Showtime Gives TV Critics Glimpse of "Masters of Sex", to Debut in 2013 Emphasizing "Enormous Wit" and Drama Along with the Steamy Stuff

Scene from "Masters of Sex" starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan

    David Nevins, president of entertainment for Showtime, spoke with the Television Critics Association for their network sessions today, premiered the first clips from new series “Masters of Sex.” Here some of what was said by the TV press:
The Oregonian: Perhaps the most interesting-sounding new offering, "Masters of Sex," isn't arriving until 2013. Michael Sheen and Lizzy Kaplan star as William Masters and Virginia Johnson in the series, which is adapted from Thomas Maier's book, "Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, The Couple Who Taught America How to Love."
The preview clips shown were a wow. John Madden ("Shakespeare in Love," "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel") directed the pilot episode. But we have to wait -- the series won't debut until 2013.
From A.V. Club:  That’s a tone that seems to extend to the network’s latest pick-ups. Nevins introduced footage from new dramas Ray Donovan and Masters Of Sex at his executive session at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, and both look to be at the very least intriguing. The more interesting is Sex, which is filled with fairly blatant depictions of sexual activity (as you’d expect in a series about the famous mid-20th century Masters/Johnson study of human sexuality) but also lots and lots of solid laughs. Michael Sheen and Lizzie Caplan are the leads, and if the show lives up to the trailer, it will be the weird sex comedy/period piece America didn’t know it wanted. Donovan was a bit more standard issue, what with its tortured antihero dealing with the sins of the past and his father, but it stars Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight, and any excuse to get those two to snarl at each other is a good one. Its “Hollywood fixer” milieu could also be promising, though the situation set up in the trailer was solved a bit too cutely.
From Crave Online: With new shows, “Masters of Sex” stars Michael Sheen as human sexuality doctor William Masters and Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson, based on the book by Tom Maier. 

Showtime's David Nevins

  “It’s serious stuff and you’ve got serious drama," said Nevins. "Michael Sheen is a great dramatic actor. I wanted the clip to reflect that it’s going to be fun and have wit to it. The script has enormous wit but the fundamentals do come from the book and it will continue to feed. They have 20-plus years together so the stuff of Thomas Maier’s book will continue to feed the series for years to come.” The clip shows liberal nudity and sexual situations, though mostly revealing of the woman. Nevins promised equal opportunity nudity. “Yes, only fair.”In casting Sheen, Caplan and others, nudity was part of the deal. Some actors insisting on “no nudity” clauses could not be considered. “That ruled out some people. A show like that, the subject is human sexuality so you have to be willing, you have to be comfortable to do it.”
New York Daily News: So one of the unspoken goals of Showtime’s “Masters of Sex,” a 12-part series that will debut next year and dramatize the pioneering sex research of Masters and Johnson, is to remind viewers that not so long ago, even clinical discussion of sex in terms of biology, psychology or physiology was considered bad form.Showtime previewed the first clips from the show to TV critics here Monday, and they played like a dramedy, with often-graphic re-creations of the experiments and snappy sitcom-like exchanges. What the series will not be, said Showtime president David Nevins, is a documentary about the researchers. “It will examine their fascinating relationship and follow their pop-culture trajectory from a St. Louis teaching hospital to Johnny Carson’s couch.”
San Francisco Chronicle: Thank heavens Showtime president David Nevins allowed us to be the first to see clips from two new shows coming to the premium outlet in 2013, “Masters of Sex,” about famed sex researchers Masters and Johnson and starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, and “Ray Donovan,” a new series about the ultimate LA fixer, played by Liev Schreiber and with a cast that includes Elliott Gould and Jon Voight. Of course, it’s still going to take a while longer to look at Sheen and not think “Tony Blair is researching the female orgasm,” since he nailed the former prime minister, so to speak, in two films."

From the Fien Print on HitFlix. 1:42 p.m. Showtime has two new dramas premiering in 2013. Up first, we get clips from "Masters of Sex." We see lots of clips of modern representations of sex. The pilot, directed by John Madden, has a great look, with its period setting and Michael Sheen seems amusing. This definitely looks much livelier than "Kinsey." Lizzy Caplan also looks terrific and... yes... nudity. Beau Bridges looks interesting and funny and... no nudity. I have no clue what this show is, but it definitely seems potentially smutty and arty and intriguing. And... lots of nudity. I mean... Starz-level nudity. Using "Making Whoopie" for the promo is silly. But whatever.

From Variety:  Showtime is high on upcoming drama series "Masters of Sex," with Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, and Liev Schreiber starrer "Ray Donovan," from "Southland" creator Ann Biderman. Nevins said he's not sure when those series will launch, but that it would likely be announced in the 

first quarter.
Winnipeg FreePress: Showtime sizzles, today and tomorrow: U.S. cable's Showtime network usually takes a back seat to HBO when it comes to press-tour presentations, but this time around, the specialty-net home of Dexter, Weeds, Homeland and The Borgias had the most engaging set of sessions during the cable portion of the TV-press marathon. In addition to intriguing interviews with the likes of Mary-Louise Parker, Claire Danes and Michael C. Hall, Showtime also provided sneak previews of two great-looking projects in its future-schedule plans: the dark, violent Hollywood scandal-fixer drama Ray Donovan (which stars Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight), and the sex-researcher biopic Masters of Sex (which stars Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan).

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Alan Sepinwall ‏@sepinwall

"Masters of Sex," w/Martin Sheen & Lizzy Caplan as Masters & Johnson, looks sharp & funny. #TCAs12

Jarett Wieselman ‏@JarettSays

Very intrigued by 'Masters of Sex' footage -- Star Lizzy Caplan talks about her role on the sex-heavy series here: http://insdr.co/NOMbuA

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Jace Lacob ‏@televisionary

Intrigued by the lengthy cutdown of "Masters of Sex" Showtime just showed. Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan together at last. #TCAs12

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carina macKenzie ‏@cadlymack

Showtime's "Masters of Sex" looks really good. Definitely not a show you want to accidentally get stuck watching with your dad, you know?

Rick Porter ‏@Zap2itRick

Two-word Jesse Pinkman review of Showtime's "Masters of Sex" trailer: "Yeah! Science!" #TCAs12

Jim Halterman ‏@JimHalterman

Masters Of Sex, created by Michelle Ashford and directed by John Madden, is coming. We're watching a clip. SEX AT TCAs!! OMG!!!