Masters of Sex

Masters of Sex

Dr. William Masters

Libby Masters

Dr. Austin Langham

Betty DiMello

In real life, Masters met Virginia Johnson in 1957 when he engaged her to assist him in the research into human sexuality he had begun a few years earlier. Masters divorced his first wife, Elizabeth Ellis Masters, to marry Johnson in 1971. They were divorced in 1993. The following year, Masters retired and closed the institute. He died in 2001. Johnson died in 2013.

In the late 1990s Johnson opened the "Virginia Johnson Masters Learning Center", in Creve Coeur, Missouri, providing advice on overcoming sexual dysfunction.

They debunked Sigmund Freud's assertions about the difference between "vaginal orgasm" and "clitoral orgasm" (which he deemed "immature", proper only for pubescent girls). In their findings, the physiological response was identical.

In the introduction sequence, the quarter being inserted into the vending machine behind Michael Sheen's name says, "Quarter Dollar" under Washington's profile. This design was introduced for the "50 State Quarters" program, which began in 1999. A quarter from the time of this show, set more than 40 years earlier than this TV show, would clearly show the year of minting beneath Washington's profile.

In the 1950s, the average price of a cup of coffee was ten cents, and full meals could be purchased for around fifty cents. However, at the hospital cafeteria, actors give the cashier several dollar bills when they buy a small snack or cup of coffee and receive no change back.