Californication

By: Art

The first series of Californication is a sexy romp that follows Hank Moody (David Duchovny), the human embodiment of a rollercoaster, as he battles writer's block, the failure of his relationship with his one true love and the trials and tribulations of raising a teenage daughter.

Hank is struggling to write a follow up to his seminal first novel that was watered down into an innocuous romantic comedy ‘A Crazy Little Thing Called Love'.

Moody dulls the pain of the break-up with the traditional vices and muses of writers - alcohol and women. The series sets a cracking pace as it follows the exploits of the debaucherous Hank, his ex Karen (played by the very beautiful Natasha McElhone), her new partner Bill and his Lolita wannabe daughter Mia (Madeline Zima, who was last seen in The Nanny and seems defiant to leave all notions of innocence on the casting couch) as well as Hank’s daughter Becca and his agent Charlie.

Your enjoyment of the series will depend on a variety of factors including your prudishness, how easily you are offended (if you are prone to call tv stations and complain about the level of bad language/sex/nudity/defamation of religion you need not bother) and whether you can see Hank as the loveable yet flawed anti-hero that he truly is.

Not since Sex and the City, has a program aroused so much feeling from an audience. For particular groups it embodies society's weakened morals while for others it's a portrayal of the complexities of all facets of relationships.

From the confronting opening scene, to the hold your breath finale, the adult dramedy Californication will keep your attention. Not for the faint-hearted, but highly recommended.

Extras: Interviews with David Duchovny, Tom Kapinos, Natasha McElhone, Madeline Zima and Evan Handler. Pilot episode audio commentary with David Duchovny, Tom Kapinos and Stephen Hopkins. Limited edition DVD includes a Californication g-string. Hmmm.

Verbatim:
Hank: "You looking for a dick punch?"
Bill: "Do you want to punch me in the dick?"
Hank: "I kinda do, yeah. But standing here talking about it is beginning to sound pretty gay.”

In a word: Sexy