Californication

I can't talk about this show enough. It's just genius. I mean, it's so good it survived 75% of the advertisers pulling off after the pilot because of all the boycotts these sad little organizations were doing. It also survived a lawsuit by Red Hot Chilli Peppers on some crap about the name of their song and the name of the series.

Well, Californication got nominated to 2 golden globes and won one even though it's a series that doesn't cover a big age range. I'm just afraid Hollywood will screw up as it always does and pull the show off the air.

So, I'm telling you people, watch the the first episode and you'll know what you're missing. This series is a gem.

This has to be one of the best written shows in years. It has so much going on and generally speaking, this is a recipe for disaster. The name tells you this is going to be about sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, and it is. It is also about love, tenderness, trying to keep kids from growing up too fast, dissatisfaction with life and settling for what you think you want.

The dialog pacing is flawless and the humor timing is spot on. Things come at you out of nowhere, delivered in Duchovney's signature deadpan to great effect here. The writing does credit to the English language, albeit it well salted and peppered with expletives. The very best part of this show is that the characters felt well fleshed out from the first 5 minutes and they have continued to feel real. The relationships in the story line are valid and authentic.

In short, it just gets better and better. I find myself watching one of the rebroadcasts nearly every evening and enjoying it more each time.

Duchovny is perfectly cast here as Hank Moody, and delivers his witty and wry lines with tongue firmly implanted in his cheek. Playing a talented but dysfunctional writer in the middle of a mid-life crisis, Duchovny's character is spot on. He can't pass a whiskey glass or a skirt and they even throw in a Porche for him to drive, in case your mind drifts. Only this is his mid-life crisis so we can laugh at it. It's OK. Natascha McElhone, having survived the Hungarian Revolution on The Company, gets to do something fun this time. This is good. She's both talented and HOT!

I laughed pretty much through the entire first episode and I'm looking forward to just how badly Moody...yeah, a guy having a mid-life crisis named Moody...can screw up his life this season.

I am so IN!

From its controversial opening scene to its excellent finale, the first episode of "Californication" sets the tone for the series. Stylishly directed by the always-reliable Stephen Hopkins, the pilot is thoroughly entertaining adult comedy. Watching the first episode reminded me a little of a modern Blake Edwards' production.

The cast are excellent, especially David Duchovny as the seedy Hank Moody, a man whose mid-life crisis is on display for all to see, from his Porsche to his constant bed-hopping.

The script is sharp and the whole show exudes quality.

Recommended.

I can't remember when I laughed so steadily from start to finish of a new show. Family Guy? Perhaps. In Californication Showtime has one of its strongest hits . . . ever. The writing is bitingly crisp, intelligent and fresh. Duchovny's delivery has the timing of a master comic actor and his portrayal of Hank is winning. As with the very best of comedies, beneath the bubbly surface of Californication is a show that in a single episode reveals richly drawn characters of depth and purpose. Hank's lecherousness, womanizing, wry wit and in-your-face bluntness succeed only partially in covering up a complex (or perhaps merely complicated?) man who appears to be facing all of his mid life crisis's at once. Every note in this comic symphony was perfectly struck and I look forward to getting to know Hank - and the rest of his gang - better as the weeks go by. Bravo Showtime!