What era is Sex Education set in?

20 September 2021, 16:33

Watch the Sex Education season 3 announcement

When is Sex Education set and what year is the Netflix drama supposed to be?

Sex Education is officially back, with the third season of the show hitting Netflix on September 17.

It's been over a year since season two landed on the streaming service, meaning fans have had a long wait for the new episodes.

The comedy-drama series follows a group of teenagers at the fictional Moordale High School, where they navigate life, sex, and relationships.

Season one first hit screens in 2019, and there has always been quite a bit of confusion about what era the show is set.

While the students do own things like smartphones, the Moordale looks very much like an American high school from the 1980s.

Here's your need-to-know on what era the show is in...

What era is Sex Education set in?

Despite the confusing visuals, the show does seem to be set in the present day.

As well as the smart phones, there are also a number of modern popular culture reference, including a mention of Ed Sheeran and Kelly Clarkson.

Show creator Laurie Nunn previously explained the 1980s feel of the show during an interview with Thrillist, saying: “It was a very conscious decision from myself and the producers and director Ben Taylor who is also an executive producer on the project.

"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.

"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."