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| Michael Sheen sex drama heads to Channel 4 | Michael Sheen sex drama heads to Channel 4 |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| US TV drama Masters Of Sex, which stars Michael Sheen as a sex expert, has been snapped up by Channel 4 before the first episode has aired in America. | US TV drama Masters Of Sex, which stars Michael Sheen as a sex expert, has been snapped up by Channel 4 before the first episode has aired in America. |
| The series is based on the lives of Dr William Masters and Virginia Johnson, whose pioneering research helped fuel the sexual revolution of the 1960s. | The series is based on the lives of Dr William Masters and Virginia Johnson, whose pioneering research helped fuel the sexual revolution of the 1960s. |
| Lizzy Caplan, who plays Johnson, says the show features "explicit sex", while Sheen describes it as "very intense". | Lizzy Caplan, who plays Johnson, says the show features "explicit sex", while Sheen describes it as "very intense". |
| Channel 4 will air the show "soon after its launch" in the US this September. | Channel 4 will air the show "soon after its launch" in the US this September. |
| Sheen has played several real-life roles during his career, including Tony Blair and David Frost | Sheen has played several real-life roles during his career, including Tony Blair and David Frost |
| "I simply want to answer the question, 'what happens to the body during sex,'" asks Sheen's character in a trailer for the series, released last week. | "I simply want to answer the question, 'what happens to the body during sex,'" asks Sheen's character in a trailer for the series, released last week. |
| His research faces opposition from university chancellor Barton Scully, played by Beau Bridges, who yells: "It's not medicine". | His research faces opposition from university chancellor Barton Scully, played by Beau Bridges, who yells: "It's not medicine". |
| The 12-part drama has already won a Critics' Choice award for most promising new series, months before its TV premiere on 29 September. | The 12-part drama has already won a Critics' Choice award for most promising new series, months before its TV premiere on 29 September. |
| It marks the first major TV role for Welsh actor Sheen, who is better known for films such as Frost/Nixon, The Queen, and the Twilight series. | It marks the first major TV role for Welsh actor Sheen, who is better known for films such as Frost/Nixon, The Queen, and the Twilight series. |
| Speaking to movie website Collider last year, he said the story had the potential to play out "over multiple seasons". | Speaking to movie website Collider last year, he said the story had the potential to play out "over multiple seasons". |
| "I thought there was a lot of opportunity there to really explore something we find taboo, in some ways, and a bit embarrassing. I thought that was interesting." | "I thought there was a lot of opportunity there to really explore something we find taboo, in some ways, and a bit embarrassing. I thought that was interesting." |
| Caplan, previously best known as Amy in vampire series True Blood, added that Johnson was "the most challenging part I'll ever play". | Caplan, previously best known as Amy in vampire series True Blood, added that Johnson was "the most challenging part I'll ever play". |
| "A huge part of her personality and who she was, was a woman who was completely comfortable with her own sexuality, at a time where that was almost unheard of," she explained. | "A huge part of her personality and who she was, was a woman who was completely comfortable with her own sexuality, at a time where that was almost unheard of," she explained. |
| "It's why she was so helpful to [Dr William] Masters. She understood sexuality more than he did. He understood science, and she understood the human element of it. " | "It's why she was so helpful to [Dr William] Masters. She understood sexuality more than he did. He understood science, and she understood the human element of it. " |
| The series is being made for subscription TV channel Showtime, already home to edgy dramas such as Homeland and Dexter. | The series is being made for subscription TV channel Showtime, already home to edgy dramas such as Homeland and Dexter. |
| Sky Arts recommission | |
| In other commissioning news, Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe have signed on for a second series of Sky Arts's A Young Doctor's Notebook and Other Stories. | |
| Based on the short stories by the celebrated Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov, the pair will reprise their roles with Hamm playing a Russian doctor during the Russian Revolution and Radcliffe his younger self. | |
| "I'm thrilled to come back to our wonderful, weird, wild world of A Young Doctor's Notebook. Series one was an absolute blast to work on and I'm looking forward to continuing this bizarre adventure," Hamm said. | |
| Radcliffe added: "I had absolutely no hesitation in agreeing to do a second series of A Young Doctor's Notebook. | |
| "I had an incredible time working with the multi-talented Jon Hamm and of course am a huge fan of Mikhail Bulgakov's work and so was thrilled when I was told a second series had been commissioned." | |
| The new four-part series will be broadcast later this year. |