts and feelings.
However, to understand both sides of sexuality, he needed a female partner. That came in the form of Virginia “Ginny” Johnson. (On the show, she is played by a wry, luminous Lizzy Caplan, in a role that’s bound to catapult her career.) Unlike the feminine norms of the time, the 31-year-old secretary had already been twice divorced when Masters took her under his wing. In fact, she didn’t even have a college degree or much knowledge about biology before making a name for herself alongside him.
However, to understand both sides of sexuality, he needed a female partner. That came in the form of Virginia “Ginny” Johnson. (On the show, she is played by a wry, luminous Lizzy Caplan, in a role that’s bound to catapult her career.) Unlike the feminine norms of the time, the 31-year-old secretary had already been twice divorced when Masters took her under his wing. In fact, she didn’t even have a college degree or much knowledge about biology before making a name for herself alongside him.
- 9/30/2013
- by Jordan Adler
- We Got This Covered
If you came to Showtime's Masters of Sex pilot expecting to see some sort of pornographic, sudsy, twerk-fest... you were definitely in for a shock; a good, educational, intelligent shock. That's not to say you won't get your fair share of nudity, foreplay and sex - but Masters of Sex is not looking to be a soft-core porn on cable. That's what Skinemax is for, kids.
What you will find is a show based on a true life story and the book it spawned about Dr. William Masters, his associate Virginia Johnson and their quest to answer the question of what exactly happens to the body during sex.
It starts in the 1950s in St. Louis. Masters is a brilliant and well-respected Obgyn with a focus on fertility studies. Yet, he longs to be studying the nature of the human body and the scientific aspect behind sex. We see that...
What you will find is a show based on a true life story and the book it spawned about Dr. William Masters, his associate Virginia Johnson and their quest to answer the question of what exactly happens to the body during sex.
It starts in the 1950s in St. Louis. Masters is a brilliant and well-respected Obgyn with a focus on fertility studies. Yet, he longs to be studying the nature of the human body and the scientific aspect behind sex. We see that...
- 9/30/2013
- by leigh.raines@gmail.com (Leigh Raines)
- TVfanatic
"Masters of Sex" has arrived, premiering on Sunday (Sept. 29) on Showtime, and while those skimming their cable box listing hoping for some salacious fun may have felt a tad underwhelmed (only a tad, mind you -- there is still pay cable, after all), those who anticipated a smart character-driven period piece that could very well take the title of best new series were likely quite taken.
The new series stars Michael Sheen as Dr. William Masters and Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson, the pioneers of science of human sexuality, trying to buck the conservative mindset of the '50 to advance the understanding of sex. Sheen presents an interesting character study as Masters that promises to unfurl like an onion as weeks advance, but Caplan is the shining star.
She's certainly been great in guest roles before, but this role, as the free-thinking, twice-divorced single mom who might likely single-handedly spark the sexual revolution,...
The new series stars Michael Sheen as Dr. William Masters and Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson, the pioneers of science of human sexuality, trying to buck the conservative mindset of the '50 to advance the understanding of sex. Sheen presents an interesting character study as Masters that promises to unfurl like an onion as weeks advance, but Caplan is the shining star.
She's certainly been great in guest roles before, but this role, as the free-thinking, twice-divorced single mom who might likely single-handedly spark the sexual revolution,...
- 9/30/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
While it features a lesbian prostitute, a dildo called Ulysses and the relentlessly attractive Teddy Sears (American Horror Story), the premiere of Masters of Sex isn’t nearly as racy as you’d expect. But that’s not a criticism. Instead of simply saucy, Showtime’s new drama about Masters and Johnson’s groundbreaking (and bedspring-straining) study of human sexuality is smart, funny, sad and as engaging as its leading lady, Lizzy Caplan. Here’s how episode 1… er, goes down.
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What’S Up,...
Related | TVLine’s Cable Renewal Scorecard: What’s Returning? What’s Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?
What’S Up,...
- 9/30/2013
- by Andy Patrick
- TVLine.com
Are you blushing? Showtime's new drama Masters of Sex premiered Sunday night and introduced viewers to the two pioneers of the study of human sexuality: William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), the real-life couple whose research in the 1960s paved the way for the sexual revolution. So yeah, they are kind of a big deal. But does their story make for compelling TV? That's what we're here to find out! So now that you've seen it, let's talk about Masters of Sex, baby! (Sorry, we couldn't resist and hate ourselves for that pun, too. Don't worry.) Based on Thomas Maier's biography Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson...
- 9/30/2013
- E! Online
Since you were wondering: yes, Masters of Sex is sexy. This drama, which stars Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan as pioneering sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson, makes a big show of not trying too hard to be sexy—of being more about the dysfunctional societal perception of sexuality, and the way the human body responds to sex, than about the adolescent thrill of watching naked people hooked up to electrodes mounting each other on a lab bed. But this is a bit of a ruse on the show's part—why else would all the research participants be so skinny, or buff and cut, or otherwise conventionally attractive by 2013 standards? Is it really possible that nobody who made the sign of the double-humped camel for Masters & Johnson in 1960 had a belly?—and somehow the obviousness of the ruse adds to the sexiness, and gives the show a certain sneaky charm.
- 9/29/2013
- by Matt Zoller Seitz
- Vulture
Sunday (Sept. 29) may be the biggest single day for premieres in the 2013 fall TV season. 14 major premieres -- plus the highly anticipated "Breaking Bad" finale -- all air between 8 and 11 p.m.
The following listing will tell you what you need to watch everything from "Once Upon a Time" to "Homeland" to "The Simpsons."
8 p.m. Et/Pt
"Once Upon a Time" (ABC) - In the Season 3 premiere, "Heart of the Truest Believer," unfriendly mermaids threaten those searching for Henry in Neverland, while the boy goes on the run with another escapee from Peter Pan's encampment. A still-recovering Neal travels the enchanted forest with Mulan in search of Emma's and Henry's fates.
"The Amazing Race" (CBS) - The Season 23 premiere, "We're Not in Oklahoma No More," has the teams head to their first destination in Chile. There, the competitors must face fears of heights.
"The Simpsons" (Fox) - "Homerland" starts...
The following listing will tell you what you need to watch everything from "Once Upon a Time" to "Homeland" to "The Simpsons."
8 p.m. Et/Pt
"Once Upon a Time" (ABC) - In the Season 3 premiere, "Heart of the Truest Believer," unfriendly mermaids threaten those searching for Henry in Neverland, while the boy goes on the run with another escapee from Peter Pan's encampment. A still-recovering Neal travels the enchanted forest with Mulan in search of Emma's and Henry's fates.
"The Amazing Race" (CBS) - The Season 23 premiere, "We're Not in Oklahoma No More," has the teams head to their first destination in Chile. There, the competitors must face fears of heights.
"The Simpsons" (Fox) - "Homerland" starts...
- 9/29/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Alternately titillating and prudish, “Masters of Sex” definitely does not climax too soon. Showtime’s series about pioneering sex researchers Masters & Johnson unfolds at a leisurely pace: There’s a lot of dramatic foreplay before Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) and research partner Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) take their relationship to the next level. If he were watching — and oh, how he loved to watch — the clinical doctor might check his watch and wonder why consummation was taking so long. But he would be missing the pleasures of the slow build up on “Masters of Sex.” The handsomely mounted series takes.
- 9/29/2013
- by Diane Garrett
- The Wrap
"Masters of Sex" is attention-grabbing just from its title, but Showtime's latest drama -- which stars Lizzy Caplan and Michael Sheen -- is a lot more than just a series about people getting it on. Instead of being just about sex, this new show is about the science of sex, which somehow makes for a much more engaging subject.
Based on the biography of the same name, "Masters of Sex" tells the true story of Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The pair are credited with pioneering the research of human sexual response from the late 1950s through the 1990s, so there's clearly plenty of real-life stories to draw from for this show. But it's the people in "Masters of Sex" that make it so interesting, not only its subject matter.
Caplan steals all of the scenes she is in from the get-go as Virginia Johnson. Virginia is a woman unlike anyone on this show,...
Based on the biography of the same name, "Masters of Sex" tells the true story of Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The pair are credited with pioneering the research of human sexual response from the late 1950s through the 1990s, so there's clearly plenty of real-life stories to draw from for this show. But it's the people in "Masters of Sex" that make it so interesting, not only its subject matter.
Caplan steals all of the scenes she is in from the get-go as Virginia Johnson. Virginia is a woman unlike anyone on this show,...
- 9/29/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Their names were synonymous with things folks didn’t discuss in polite company in the ’50s, but agonized over in private — until their 1966 tome Human Sexual Response made it downright fashionable to talk about sex. Now Showtime is bringing the life, and life’s work, of famed sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson to fascinating light in its new series Masters of Sex, which premieres Sunday, Sept. 29 at 10/9Ct. Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon) and Lizzie Caplan (New Girl) are engrossing as Masters and Johnson in this beautifully crafted character study culled from the 2009 book by critically acclaimed biographer […]
The post Masters of Sex: Michael Sheen and Lizzie Caplan on playing sexologists Masters and Johnson appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
The post Masters of Sex: Michael Sheen and Lizzie Caplan on playing sexologists Masters and Johnson appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
- 9/29/2013
- by Lori Acken
- ChannelGuideMag
Whether you know him from stage work, acclaimed films like The Queen or Frost/Nixon or going for the silly with his arc on 30 Rock, Michael Sheen has always been an actor we connect with, reveling in the journey he and his characters take us on.
In his new role as Dr. William Masters in Showtime's Masters Of Sex, Sheen must close himself off emotionally because his character was a man of greatness in his studies of sex but, ironically, had personal problems connecting with others emotionally. Especially when it came to his wife.
The ambitious series - based on Thomas Maier's biography, Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson - dives into the early days of Masters' study, the start of his relationship with Johnson (played by Lizzy Caplan, below with Sheen) and the intricacies of the study itself. The series also stars Beau Bridges,...
In his new role as Dr. William Masters in Showtime's Masters Of Sex, Sheen must close himself off emotionally because his character was a man of greatness in his studies of sex but, ironically, had personal problems connecting with others emotionally. Especially when it came to his wife.
The ambitious series - based on Thomas Maier's biography, Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson - dives into the early days of Masters' study, the start of his relationship with Johnson (played by Lizzy Caplan, below with Sheen) and the intricacies of the study itself. The series also stars Beau Bridges,...
- 9/29/2013
- by jimhalterman@gmail.com (Jim Halterman)
- TVfanatic
Lizzy Caplan is a master of sex. Or at least she's about to be.
The beloved, versatile actress (Children's Hospital, New Girl, Party Down) helps anchor Showtime's new drama, Masters of Sex, which premieres tonight at 10.
Caplan stars on the series as Virginia Johnson, a former nightclub singer who worked in 1950s and 1960s with Michael Sheen's Dr. William Masters on groundbreaking research into the world of human sexuality, helping to set off a revolution across the country.
What was it like to take on such a real-life role? The actress talked to TV Fanatic about the series at the Masters of Sex premiere party in New York City this week:
Lizzy Caplan Teases Masters of Sex
Visit our Masters of Sex video section for more red carpet interviews and return to TV Fanatic immediately following tonight's premiere for a detailed recap and review.
The beloved, versatile actress (Children's Hospital, New Girl, Party Down) helps anchor Showtime's new drama, Masters of Sex, which premieres tonight at 10.
Caplan stars on the series as Virginia Johnson, a former nightclub singer who worked in 1950s and 1960s with Michael Sheen's Dr. William Masters on groundbreaking research into the world of human sexuality, helping to set off a revolution across the country.
What was it like to take on such a real-life role? The actress talked to TV Fanatic about the series at the Masters of Sex premiere party in New York City this week:
Lizzy Caplan Teases Masters of Sex
Visit our Masters of Sex video section for more red carpet interviews and return to TV Fanatic immediately following tonight's premiere for a detailed recap and review.
- 9/29/2013
- by leigh.raines@gmail.com (Leigh Raines)
- TVfanatic
New York, Sep 29: Showtime is set to launch its upcoming drama 'Masters of Sex,' which is based on the ground-breaking research into human intimacy by Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson.
The 12-part series will feature Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson, whereas Michael Sheen is playing the role of acclaimed gynecologist Dr. William Masters, the New York Post reported.
Caplan said that everybody assumes that the society has come so far from the 50s, but the team will see how people react as this project will prove to be a good litmus test of how far the society has actually come.
The 31-year-old actress said that it would be interesting as the title of the show alone makes people titter.
Michelle Ashford,.
The 12-part series will feature Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson, whereas Michael Sheen is playing the role of acclaimed gynecologist Dr. William Masters, the New York Post reported.
Caplan said that everybody assumes that the society has come so far from the 50s, but the team will see how people react as this project will prove to be a good litmus test of how far the society has actually come.
The 31-year-old actress said that it would be interesting as the title of the show alone makes people titter.
Michelle Ashford,.
- 9/29/2013
- by Abhijeet Sen
- RealBollywood.com
On TV this weekend: Tina Fey ushers in Saturday Night Live‘s new season, Breaking Bad cooks its very last batch, and The Good Wife, Homeland, Once Upon a Time and 12 other shows premiere. All told, here are 21 programs to keep on your radar.
Related | Fall TV 2013: Your Handy Calendar of 100+ Season and Series Premiere Dates
Saturday, September 28
Noon — 6pm Homeland marathon (Showtime) | Revisit the first six episodes of Season 2 here, and the others on Sunday starting at noon.
8 pm The Cheating Pact (Lifetime) | Three high school students convince a shy classmate to take the college entrance test for them,...
Related | Fall TV 2013: Your Handy Calendar of 100+ Season and Series Premiere Dates
Saturday, September 28
Noon — 6pm Homeland marathon (Showtime) | Revisit the first six episodes of Season 2 here, and the others on Sunday starting at noon.
8 pm The Cheating Pact (Lifetime) | Three high school students convince a shy classmate to take the college entrance test for them,...
- 9/28/2013
- by riannucci
- TVLine.com
Let's talk about sex, baby! No, really, let's talk about it. Masters of Sex, one of the best new dramas of the fall, finally premieres on Sunday and tells the story of two real-life pioneers in the study of sex. Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan play William Masters and Virginia Johnson, whose research into human sexuality in the 1960s led to the sexual revolution. They worked together and they were married, but their relationship was far from uncomplicated. At the Showtime series' premiere party, we chatted with Sheen and Caplan about what they've learned about sex since taking on the roles of Masters and Johnson. Plus, Caplan talks about the "responsibility" she felt playing Johnson, who passed...
- 9/27/2013
- E! Online
This story first appeared in the Oct. 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Showtime's new Masters of Sex transports viewers back to the late '50s, that familiar buttoned-down, sexually repressed era. But that's where the familiarity ends and a sexually explicit story begins. The arousing -- and often amusing -- show, whose pilot was helmed by Oscar-nominated director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love), is based on Thomas Maier's biography Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The series, premiering Sept. 29, gets up close and extremely personal with the pioneering couple who
read more...
read more...
- 9/27/2013
- by Elizabeth Snead
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Teddy Sears as Dr. Austin Langham in Masters Of Sex (photo: Showtime)
Let’s talk about sex, Baby.
Okay, the Salt-n-Pepa song won’t be popping up in Showtime’s new drama series, Masters Of Sex, which is set in the 1950s when Dr. William Masters (played by Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) conducted their revolutionary study of sex. The series is based on Thomas Maier’s biography, Masters Of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson.
Since the show is very much focused on sex, gay characters also are a part of the series.. In the first few episodes, a lesbian prostitute (Broadway’s Annaleigh Ashford) helps Masters move his study into a brothel in exchange for her getting her tubes untied so she can have a baby and have a chance at a ‘normal life’ with a man. And, never fear,...
Let’s talk about sex, Baby.
Okay, the Salt-n-Pepa song won’t be popping up in Showtime’s new drama series, Masters Of Sex, which is set in the 1950s when Dr. William Masters (played by Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) conducted their revolutionary study of sex. The series is based on Thomas Maier’s biography, Masters Of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson.
Since the show is very much focused on sex, gay characters also are a part of the series.. In the first few episodes, a lesbian prostitute (Broadway’s Annaleigh Ashford) helps Masters move his study into a brothel in exchange for her getting her tubes untied so she can have a baby and have a chance at a ‘normal life’ with a man. And, never fear,...
- 9/27/2013
- by Jim Halterman
- The Backlot
All work and no foreplay makes Dr. William Masters anything but a dull boy.
With the assistance of a free-thinking single mother named Virginia Johnson, this renowned fertility specialist and pioneer in the study of sexual physiology challenges the repressive social mores of the late '50s, when Peyton Place is considered risqué and most people (according to Masters) "sit hunched in the dark like prudish cavemen filled with shame and guilt" when it came to thinking about sex.
Read More >...
With the assistance of a free-thinking single mother named Virginia Johnson, this renowned fertility specialist and pioneer in the study of sexual physiology challenges the repressive social mores of the late '50s, when Peyton Place is considered risqué and most people (according to Masters) "sit hunched in the dark like prudish cavemen filled with shame and guilt" when it came to thinking about sex.
Read More >...
- 9/27/2013
- by Matt Roush
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Philip Larkin once claimed that "Sexual intercourse began / In nineteen sixty-three / (which was rather late for me) - / Between the end of the "Chatterley" ban / And the Beatles' first LP." When "Masters of Sex," the new Showtime drama premiering on Sunday, September 29, begins, it's conservative 1956, and despite Larkin's quip, sex has in fact been invented, it's just still mysterious, undiscussed, completely shadowy territory. Created by Michelle Ashford (a writer who's worked on "The Pacific" and "Boomtown"), "Masters of Sex" is about Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), who were real-life pioneers in the research of human sexuality at a time when in-depth evaluations of such topics, even in a medical context, were looked at as obscene. This would seem to put "Masters of Sex" in similar territory as "Kinsey" and "Hysteria," where repression and meets explicit talk (and action) under the aegis of research. "For science!
- 9/26/2013
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
In the promising new Showtime drama Masters of Sex, Lizzy Caplan plays pioneering sex researcher Virginia Johnson, whose groundbreaking work with William Masters helped usher in the sexual revolution (and without which Caplan might never have been able to most memorably lay down the laws of blow jobs in Bachelorette). Johnson was an independent-minded and sexually adventurous single mom when she teamed up with Masters, a cold but brilliant clinician, in the late fifties. The series follows their unprecedented experiments that involved the two of them observing — and engaging in — lots and lots of sex for science. Caplan spoke to Vulture about working with Michael Sheen, nudity, and, yes, the Party Down movie.What was it like meeting Michael? Of course at the beginning I was intimidated by him. He’s a fancy actor. He went to a very different type of acting school than I did, which is the...
- 9/26/2013
- by Denise Martin
- Vulture
When William Masters and Virginia Johnson began researching human sexuality in the 1950s, it kicked off a social phenomenon that culminated in the sexual revolution a decade later. Showtime brings their story to the screen this fall with Masters of Sex, starring Michael Sheen and Lizzie Caplan.
Today, the network has released a new behind-the-scenes video that gives us a deeper look at the show’s fascinating characters and setting by offering up interviews with the cast members and footage from the show.
It all looks very intriguing and at the very least, it should be a breath of fresh air for television. I’m so sick of seeing the same generic shows pop up over and over so to see a new series coming out that will deal with this subject matter, and in this way, it should mean that we’ll be getting something pretty unique from Showtime.
Today, the network has released a new behind-the-scenes video that gives us a deeper look at the show’s fascinating characters and setting by offering up interviews with the cast members and footage from the show.
It all looks very intriguing and at the very least, it should be a breath of fresh air for television. I’m so sick of seeing the same generic shows pop up over and over so to see a new series coming out that will deal with this subject matter, and in this way, it should mean that we’ll be getting something pretty unique from Showtime.
- 9/25/2013
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
If you're not already planning on watching Showtime's new series, "Masters of Sex," when it premieres Sunday (Sept. 29), star Lizzy Caplan promises everyone could learn a thing or two in the bedroom from the show.
Caplan reveals in GQ's October issue the educational values of the series. "If you watch 'Masters of Sex,' you will score chicks," Caplan says. "This is everything your readers need to know. I know that the show will be equally relevant to men and women, if for no other reason: tits!"
In "Masters of Sex," Caplan and Michael Sheen play the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The series chronicles the unusual lives, romance, and pop culture trajectory of Masters and Johnson and their research which exploded the sexual revolution. "They basically figured out that the female body is far better equipped for sex than the male body,...
Caplan reveals in GQ's October issue the educational values of the series. "If you watch 'Masters of Sex,' you will score chicks," Caplan says. "This is everything your readers need to know. I know that the show will be equally relevant to men and women, if for no other reason: tits!"
In "Masters of Sex," Caplan and Michael Sheen play the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The series chronicles the unusual lives, romance, and pop culture trajectory of Masters and Johnson and their research which exploded the sexual revolution. "They basically figured out that the female body is far better equipped for sex than the male body,...
- 9/25/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Caplan has had some memorable roles in film and TV, but the new show about 1970s sex researchers Masters and Johnson gives her her biggest chance yet at the big time
Showtime's Masters of Sex starts in the UK on Channel 4 next month, but the first episode is available online now to Us viewers ahead of its American premiere on 29 September. The big-budget period drama is expected to be another hit for the network behind Dexter, Weeds, and Homeland, and for good reason. It tells the sometimes shocking true story of pioneering sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson, whose work proved the existence of female multiple orgasms, but also strayed into problematic territory in the 70s when they provided gay "conversion" therapy.
The pair's methods included watching couples having sex in lab conditions, so unsurprisingly, the show is full of X-rated moments. It also stars unparalleled real-person imitator Michael Sheen.
Showtime's Masters of Sex starts in the UK on Channel 4 next month, but the first episode is available online now to Us viewers ahead of its American premiere on 29 September. The big-budget period drama is expected to be another hit for the network behind Dexter, Weeds, and Homeland, and for good reason. It tells the sometimes shocking true story of pioneering sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson, whose work proved the existence of female multiple orgasms, but also strayed into problematic territory in the 70s when they provided gay "conversion" therapy.
The pair's methods included watching couples having sex in lab conditions, so unsurprisingly, the show is full of X-rated moments. It also stars unparalleled real-person imitator Michael Sheen.
- 9/24/2013
- by Diane Shipley
- The Guardian - Film News
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