As noted by the Los Angeles Times television critic, the series "hangs on bones of fact"; "it's more useful for the viewer to think of it as all made up. Because, mostly, it is, and because to the extent it tells the story of two real people, it also adorns the telling with dramatic practicalities, invented characters and narrative detours. Indeed, it's down these side streets, casting a brief light on a passing character (patients, prostitutes, a provost's wife), that the show finds many of its best moments."[2]
Other than principal characters, which are partly fictionalized, adults are significantly fictionalized, and children are entirely fictionalized. In real life, Masters and Johnson each have two children, but in the series, they have three children each. Episodes featuring the children include a disclaimer stating that their storylines are "entirely fictitious". Series creator Michelle Ashford explained: "We are telling a non-fiction story and one where there are people who are still alive out there, and those people need to be protected. We were advised to add [the baby] to protect the people that are still alive. It wasn't a storytelling prerogative. It had to do with protecting living people."[5]
Showtime ordered the pilot for Masters of Sex in August 2011,[14] and greenlit it for series in June 2012, with the first season consisting of twelve episodes.[15]Paul Bettany was originally cast as William Masters and had a say in the casting of the female lead which had reportedly stalled the process.[16] After his exit, Michael Sheen replaced him and Lizzy Caplan was cast as Virginia Johnson.[17]
Writer/producer Michelle Ashford serves as showrunner for Masters of Sex. She assembled a majority-female writing staff, although she says this was unintentional.[18]
Ashford created the character of Barton Scully out of a combination of several men whom Masters knew. One of them was gay, but was not the man serving as provost during Masters' initial study.[19]
Prop master Jeffrey Johnson noted the difficulty of obtaining accurate information about sexual devices from the time period. "They were so taboo it was hard to find research drawings. People didn't even put them in writing." He obtained some vintage vibrators and dildos for use in the series along with acquiring condoms manufactured in the era (which did not have the reservoir tips of modern condoms). He designed "Ulysses", a transparent dildo with attached camera first seen in the pilot episode, from scratch, along with a diaphragm sizing kit seen in later episodes.[20]
Annaleigh Ashford, who has a recurring role in the first season as Betty Dimello, was promoted to series regular in season two.[21]
The opening credits sequence was created by design studio Elastic. The sequence, which includes suggestive, tongue-in-cheek sex metaphors and symbols, received a mixed response from critics; it placed on both best and worst lists for opening credit sequences. It was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design.[22]
In Canada, the series debuted on September 29, 2013, on The Movie Network.[23] In Australia, the series premiered on SBS One on October 3, 2013.[24] In Ireland, the series premiered on October 4, 2013, on RTÉ Two.[25] In the UK, it debuted on Channel 4 on October 8, 2013.[26] In New Zealand, it debuted on SoHo on October 23, 2013.[27]Virgin Media acquired the UK rights for Masters of Sex and it started airing on September 21, 2018.[28] In the UK, the series was available on STV Player until February 2023.[29]
The first season of Masters of Sex received critical acclaim. Based on 59 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the first season received a 90% approval rating from critics, with a rating average of 8.3 out of 10. The site's consensus states: "Seductive and nuanced, Masters of Sex features smart performances, deft direction, and impeccable period decor."[30]Metacritic gave the first season a score of 86 out of 100, based on 32 reviews.[31] The American Film Institute listed it as one of the top ten television series of 2013.[32]
Matt Roush of TV Guide wrote that "There is no more fascinating, or entertaining, new series this fall season."[33] Diane Werts of Newsday gave it an "A" grade, complimenting the series on its use of humor, stating "its deft balance of epic scope and whimsical humanity", as well as the strong performances of the actors and creator Michelle Ashford's "scene-setting scripts".[34]David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle particularly praised the performances, calling them "extraordinary" and "stunning", and noting the series' A-list directors, among them Michael Apted and John Madden.[35] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post wrote that after the first two episodes, "the characters get better and more complex, the story builds, strange things start to happen and now I can't wait to see how its interweaving plots unfold."[36] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix praised lead actors Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, calling them "terrific", and saying that "Masters of Sex is the best new show of the fall by a very long stretch. It's also a refreshing anomaly: a prestige cable drama that doesn't feel like a recombination of elements from 15 shows that came before it."[37] According to Robert Lloyd, the Los Angeles Times television critic, the show is a "handsome thing, another well-dressed romp through the American mid-century, when things (we imagine) were simpler and (so we like to think) less sophisticated, but also more exciting. And it's true that sexual naiveté of that age can seem incredible in a day when pornography is just another thing on your platform of choice. But even in an age when Masters of Sex is a TV show, the subject remains stubbornly powerful, private and confounding. We have come far, and we are still cavemen.[2]
The second season also received critical acclaim equal to if not greater than the first season. It received a score of 89 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 17 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[38] On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 98% approval rating among critics based on 44 reviews, with a rating average of 8.5 out of 10. The consensus reads: "Boasting an expanded storyline and broader focus, Masters of Sex's second season improves on its already outstanding predecessor."[39]
The third season received generally positive reviews from critics, although received more mixed reviews than the previous seasons. It has a Metacritic score of 72 out of 100 based on 15 reviews.[40] On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 69% approval rating among critics based on 32 reviews, with a rating average of 7.6 out of 10. The consensus reads, "With a six-year leap forward in the timeline, Masters of Sex takes an intriguing dramatic turn, but may leave a few viewers feeling frustrated."[41]
The fourth season received generally positive reviews from critics. It has a Metacritic score of 70 out of 100 based on 5 reviews.[42] On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 80% approval rating among critics based on 10 reviews, with a rating average of 7.6 out of 10. The consensus reads, "Masters of Sex closes the book with a stylish final season that doesn't aim to scale the heights of the series' artistic peak, but satisfies with its thoughtful investigation of its two protagonists' diverging paths."[43]
