A History of Sex on TV

May 09, 2024

celeb

Behind Closed Doors: A History of Sex on TV

‘I Love Lucy’
Though Lucy and Ricky eventually produced a child, they slept in twin bids per 1950s TV standards. We can only assume the couple (played by real-life husband and wife Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz) pushed the beds together on –ahem — special nights. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘All in the Family’
In groundbreaking moment from season 7, Edith (Jean Stapleton), who was married to the lovable bigot Archie (Carroll O'Connor), was discovered seeking advice on making love when she's caught reading a sex manual by her daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) and her husband, Mike (Rob Reiner). Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Seinfeld’
The NBC hit was tackled such daring (at the time) topics as friends with benefits relationships ("The Deal") and managed to have an entire episode revolve around its characters having a contest for who could go the longest without masturbating ("The Contest") — all without the episode actually using the term masturbation. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Beverly Hills, 90210’
The Fox TV drama (1990-2000) about a group of high schoolers from Beverly Hills, offered plenty of romance. A major moment in the hit series? Donna (Tori Spelling) finally losing her virginity to David (Brian Austin Green) on graduation night during season 7. The high school sweethearts eventually became husband and wife. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
In the final season of Buffy, the supernatural series featured one of first lesbian sex scenes on TV with Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson). Joss Whedon's show also starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon and David Boreanaz. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Dawson’s Creek’
The teen drama followed four friends Dawson (James Van Der Beek), Joey (Katie Holmes), Jen (Michelle Williams) and Pacey (Joshua Jackson) offered plenty of sex scenes with longtime best friends Dawson and Joey hooking up. When they weren't together, Dawson also engaged in sexual activities with Jen, while Joey slept with Pacey. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Sex and the City’
The iconic HBO show covered it all as its characters navigated the dating world and everything that comes with it — including STDs, promiscuity and the practice of safe sex. The groundbreaking series ran from 1998-2004. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Queer as Folk’
Queer as Folk, which ran from 2000-2005 on Showtime, revolved around the lives of gay men and women. Based on the British series of the same name, it broke ground by being the first show to depict a simulated sex scene between two characters of the same gender. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Family Guy’
Fox's adult animated sitcom has offered numerous amounts of risque' moments — from Lois (voiced by Alex Borstein) and Peter (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) lying butt naked on the living room couch to Stewie (also voiced by MacFarlane) fantasizing about receiving some kinky abuse from Lois. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘South Park’
In the controversial 2003 episode "Fat Butt and Pancake Head," Cartman created a hand puppet ("Ms. Lopez"), who looked a lot like Jennifer Lopez. Ben Affleck became taken with the hand puppet, and the two were shown waking up together in Cartman's bed, with Affleck saying he made love to Ms. Lopez all night, and Cartman yelling "AWWW! Ben Affleck's spooge!" Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Six Feet Under’
The show centered on people who dealt with death, but Six Feet Under also explored the act responsible for creating life. Nate (Peter Krause) was known for his womanizing, teenager Claire (Lauren Ambrose) experimented with sex throughout the series, and Brenda (Rachel Griffiths) struggled with sexual addition. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Grey’s Anatomy’
The ABC medical drama has offered lots of sex and love between fellow doctors from Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) to Mark (Eric Dane) and Lexie (Chyler Leigh). Other castmembers in the steamy show include Sandra Oh, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘The L Word’
The Showtime series, which ran from 2004-2009, turned heads with its portrayal of intimate scenes between lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered characters. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Mad Men’
Don Draper (Jon Hamm) oozes sex appeal in Mad Men, and the perennial womanizer has plenty of intimate encounters, though sex is often depicted as a joyless pursuit for him. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Parenthood’
NBC's Parenthood has typically kept its depictions of sex to post-coital cuddling, though the show was slammed by conservatives for a 2012 episode in which teenager Drew (Miles Heizer) loses his virginity. The episode didn't show much flesh though, sticking to showing underwear falling to the floor and the characters' anticipating faces to imply the dirty deed. At the time, Bill O'Reilly complained Parenthood didn't show the consequences of teen sex. But the couple ended up having an abortion in an emotional episode the next year. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Modern Family’
Modern Family made history with its gay marriage proposal in its season 5 premiere, though Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) have yet to get an onscreen sex scene. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Tell Me You Love Me’
Tell Me You Love Me, which ran on HBO for one season in 2007, was known for its particularly explicit scenes — including realistic depictions of oral sex and masturbation. It was rumored the scenes were real, though the cast insisted the sex was all simulated. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘True Blood’
HBO's vampire hit is known for its steamy — and sometimes trippy — sex scenes — especially those taking place between its human and undead characters. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Glee’
In Glee's "The First Time" episode from season 3, Blaine (Darren Criss) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) decide to wait to have sex at first, but by the end, the two are seen kissing and lying in bed together. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Girls’
Lena Dunham's hit HBO series isn't afraid to go all the way — even if it causes a bit of controversy. In the season 2 episode "On All Fours," Adam (Adam Driver) seemed to force sex on Natalia (Shiri Appleby), which some viewers and critics slammed as bordering on rape. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)
‘Masters of Sex’
The 1950s-set Showtime series centers on Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, pioneering researchers of human sexuality. The sexy series stars Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan. Back to Hollywood & Sex (What's Hot)