"Californication" (2007) TV series 2007-????

User Rating:

8.7/10   

Creator:

Tom Kapinos

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Hank Moody... No man is more committed to a midlife crisis.

Plot:

A writer tries to juggle his career, his relationship with his daughter and his ex-girlfriend, as well as his appetite for beautiful women.

Plot Keywords:

Male Female Relationship | Female Nudity | Family Relationships | Sex | One Word Title

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 11 nominations

Cast

David Duchovny	...	Hank Moody (25 episodes, 2007-2009)
Natascha McElhone	...	Karen (25 episodes, 2007-2009)
Madeleine Martin	...	Becca Moody / ... (25 episodes, 2007-2009)
Evan Handler	...	Charlie Runkle / ... (25 episodes, 2007-2009)
Madeline Zima	...	Mia Lewis / ... (24 episodes, 2007-2008)
Pamela Adlon	...	Marcy Runkle / ... (20 episodes, 2007-2008)
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Lew Ashby (12 episodes, 2008)
Rachel Miner	...	Dani (12 episodes, 2007-2008)
Ellen Woglom	...	Chelsea Koons (11 episodes, 2009)

Also Known As:

"Untitled David Duchovny Series" (USA) (working title)
"Untitled Tom Kapinos Project" (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | USA:TV-MA | UK:15 (some episodes) | UK:18 (some episodes) | Netherlands:16 | Hungary:16 | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Aggressive Mediocrity

Trivia:

The names of Hank Moody's books ('South of Heaven', 'Seasons in the Abyss', and 'God Hates Us All') are all names of albums by the metal band Slayer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Anna Faris/Duffy (#34.3)" (2008)

One of the five greatest shows of all time.

It's one of the five greatest shows I've ever seen. The writing is absolutely perfect and does a great job with both the comedic and dramatic scenes. David Duchovny's Hank Moody is one of the finest characters ever put to the silver screen and his performance is really what makes the show just so damn enjoyable to watch. The sex scenes were hilarious, and the entire story with Charlie (Moody's agent played by Evan Handler) and his secretary (Bully's Rachel Miner) started off very hot as they indulge in a Secretary-esquire relationship and then got hilarious once they started having a threesome with Charlie's wife Marcy (the hilarious Pamela Adlon) and his nipple gets ripped off and then Marcy actually sleeping with the secretary on her own.

And then, of course, there was the squirting scene when Charlie and Hank have a threesome with a girl they meet at the gym and things get...very wet. So perfectly handled to make the final result gut-bustingly hilarious.

But what holds the show together so wonderfully is the perfect balance of Moody's crazy sex life and the hilarious suplots of his agent with Hank's attempt to get the woman he loves back and try to raise his daughter right. Hank was in love with Karen, they had a kid, never got married and broke up. She's now dating the douchebag Bill and planning to get married. Natascha McElhone plays Karen with an excellent blend of deeply emotional work and an adorable, comedic touch that makes the audience understand why Hank is just so madly in love with her. Their child, Becca, is played by the very young Madeleine Martin with a level of grace and maturity that is incredibly surprising for her age. She hits the comedic notes perfectly but also knows how to deliver some great dramatic work.

Rounding off this pitch-perfect cast is Madeline Zima as Bill's teenage daughter, Mia. We first meet her when Hank picks her up at a book store (not knowing her age) and takes her back to his place for some good ol' fashioned sex. And then, just as he's about to finish, she punches him in the face. And does it again. The shock of this is only increased when we learn later in the episode that she is the 16 year old daughter of the man Hank's love is currently sleeping with. Over the course of the season Zima turns Mia into an absolute bitch who we, although I've always disliked this phrase, love to hate.

It's an absolutely marvelous, unique show that hits every single note perfectly thanks largely to the flawless cast and the expert writing.