Netflix's Sex Education set descended into chaos as school demolished
The set of Netflix's Sex Education descended into chaos as the school they were filming in was demolished.
All filming took place in an abandoned school in South Wales for the hit programme starring much-loved characters Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield), Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey) and Eric Effiong ( Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa ). The school was transformed into Moordale for the comedy-drama, and rooms were also used for other sets in the show.
However, chaos struck during the filming of season three of the show. Art Director Christina Tom told The Mirror: "It was an abandoned school so it worked perfectly for the first three series. We filmed there, we got loads of sets there, everything was set there - all the offices. But at the end of series three, this site got bought out by a housing company and we all had to move. They were basically knocking it down all around us and we had to put a big fence around the whole thing.
"So we had to basically move all the sets that we had set up. We had to take them, store them, and then bring them back to South Wales and put them in a studio, which is kind of like 10 minutes away from the original campus. That was a bit of a mission." Season four of Sex Education sees Moordale Secondary close down, meaning all the characters move to Cavendish Sixth Form College.
Cavendish is set to be 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's not clear how popular mean girl and the leader of the school's Untouchables clique Ruby, played by Mimi Keene, will cope in the new surroundings.
Emma Mackey confirms she will not return to Sex Education after series fourOtis is nervous about setting up his new clinic, whilst Eric is praying they won’t be losers again. Since premiering on Netflix in 2019, Sex Education has been nominated and won multiple awards, including the top prize for Best Comedy Series for Season 3 at the 50th International Emmy Awards in 2022. Despite season four being the final series, Sex Education's creator has teased we may see more from the likes of Otis, Maeve and Adam in the future.
"We are incredibly proud of Sex Education and feel indebted to our brilliant writers, cast and crew who put so much heart into making every episode. They have worked tirelessly to bring you the final series, and we can’t wait to share it with you," creator, lead writer and executive producer, Laurie Nunn said in a letter to fans when announcing the release date.
Speaking to Netflix's Tudum outlet, Sex Education's creator Laurie admits season four isn't necessarily the last we'll see of Moordale and all our favourite characters. She said: "I’m definitely taking a break and thinking about other things. But Moordale is a really rich world, and writing about teenagers is always a lot of fun. So, I think that there’s always potential for more to be explored in that world."