Arguably one of the most popular series on Netflix, Sex Education is set to return to our screens for a fourth season - and we're pretty excited about it.
Not exactly one to watch with your parents, Sex Education traces the lives of misfit teens through high school in an 80s-meets-iPhones era, covering sensitive issues like sexuality, relationships and mental health in a refreshing and unapologetic way.
And the show’s colourful storylines are brought to life by top class actors, including Gillian Anderson as Jean, Emma Mackey as Maeve, Asa Butterfield as Otis and Ncuti Gatwa as Eric.
READ MORE: The 'Sex Education' village is an hour from Bristol with gorgeous walks and pubs
The show's third season , which aired in September 2021, ended with some major cliffhangers which left fans a bit concerned about what may come next for the Moordale residents.
Thankfully fans didn’t have long to wait for a fourth season to be announced, with Netflix confirming another season was on the way on September 25, 2021.
It’s now 18-months later and we are still yet to see any details about when the fourth season will appear on our screens. Although it’s hoped we could be returning to Moordale at some point this year.
Filming for the new season seems to have wrapped earlier this year. Back in February Emma Mackey said she had just completed filming for the fourth series while attending the BAFTA Awards. It was also there, that the star who plays Meave, revealed that this season will in fact be her last.
The actress is not the only fan-favourite set to move on from Sex Education after series four, with Ncuti Gatwa, who plays Eric Effiong, also making his departure from the show. It is of course unsurprising that Gatwa is leaving the series at this point, after he was cast as the 15th Doctor in Doctor Who.
In fact Gatwa has been in Bristol this week filming the new eight-part fourteenth season with new companion Millie Gibson .
The star announced his departure from the Netflix show back in February on his Instagram, writing: "Last day. Last time. Bye bubs, thank you for all the lessons and for all the strength."
But despite filming finishing in February there is no news on when the fourth season will appear on our TV screens.
We do know some details about the new season, though.
The Cast
New cast members are set to feature in the series, including Jodie Turner-Smith, who joined the show after being personally asked by Ncuti Gatwa.
During the BAFTA Awards, Turner-Smith told reporters: “You may or may not see me in a little Netflix show called ‘Sex Education’.”
She will be joined by new stars Thaddea Graham, Marie Reuther, Felix Mufti, Anthony Lexa, Alexandra James and Imani Yahshua.
Season four will also see Schitt's Creek favourite Dan Levy join the cast as Thomas Molloy, a renowned cult author who is tutoring Maeve during her time in the US.
The show also held a casting call back in November 2021 for two trans actors to play two trans characters in the new season known as Abbi and Kent.
The Plot
Season 4 promises a bit of a shake-up following the events of the last series. Moordale High appears to be shut down after investors pulled funding following the students' protest against headteacher Hope's new rules.
And though Maeve and Otis finally got together in the third series, Maeve ended up leaving for America before their relationship could get off the ground.
The official plot synopsis released by Netflix states: "Following the closure of Moordale Secondary, Otis and Eric now face a new frontier - their first day at Cavendish Sixth Form College. Otis is nervous about setting up his new clinic, whilst Eric is praying they won’t be losers again.
"But Cavendish is a culture shock for all the Moordale students - they thought they were progressive but this new college is another level. There’s daily yoga in the communal garden, a strong sustainability vibe and a group of kids who are popular for being… kind?!"
It adds: "Viv is totally thrown by the college’s student-led, non-competitive approach, while Jackson is still struggling to get over Cal. Aimee tries something new by taking an Art A Level and Adam grapples with whether mainstream education is for him.
"Over in the US, Maeve is living her dream at prestigious Wallace University, being taught by cult author Thomas Molloy. Otis is pining after her, whilst adjusting to not being an only child at home, or the only therapist on campus…"
The season 3 finale also teased that Jakob might not be the father of Jean's baby, which would certainly put their fragile relationship – and their newfound family dynamic – to the test.
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