Where is Sex Education filmed? Netflix viewers are confused by the show's setting

17 January 2020, 09:23

By Sam Prance

'Sex Education' fans can't work out if the new Netflix series is British or American...

Sex Education is back with season 2. The hit Netflix teen drama won over millions of fans with its first season and it's easy to see why. It's hilarious, moving and the cast are incredible. Asa Butterfield (Otis), Ncuti Gatwa (Eric) and Emma Mackey (Maeve) are all stars. Not to mention, Gillian Anderson is perfect as Otis' iconic sex therapist mum Dr. Jean Milburn.

35 hilarious Sex Education memes that prove the are better than... sex

Sex Education season 2 sees Otis discover the joys of masturbating and explore his new relationship with Ola. It also sees Eric get caught up in a love triangle and Maeve have to deal with her absent mum coming back into her life. And, just like season 1, there is plenty of sex and laughs to be had along the way.

However, there is one aspect of Sex Education that viewers are still confused by and that's it's location.

Where is 'Sex Education' filmed?

Sex Education is actually filmed in Penarth, South Wales, in the UK, and yet, in spite of this, the Netflix series has a distinctly American vibe. Fans of the show were quick to note that a) the students dress nothing like British students would (in the UK almost all schools require uniform) and b) only a private school would have the kind of facilities that Mooredale High has.

Plus, for a show set in Wales, only Maeve's neighbour has a Welsh accent.

Here are just a few of the complaints.

Speaking to Thrillist about the inspiration behind the show's setting, its creator Laurie Nunn said: "We all absolutely love the teen genre, particularly the John Hughes films of the 1980s so we really wanted to make the show have the feeling that it's an homage or that it has this nostalgic backdrop, but that we are talking about very contemporary, modern themes and storylines for the characters".

Discussing it further, Nunn said: "So in a way we were also trying to take this tried and tested tropes of the genre and sort of flip them on their head and show a different perspective on it. I think those two things together and then with the Britishness just make it feel like it's its own thing."

In other words, even though Sex Education is modern and British, it takes inspiration from old American rom-coms, hence it having such a unique vibe that some people love and others aren't sure about. If you embrace the madness though, it's pretty magical.

In conclusion...

We have no choice but to stan.