Despite not being quite the target audience, I felt that "Sex Education's" first season was a humorous and witty triumph.
Otis (Asa Butterfield) is a 16 year old boy whose mother (Gillian Anderson) is a practicing sex therapist. When he uses the therapist skills he's acquired over the years to defuse a situation at school, Maeve (Emma Mackay) whom Otis has a crush on, spies an opportunity to use his skills to provide sex therapy sessions to his fellow students for financial gain.
The first thing that needs to be said, "Sex Education" is not set in any recognisable world that you could visit. It's ostensibly in the UK, based on the accents of the cast. The school that all the kids go to though is steeped in American traditions and tropes that we don't do in this country. Lockers, Letter Jackets, themed dances, sporting events that people attend - we don't do any of that. The time period of it is also a little difficult to pin down. They have smart phones and fitbits, but the cars are pretty much entirely from the 80's/90's and the fashions and interior design from even earlier. I'm not saying this is a criticism, it's a bit jarring at first but you do soon get used to it, and it even makes things better given the quality music that the show makes use of. It makes for a unique looking show at least.
It's a well written and witty show, on the whole (though not entirely) avoiding the clichés of teen drama but despite how funny it is - it does delve into some deeper dramatic themes too. I was struck on how invested I felt in the central love triangle (rectangle?) that makes up the overriding story for most of the season and I think that's down to the actors involved in it.
For once, a short series doesn't feel like enough and I'm looking forward to more. I hope that Gillian Anderson and Asa Butterfield's schedules will allow it.