Showtime's Masters of Sex will focus on the relationship between two sex researchers who devote their careers to putting others' sex lives under the microscope. William Masters and Virginia Johnson were two unlikely partners who worked together during the middle of the 20th century in a period of time now recognised as the sexual revolution. The pair, played by Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, began studying human sexual behaviour in the late 50s when the subject of sex was taboo and sex therapy didn't exist as it does today.

Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen Will Play US Sexologist William Masters.

Masters was a socially awkward doctor who had trouble persuading his patients to open up about their private lives; that's where Johnson came in. Virginia had been pursuing a difficult career as a country singer but her talents lay in that she was able to make people feel comfortable enough around her to share their sexual experiences and troubles.

Lizzy Caplan
Lizzy Caplan Plays Country Singer Turned Sex Researcher Virginia Johnson.

As reported by The LA Times, Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls, Cloverfield) told reporters during a press tour about the real woman behind her new role: "Virginia Johnson looked like every other woman around her," adding "It's the choices she's made, what's inside her, that's different." The series is based on the Thomas Maier's 2009 nonfiction book of the same name and will consist of 12 episodes starting from this September.

Michael Sheen
Sheen: Bristling With Excitement For His New TV Role.

Johnson died last week (24th July) as a result of illness complications aged 88 and Caplan wanted to go and see the prominent yet private sexologist before she passed away. However, explains Maier, who befriended the researcher, "Lizzy Caplan was begging to go see her, and I pleaded with her[...]She [Johnson] just didn't want to do it. It was, 'I don't want to be in the limelight.' "

Expect plenty of sex and nudity, says LA Times, as the pair overturn Freud's theories about the female orgasm and opposed the notion that homosexuality could be 'corrected.' Though Masters was already married, he and Johnson - household names in the 1970s - embarked on an affair and later married; their strong working relationship fostering the chemistry between them.

Watch Showtime's Masters Of Sex Trailer:

Masters of Sex will premiere on Showtime on 29th September.