The Sex Spectrum

As far as sex on TV goes….there really is a wide spectrum of viewing out there. You’ve got the bog-standard Sexcetera/Generation Sex-type titillation for the late-night viewer. These programmes rarely have a point to them; they’re just there for the specific purpose of showing sex on TV or, depending on how you look at it, an endless source of amusement.
Tipping the Velvet
The ‘sex sells’ concept is never far from mainstream producers’ minds either. Dramas such as Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City include gratuitous sex scenes. Gabby fornicating with the gardener or Samantha in the bedroom with her model boyfriend, it’s just a regular Friday night for our favourite characters! Period dramas love a bit of steamy action in their four-poster beds too. Take Deadwood or Tipping the Velvet. The latter was publicised widely for featuring lesbian sex in it. Then viewers were apparently under-whelmed by the end result and even complained to the BBC about the lack of sexual content!

On the other end of the scale, reality TV is always looking to encourage a little tonsil tennis or more if they can. The Big Brother house is unapologetically designed to implicitly increase the libido of the incarcerated wannabe’s, and Big Bro endlessly plies them with alcohol for good measure. However, ironically, the only time we really saw some hardcore action was in the teenage edition, where issues of adult consent became a concern for the producers. Will BB9’s Bex and Luke provide some proper action in the house this year? More to the point, would we really want to see it?

Overall, sex is the one thing that any type of TV show or even advert can and will manage to incorporate that’s guaranteed to boost viewing figures…from glossy love scenes on a drama programme to quick fumbles caught by an infrared camera in BB – it takes all sorts!
Ok, it’s 11.30 – I’m off for a Diet Coke break