Sex on screen is nothing new, but sex as the main topic, explored with nuance and depth is a newer breakthrough on mainstream TV.
From opening up a long-term marriage to reclaiming desire in the face of terminal illness, these TV dramas (some well-known, others hidden gems) explore desire in all its mess and magic, inviting you to see sex in ways you never have before.
Sex Education
You can’t talk discuss TV shows about sex without mentioning Sex Education. This British high school dramedy is a joy to watch, opening up important conversations with immense humour and tenderness.
Otis, the awkward teen son of a sex therapist, sets up an secret sex advice clinic at school. Together with Maeve, a rebellious classmate, he helps fellow students navigate their messy, complicated sex lives, tackling crushes, identity and consent along the way.
The show dives deep into a spectrum of experiences: queer identity, asexuality, abortion, kink, disability, pleasure, and shame, with humour and real heart. It’s a must-watch for teens and adults alike.
Dying for Sex
Based on the heartfelt 2020 Wondery podcast, this eight-episode limited series stars Michelle Williams as Molly Kochan, a woman with terminal breast cancer who leaves her husband and questions everything as she seeks sexual liberation and ownership of her final years.
Part comedy, part tearjerker, the drama balances heavy themes with surprising warmth, and Jenny Slate plays her devoted best friend with depth and grace.
Masters of Sex
Set in the 1950s and 60s, this stylish drama follows real-life sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson as they navigate professional credibility, public outrage, and private dysfunction.
As they work to uncover the science behind desire, they’re forced to confront their own vulnerabilities and limits. The show explores sexual repression, power dynamics, and the human need for connection, all under the guise of clinical research.
A Luv Tale
This beautiful and under-appreciated series follows four queer Black women navigating life, love, sex, and ambition in Harlem.
Created by Sidra Smith, it captures the sensual and emotional texture of queer desire in ways rarely seen on screen: tender, electric, complicated. It’s a celebration of chosen family, creative life, and the kinds of connection that defy stereotypes.
She’s Gotta Have It
In this updated version of Spike Lee’s iconic film, DeWanda Wise plays Nola Darling, a Brooklyn artist balancing her lovers, her creative career, and her sense of self.
The show is slick, feminist, and uncompromising in its portrayal of a woman who refuses to be boxed in by romantic or social expectations. It also dives into politics, race, gentrification, and art, making it about much more than sex alone.
The Bisexual
Written by and starring Desiree Akhavan, this smart, self-aware series explores what happens when Leila breaks up with her long-term girlfriend and realises she might not be gay. She might be… bi.
The show is full of awkward dates, botched conversations, and the in-between spaces many of us fear but eventually have to live in. A brilliant, often funny take on identity, queerness, and self-reinvention.
Wanderlust
Toni Collette stars as a therapist in a long-term marriage that’s lost its sexual spark. Together, she and her husband begin to explore non-monogamy in a quiet, sometimes awkward, always emotionally real way.
The show doesn’t glamorise open relationships, nor does it judge them; it simply asks what happens when the old rules stop working, and people want something more.
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