As the hotly anticipated Autumn TV season falls upon us again I have found a little bit of time in-between clearing my social calendar and washing my TV slippers to give you the annual lowdown on what I think is worth spending all your time obsessing over this season, and what you should probably sideline until your return to the pit of desperation that is summer hiatus.

Under the microscope today is Masters of Sex; a brand new drama series starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, of Twilight and Mean Girls fame, respectively.  In short, this is a series about sex. Based on Thomas Maier's biography Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the drama is set in 1950’s Missouri and focuses on the characters of Dr. William Masters (Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Caplan), two pioneering researchers of Human Sexuality at Washington University.

A story centered upon a revolutionary scientific study, you would probably guess that this isn’t your normal sex laced television drama, and you would be both right and wrong. There are sex scenes and they are nude, however, unlike the majority of sex scenes on primetime television, the ones here are not solely about the act itself, but focus primarily on the scientific, physiological and emotional ramifications. Masters of Sex takes a photographic stance more relatable than, say, that of True Blood or Scandal, which serve only your wildest of fantasies. Don’t get me wrong, this is no Girls, but it does possess a similar level of sexual believability that makes it quite compelling to watch.

The premiere episode gives a representative view of what to expect from the scheduled 13-episode run. With emotive sub-plots involving infertility and domestic abuse, it has firmly placed itself in the drama genre, so don’t tune in expecting satirical jokes and sex laden quips (there is however one scene involving an oversized sex toy with a built in camera which may tickle some of you, for lack of a better word).

Caplan and Sheen do a good job of creating likeable characters, and although we see little of the supporting cast, what we do see is good. For a drama series with ad-free episodes of 60 minutes in length it flows nicely, a feat within itself. There are certain points when you may turn to the person next to you for clarity (William’s wife calling him ‘Daddy’ for example), but overall the episode is easily followed and importantly, it leaves you eager to watch the next.

So there we have it, Masters of Sex: a series which looks set to serve us some top-notch plotlines, a side of emotionally charged character development and a nice healthy drizzle of sex. Now, if this were a restaurant, who wouldn’t order that?

Catch all new episodes every Sunday at 10pm on Showtime, or for those closer to home, Masters of Sex airs on Tuesdays at 9pm on Channel 4.