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''Californication'' is an American
comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
-
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
television series, created by Tom Kapinos that originally aired for seven seasons and 84 episodes on Showtime from August 13, 2007, to June 29, 2014. The show follows New Yorker Hank Moody (
David Duchovny David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He received his breakthrough with the role of Fox Mulder in The X-Files franchise, earning Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
), a troubled novelist who moves to California and suffers from writer's block. His drinking, womanizing, and drug abuse complicate his relationships with his longtime lover, Karen ( Natascha McElhone), and their daughter, Becca ( Madeleine Martin). The show's other main characters are Hank's best friend and agent Charlie Runkle ( Evan Handler) and Charlie's wife Marcy (
Pamela Adlon Pamela Adlon ( ; ; born July 9, 1966) is an American-British actress. She is known for voicing Bobby Hill in the animated comedy series ''King of the Hill'' (1997–2010), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award. She also voiced Baloo in '' Ju ...
). Recurring themes are sex, drugs, and rock and roll, all of which are featured regularly, as well as the seedier side of
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. The show won several awards, including two
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
s (nominated for two others) and one
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
(nominated for five others).


Series overview

The series revolves around Hank Moody, a novelist plagued by
alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
. He blames his longtime writer's block on reasons ranging from the
hedonism Hedonism is a family of Philosophy, philosophical views that prioritize pleasure. Psychological hedonism is the theory that all human behavior is Motivation, motivated by the desire to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. As a form of Psycholo ...
of Los Angeles to the departure of his girlfriend Karen. Hank constantly deals with the consequences of his inability to say "no" to temptation while trying to show his family that he can be a responsible, caring father to Becca and a reliable partner to Karen. The show was renewed for a second season on September 7, 2007. The season-one finale, " The Last Waltz" (in homage to
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
's
concert film A concert film or concert movie is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert, by either a musician or a Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian. Ea ...
), originally aired on Showtime on October 29, 2007. Season two began filming in April 2008, and was underway as of June 2008. The premiere episode of season two aired September 28, 2008. The first season was released on DVD in the US on June 17, 2008. Showtime renewed ''Californication'' for a third season, which premiered on Sunday September 27, 2009, at 10 pm. The show is laced with rock culture references. It frequently alludes to
Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer and songwriter. His most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner". All t ...
and featured
Henry Rollins Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, comedian, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1 ...
in a guest appearance; some episode titles, such as " Filthy Lucre", " Turn the Page", and "The Land of Rape and Honey", allude to album and song names (
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...
' " Filthy Lucre Live", Bob Seger's " Turn the Page", and Ministry's '' The Land of Rape and Honey'', respectively. "Turn the Page" was also covered by
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
; episodes "...And Justice for All" and "The Unforgiven" are named after Metallica songs). Hank's lawyer in season four is called Abby Rhoads; his first three novels, '' South of Heaven'', '' Seasons in the Abyss'', and ''
God Hates Us All ''God Hates Us All'' is the ninth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on September 11, 2001, by American Recordings (US), American Recordings. It was recorded over three months at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, and inc ...
'', are all named after
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
albums. The books ''Crack the Sky'' and ''Blood Mountain'' by Richard Bates are also the names of two
Mastodon A mastodon, from Ancient Greek μαστός (''mastós''), meaning "breast", and ὀδούς (''odoús'') "tooth", is a member of the genus ''Mammut'' (German for 'mammoth'), which was endemic to North America and lived from the late Miocene to ...
albums. ''A Crazy Little Thing Called Love'', the movie based on ''God Hates Us All'', is named after the
song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...
by the rock band
Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
from their album '' The Game''. The segment before the opening theme is the introduction to
The Stooges The Stooges or Iggy and the Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexande ...
' song "I Got a Right".


Season one

Season one (August 13 – October 29, 2007) followed Hank and the other main characters in the months leading up to Karen's planned marriage to Bill, a Los Angeles publisher. Hank wallows in self-loathing following the release of ''A Crazy Little Thing Called Love'', a drastically altered and watered-down, yet commercially popular movie adaptation of his most recent novel, ''God Hates Us All''. Hank spends most of his time drinking and not writing. One day, he picks up a young woman in a bookstore; after they have sex, he discovers that she is Bill's 16-year-old daughter Mia. Mia proceeds to harass Hank during his visits to his family. She uses the threat of illegal sex charges to extort stories from him that she passes off as her own for her high-school creative-writing class. The death of Hank's father drives Hank on an alcohol-fueled binge and a sexual encounter with Karen. After the funeral, Hank stays in New York to finish a
manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...
for a new
novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...
. Upon returning to LA, he believes the original copy to be lost when he is carjacked, but Mia had previously stolen the plot, and now she takes credit for it herself and attempts to have it published. On Karen and Bill's wedding day, Hank chooses to be unselfish and accept the situation so as not to destroy his beloved's wedding day, but that evening, as Becca and he leave the reception, Karen runs out and jumps into his car, presumably to resume their life together. On June 3, 2008, Showtime released the season-one soundtrack ''Temptation: Music from the Showtime Series ''Californication'' '', which features music from the original series. Included artists are
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
,
Peeping Tom Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. She is mainly remembere ...
,
My Morning Jacket My Morning Jacket is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Kos ...
,
The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...
, Tommy Stinson,
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
,
Harvey Danger Harvey Danger was an American indie/alternative rock band. It was formed in 1992 in Seattle, Washington, by Aaron Huffman and Jeff J. Lin, who were both journalism students at the University of Washington. Drummer Evan Sult and singer Sean N ...
, Madeleine Martin, Gus Black, Mexican institute of sound,
Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer and songwriter. His most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner". All t ...
, The Heavy, Champion, Steve Earle,
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
, and two original tracks created for the show by Tyler Bates and Tree Adams.


Season two

In season two (September 28 – December 14, 2008), Hank and Karen's relationship seems to be working out, Becca seems happy again, and their house is on the market, as they plan a move to New York. Hank gets a
vasectomy Vasectomy is an elective surgical procedure that results in male sterilization, often as a means of permanent contraception. During the procedure, the male vasa deferentia are cut and tied or sealed so as to prevent sperm from entering into ...
, and attends a party thrown by Sonja, a woman with whom he had sex in season one. A mistake and a fight with an obnoxious police officer land Hank in jail, where he meets world-famous record producer Lew Ashby, who commissions Hank to write his biography. Office masturbation costs Charlie Runkle his job. Circumstances lead him to go into the porn industry, as he becomes the agent/paternal figure of a porn star named Daisy, and spends the majority of his wife Marcy and his nest egg financing the artsy porn movie ''Vaginatown'' (a take on ''
Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...
''), starring Daisy. Marcy goes into treatment for her
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can ...
, and Charlie starts an affair with Daisy. Hank proposes to Karen on the night they discover that Hank could be the father of Sonja's child. Karen refuses his proposal, leading him to go back to his old ways and continuing the show's central focus on clandestine sexuality. Hank moves in with Ashby, who—to Hank's dismay—starts a romance with Mia. Becca finds a boyfriend named Damien. Mia's book is a hit and Ashby holds a party in her honor, where Damien cheats on Becca while Charlie announces he wants to leave Marcy for Daisy. After the party, Hank sees that Ashby's old girlfriend, the one who got away, has finally resurfaced. Hank then heads to Ashby's room, finding him with girls and cocaine. After Hank convinces him to rekindle the relationship, Ashby snorts some of what he believes is cocaine (but is actually heroin he had grabbed from a pile of drugs earlier in the party) and overdoses. Hank finishes Ashby's biography. Charlie ends up working at a
BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...
dealership in the Valley, introducing himself as Chuck Runkle. Sonja's baby arrives; it is biracial, which proves that Hank cannot be the father. Hank and Karen slowly move toward reuniting. Karen is offered a job in New York, and Hank is happy to go there with her. When Damien apologizes to Becca, though, and they reconcile, Hank decides taking Becca out of LA would be wrong, and stays there with her while Karen starts her job in New York. The season closes with Karen's plane leaving for New York City and Hank and Becca walking on the Venice boardwalk.


Season three

Season three (September 27 – December 13, 2009) began where season two ended. Key elements include Hank becoming a creative-writing teacher, and the various shenanigans he gets into when let loose on a college campus. The father/daughter relationship between Hank and Becca becomes decidedly moodier as she progresses through her teenage years. Hank keeps questioning his fathering ability as he watches his daughter become more like him than he ever wanted. He also continues to complicate his relationship with Becca's mother, his longtime love Karen, with various relationships with women of all ages. Hank's various relationships include a female student, his teaching assistant, and the dean's wife, all of whom fall for Hank. In the season finale, Hank has recurring nightmares of floating in a pool, drinking heavily while talking to his most recent conquests, who are swimming naked around him; Karen and Becca watch poolside. In reality, Mia returns to Hank's home and invites the family to the media launch of the paperback edition of her book. At the after party, Hank talks to Mia's manager, who is also her new boyfriend, who says he knows of Mia's history with Hank and offers Hank a way out by coming clean to the press about how the novel came about. Since it will affect Karen and Becca, though, Hank must decline. When they meet again, the men fight and the manager/boyfriend threatens to call the police. Hank hurries home to Karen and confesses that he slept with Mia when she was 16. Karen breaks down uncontrollably, the argument bursts onto the street, and a police car arrives as Hank is trying to calm Karen. When an officer grabs Hank from behind, Hank belts him and is bundled into the back of the car as Becca runs out to try to stop the police. The final scene shows a dream sequence of Hank in the pool again, drinking out of the bottle. He falls from his seat and drops his drink. The last shot shows Hank sinking while the bottle remains visible.


Season four

Season four (January 9, 2011 – March 27, 2011) filming began on April 19, 2010. Guest stars included Carla Gugino as Hank's lawyer Abby; Zoë Kravitz as Becca's new friend, who gets her to join Zoë's band, Queens of Dogtown; Addison Timlin as Sasha Bingham, a movie star; and
Rob Lowe Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and entertainment host. Following numerous television roles in the early 1980s, he came to prominence as a teen idol and member of the Brat Pack with starring roles in ...
as Eddy Nero, a famous actor who wants to play Hank's character in a movie. Zakk Wylde, singer and guitarist for Black Label Society and former guitarist for
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
, has a cameo as a guitar-shop employee in episode two, the title of which, "Suicide Solution", comes from the Ozzy Osbourne song.
Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sol ...
drummer
Tommy Lee Thomas Lee (born Thomas Lee Bass; October 3, 1962) is an American musician who co-founded and plays drums for the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He also founded rap metal band Methods of Mayhem and has pursued solo musical projects. Early ...
also has a cameo in the episode "Lights, Camera, Asshole", where he performs his solo version of Mötley Crüe's song "Home Sweet Home", on a piano at a bar at the end of the episode.
Michael Ealy Michael David Brown (born August 3, 1973), known professionally as Michael Ealy, is an American actor. He is known for his roles in '' Barbershop'' (2002), '' 2 Fast 2 Furious'' (2003), '' Takers'' (2010), '' Think Like a Man'' (2012), '' Abou ...
played a new love interest for Karen in four episodes, and Madeline Zima returned as Mia for four episodes. The story picks up 72 hours after Hank is arrested at the end of season three, and revolves around Hank's thoroughly destroyed life. His secrets have come to light; the world knows that he penned ''Fucking & Punching,'' and that he slept with the
underage In law, a minor is someone under a certain age, usually the age of majority, which demarcates an underage individual from legal adulthood. The age of majority depends upon jurisdiction and application, but it is commonly 18. ''Minor'' may also ...
Mia. Karen is disgusted and Becca is disappointed, so Hank goes to live at a hotel. Season four follows his new legal troubles, such as his lawyer's attempts to get him acquitted of
statutory rape In common law jurisdictions, statutory rape is nonforcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent (the age required to legally consent to the behaviour). Although it usually refers to adults engaging in sex ...
charges, plus the development of a film adaptation of "Fucking & Punching" and his sexual involvement with Sasha and Abby. Other developing storylines include Charlie learning his vasectomy may have been botched, Marcy moving in with a movie producer and learning she is pregnant by Charlie, Becca joining an all-female rock band, and Karen finding a new boyfriend. On January 11, 2011, the season-four soundtrack was released. Exclusive tracks include Tommy Lee's solo version of "Home Sweet Home" and three rock covers from the show's on-screen band Queens of Dogtown. Other artists on the soundtrack are Shooter Jennings and Hierophant, Eagles of Death Metal, Better Than Ezra, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult,
Monster Magnet Monster Magnet is an American rock music, rock band formed in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (musician), John McBain (guitar), and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums). The band has since undergone severa ...
vs. Adrian Young, Cracker, The Soundtrack of Our Lives,
Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer and songwriter. His most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner". All t ...
, and Gregory Alan Isakov. The soundtrack was co-produced by Nora Felder and Budd Carr, the show's music supervisors.


Season five

The show returned to Showtime for its fifth season on January 8, 2012. Creator Tom Kapinos stated the show needed to take a completely new direction to stay fresh. The narrative takes place 2 years and 9 months after season four, almost at the end of Hank's probation. Hank has since made New York his home, but he returns to Los Angeles for a short, business-related visit. His family issues end up extending it. Karen is married to Professor Bates, 19-year-old Becca is in college and has a new boyfriend, and Marcy is married to Stu Beggs, sharing the custody of her son Stuart with Charlie. Hank meets with rapper-turned-actor Samurai Apocalypse ( RZA), who wants Hank to write a screenplay for a movie starring Samurai. Hank originally turns down the job but eventually ends up writing ''Santa Monica Cop'' because he needs the money. Hank has a hard time working with Samurai, and their strained relationship leads to some unpleasant situations. Hank is disgusted with Hollywood after his book ''God Hates Us All'' was adapted into a movie that he hated so is not thrilled with the prospect of working on another movie.


Season six

Season 6 premiered on January 13, 2013. Its storyline revolves around Hank's relationship with Faith (played by Maggie Grace), whom he meets in a rehabilitation facility, in parallel with Hank's artistic participation in the music industry. Initially, Hank reluctantly agrees to rehab, not because of a drug dependency, but rather because of depression over his role in ex-girlfriend Carrie's suicide at the end of season five. After being dumped by him, Carrie, emotionally devastated, drugs Hank and herself, but Hank is the only one who awakes, making him lose control over his alcoholism for feeling deeply guilty. At this point, Hank's family and best friends intervene, sending him to rehab. Faith is a famous rockstar groupie/muse who is in rehab dealing with the recent death of a rockstar with whom she was involved, ultimately becoming Hank's muse. Faith and Hank seem to be made for each other, as they take off in a bus to follow a tour of Atticus Fetch (played by
Tim Minchin Timothy David Minchin Order of Australia#Levels of membership, AM (born 7 October 1975) is an Australian comedian, actor, writer, musician, poet, composer, and songwriter. Minchin has released six CDs, five DVDs, and live comedy shows that he ...
), a rockstar who recruits Hank to write for him during the season, but in the end, Hank is too weak to move on from Karen, and though their relationship apparently has run its course, he leaves Faith and goes back to see Karen.


Season seven

Production for the seventh season began in 2013. In December 2013, Showtime announced that ''Californication'' would end its run after the seventh season.
Mary Lynn Rajskub Mary Lynn Rajskub () is an American actress and comedian who is best known for portraying Chloe O'Brian in the action thriller series '' 24'' and Gail the Snail in ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia''. Rajskub was a regular cast member on HBO' ...
plays a neurotic writer, whom Charlie Runkle takes on as a client.
Michael Imperioli Michael Imperioli (born March 26, 1966) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO crime drama series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), which earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Suppor ...
plays Rick Rath, a television producer for whom Hank begins to work. On June 4, 2013, actress Mercedes Masohn announced that she would have a guest role as Amy Taylor Walsh, a TV star whose plea for Hank's help ends up putting him in an uncomfortable, compromising position. Amy apparently has ties to a season-four character, Sasha Bingham. Roger Howarth plays Karen's yoga teacher. Oliver Cooper plays Levon, Hank's son from a previous relationship; Heather Graham plays Julia, Levon's mother. Comedian
Jim Florentine James Bernard Florentine (born August 18, 1964) is an American comedian, actor, author, and television personality. He is best known for co-hosting '' That Metal Show'' on VH1 Classic and voicing several characters on '' Crank Yankers'', incl ...
plays a pimp, and Rob Lowe reprises his role as movie star Eddie Nero.


Cast and characters


Main

* Henry James "Hank" Moody (
David Duchovny David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He received his breakthrough with the role of Fox Mulder in The X-Files franchise, earning Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
) is an erratic but esteemed writer who frequently becomes embroiled in bizarre, scandalous situations. One reviewer likens Moody's character to that of writer
Charles Bukowski Henry Charles Bukowski ( ; born Heinrich Karl Bukowski, ; August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994) was a German Americans, German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural, and economic ambien ...
. In the fourth season, his daughter, Becca, notes that he behaves like a "poor man's Bukowski". Similarly, in a flashback scene to the night they met, his girlfriend Karen calls him Bukowski. Charles Bukowski's main creation was the semibiographical Henry 'Hank' Chinaski, who was also an alcoholic writer struggling in LA. * Karen Van Der Beek ( Natascha McElhone) is Hank's long-term, on-and-off girlfriend and mother of his daughter. She is an interior designer and an architect. * Rebecca "Becca" Moody ( Madeleine Martin) is Hank and Karen's daughter. She is 12 years old at the start of season one. (main, seasons 1–6 and 7 pisodes 11–12 * Charles Wolfgang "Charlie" Runkle ( Evan Handler) is Hank's agent and best friend. * Marcy Runkle (
Pamela Adlon Pamela Adlon ( ; ; born July 9, 1966) is an American-British actress. She is known for voicing Bobby Hill in the animated comedy series ''King of the Hill'' (1997–2010), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award. She also voiced Baloo in '' Ju ...
) is Charlie's wife, later ex-wife, then wife again, with whom he has a son, Stu. (recurring, season one; main, seasons two-seven) * Mia Lewis (Mia Cross as her pen name) ( Madeline Zima) is Bill Lewis' teenage daughter. In the show's pilot, Hank has a one-night stand with her, oblivious to her age and identity. Her pen name is Mia Cross (play on Cross pens). (main, seasons one-two; guest, seasons three-four)


Recurring

* Bill Lewis ( Damian Young) is Karen's ex-fiancé, Mia's father, and Hank's nemesis in season one. (seasons one, four) * Meredith ( Amy Price-Francis) is a friend of Charlie and Marcy's, who is introduced to Hank in the show's pilot. Hank and she have a short relationship. (season one) * Todd Carr ( Chris Williams) is the director of ''A Crazy Little Thing Called Love'', the movie adaptation of Hank's novel ''God Hates Us All.'' (seasons one, four) * Sonja (
Paula Marshall Paula Marshall (born June 12, 1964) is an American actress. Career In 1990, Marshall had a guest role as Iris West, the love interest of Flash (Barry Allen) in the pilot episode on ''The Flash''. In 1991, she guest-starred on ''Superboy'' with ...
) is a friend of Karen's. She has a brief affair with Hank. (seasons one-two) * Michelle (Surfer Girl) ( Michelle Lombardo) is Hank's friend, and on at least two occasions, lover. (seasons one-two) * Beatrice (Trixie) (
Judy Greer Judith Therese Evans (born July 20, 1975), known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress who has appeared in Judy Greer filmography, a wide variety of films. She rose to prominence for ...
) is Hank's prostitute friend. (seasons one-two, four-five) * Dani ( Rachel Miner) is an ambitious agent who was formerly Charlie's assistant. They had a brief affair. (seasons one-two) * Lew Ashby (
Callum Keith Rennie Callum Keith Rennie (born 14 September 1960) is a Canadian actor, based in British Columbia. His breakthrough role was as punk rocker Billy Tallent in the music mockumentary ''Hard Core Logo'' (1996), followed by a starring role as Det. Stanle ...
) is a record producer who comes to Hank with a book deal, to write his biography. The character is believed to be based on the real-life producer Rick Rubin, and the scenes in Ashby's house were actually filmed in Rubin's house. (main; season two, recurring; seasons five-six) * Janie Jones ( Mädchen Amick) is Lew Ashby's long-lost love. (season two) * Daisy ( Carla Gallo) is a porn star, Charlie's client, and later his extramarital lover. (seasons two-three) * Ronny Praeger ( Hal Ozsan) is a porn director and Charlie's business partner in the ''Vaginatown'' project. (season two) * Julian ( Angus MacFadyen) is Hank's season-two nemesis, and Sonja's husband and spiritual guru. He is the author of ''The Artist Within''. (season two) * Damien Patterson ( Ezra Miller) is Becca's boyfriend, son of her English teacher, Mrs. Patterson (season two). * Mrs. Patterson ( Justine Bateman) is Damien's mother and Becca's English teacher. Hank and she engage in a brief affair. (season two) * Stacey Koons ( Peter Gallagher) is the dean of the college where Hank teaches. Hank once teasingly called him
Dean Koontz Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as thriller (genre), suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror fiction, horror, fantasy, science fiction, Mystery fiction, mystery, and sati ...
. (season three) * Felicia Koons ( Embeth Davidtz) is married to Dean Koons and a teacher at the college. Hank and she engage in a brief affair. (season three) * Chelsea Koons ( Ellen Woglom) is Becca's best friend and the daughter of Hank's bosses, Felicia and Stacey Koons. (season three) * Richard Bates ( Jason Beghe) is Karen's old professor and later husband in season five. Bates had published ''Blood Mountain'', to which Stu Beggs bought the rights to turn into a movie. (seasons three, five-six) * Jill Robinson (
Diane Farr Diane Farr (born September 7, 1969) is an American actress, producer, and writer. Her television roles have included FBI agent Megan Reeves in '' Numb3rs'', the firefighter Laura Miles in '' Rescue Me'', and the division chief Sharon Leone in ...
) is Hank's
teaching assistant A teaching assistant (TA) or education assistant (EA) is an individual who assists a professor or teacher with instructional responsibilities. TAs include ''graduate teaching assistants'' (GTAs), who are graduate students; ''undergraduate teach ...
. They engage in a brief affair. (season three) * Jackie ( Eva Amurri) is Hank's student, who moonlights as a stripper. They engage in a brief affair. (season three) * Sue Collini (
Kathleen Turner Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an American actress. Known for her distinctive deep husky voice, she is the recipient of two Golden Globes, as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy, and two Tony Awards. After debuting ...
) is Charlie's boss and occasional sex partner. (season three) * Abby Rhodes ( Carla Gugino) is Hank's lawyer. Besides business, Hank and she have a short relationship. (season four) * Stu Beggs ( Stephen Tobolowsky) is a movie producer and Marcy's boyfriend and later husband. (seasons four-seven) * Sasha Bingham ( Addison Timlin) is an actress scheduled to portray Mia in Hank's upcoming movie. Hank and she engage in a brief affair. (season four) * Eddie Nero (
Rob Lowe Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and entertainment host. Following numerous television roles in the early 1980s, he came to prominence as a teen idol and member of the Brat Pack with starring roles in ...
) is an actor set to portray Hank in his upcoming movie. (seasons four-seven) * Pearl ( Zoë Kravitz) is the vocalist for the Queens of Dogtown, the band in which Becca plays guitar. (season four) * Ben (
Michael Ealy Michael David Brown (born August 3, 1973), known professionally as Michael Ealy, is an American actor. He is known for his roles in '' Barbershop'' (2002), '' 2 Fast 2 Furious'' (2003), '' Takers'' (2010), '' Think Like a Man'' (2012), '' Abou ...
) is Pearl's father and Karen's love interest. (season four) * Peggy (Melissa Stephens) is Charlie's realtor and occasional sex partner. (season four) * Carrie ( Natalie Zea) is Hank's girlfriend in New York. (seasons five-six) * Kali ( Meagan Good) is a singer and Samurai Apocalypse's former lover. Hank and she meet on a plane flight to LA and immediately hit it off. Later, they engage in a brief affair. (season five) * Samurai Apocalypse ( RZA) is a rapper-turned-actor, and a business associate of Hank's. (season five) * Tyler ( Scott Michael Foster) is Becca's boyfriend, disliked by both Hank and Richard. (season five) * Lizzie ( Camilla Luddington) is the nanny of Marcy and Charlie's son, and later becomes Charlie's occasional sex partner. (season five) * Atticus Fetch (
Tim Minchin Timothy David Minchin Order of Australia#Levels of membership, AM (born 7 October 1975) is an Australian comedian, actor, writer, musician, poet, composer, and songwriter. Minchin has released six CDs, five DVDs, and live comedy shows that he ...
) is a rockstar writing a musical with Hank. His name is a play on Atticus Finch from ''
To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a 1960 Southern Gothic novel by American author Harper Lee. It became instantly successful after its release; in the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' ...
.'' (season six) * Faith ( Maggie Grace) is a famous rockstar
groupie A groupie is a fan of a particular musical group who follows the band around while they are on tour or who attends as many of their public appearances as possible, with the hope of meeting them. The term is used mostly describing young women, a ...
, who makes an emotional connection with Hank. (season six) * Ophelia Robins ( Maggie Wheeler) is Marcy's man-hating spiritual guide. (season six) * Krull ( Steve Jones) is Atticus Fetch's bodyguard. (seasons six-seven) * Trudy ( Alanna Ubach) is the widow of Atticus Fetch's former guitarist, with whom Faith was involved until his death and prior to meeting Hank. Hank and Charlie both engage in brief affairs with her. (season six) * Levon ( Oliver Cooper) is Hank's alleged son from a previous relationship. (season seven) * Rick Rath (
Michael Imperioli Michael Imperioli (born March 26, 1966) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO crime drama series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), which earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Suppor ...
) is an old-school TV producer and former writer. (season seven) * Julia ( Heather Graham) is Hank's ex-girlfriend and Levon's mother. (season seven) * Goldie (
Mary Lynn Rajskub Mary Lynn Rajskub () is an American actress and comedian who is best known for portraying Chloe O'Brian in the action thriller series '' 24'' and Gail the Snail in ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia''. Rajskub was a regular cast member on HBO' ...
) is Hank's co-worker and Charlie's new client. (season seven)


Guest stars

* Amber Heard plays herself, an actress on the set of ''A Crazy Little Thing Called Love''. (S01) *
Pete Wentz Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979) is an American musician who is the bassist and lyricist for the rock band Fall Out Boy. Before the band's formation in 2001, Wentz was a fixture of the Chicago hardcore scene and was the lead si ...
has a cameo as a guest at Mia's party. (S02) *
Henry Rollins Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, comedian, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1 ...
has a cameo as a radio personality who interviews Hank. (S01) *
Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...
plays a depraved version of himself. (S03) *
Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He was a two-time Academy Award nominee, both for acting and screenwriting, and a two-time Golden Globe Award winner for his a ...
plays himself as Sue Collini's first client. (S03) * Zakk Wylde has a cameo as a Guitar Center employee. (S04) * Fisher Stevens is Zig Semetauer, a potential investor for the movie adaption of "Fucking & Punching". (S04) *
Tommy Lee Thomas Lee (born Thomas Lee Bass; October 3, 1962) is an American musician who co-founded and plays drums for the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He also founded rap metal band Methods of Mayhem and has pursued solo musical projects. Early ...
has a short cameo as himself. (S04) *
Peter Berg Peter Berg (born March 11, 1964) is an American director, producer, writer, and actor. His directorial film works include the black comedy '' Very Bad Things'' (1998), the action comedy '' The Rundown'' (2003), the sports drama '' Friday Night ...
plays himself in one scene, where he ends up fighting with Hank. (S05) *
Drea de Matteo Andrea Donna de Matteo (born January 19, 1972) is an American actress who is best known for her role as Adriana La Cerva on the television drama ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2006), for which she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sup ...
plays a stripper who has sex with Richard, Karen's then-husband. (S05) * Sebastian Bach has a cameo as the dead rockstar. (S06) *
Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...
plays himself, a friend of Atticus Fetch's. (S06) * Artie Lange plays himself, an AA member. (S06) * Alonzo Bodden plays Alonzo, a comedian. (S07)


Reception


Critical response

The critical reaction for the first season of ''Californication'' has been generally favorable, with a weighted average score on
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
of 72 out of 100 based on 23 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". American critic Nathan Rabin, though, gave the season an "F" rating on '' The A.V. Club'', calling it "insufferable".


Ratings

The season finale of the show's second season, on December 14, 2008, drew 615,000 viewers, with a combined total of 937,000 for the evening, retaining less than 50% of its lead-in from the season-three finale of '' Dexter''. Season three steadily gained viewership, and the show was quickly picked up for a fourth season by Showtime.


Awards and nominations

The show and the lead actor, David Duchovny, were both nominated for Golden Globes in 2007; Duchovny won the lead actor award, but the award for best TV series in this category went to '' Extras''.
American Cinema Editors Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editing, film editors who are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the ...
(ACE) * 2007: Best Edited Half-Hour Television Series (for " Hell-A Woman", nominated) BAFTA TV Awards *
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
: Best International Programme (nominated) Casting Society of America * 2007: Outstanding Casting — Television Pilot: Comedy (nominated) * 2008: Outstanding Casting — Television Series — Comedy (nominated)
Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
* 2008: Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series (nominated) * 2008: Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series ( Peter Levy, for "
Pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
", won) * 2009: Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series (nominated) * 2009: Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series (Michael Weaver, for "In Utero", won)
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
*
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
: Best Actor – Musical or Comedy Series (Duchovny as Hank Moody, won) * 2007: Best Series – Musical or Comedy (nominated) *
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
: Best Actor – Musical or Comedy Series (Duchovny as Hank Moody, nominated) *2008: Best Series – Musical or Comedy (nominated) *
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
: Best Actor – Musical or Comedy Series (Duchovny as Hank Moody, nominated) *
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
: Best Actor – Musical or Comedy Series (Duchovny as Hank Moody, nominated) PGA Awards * 2010: Producer of the Year Award in Episodic Television — Comedy (Kapinos, Duchovny, Fattore, Dyer, Fusaro nominated) Prism Awards * 2009: Comedy Episode (for "The Raw & the Cooked", nominated) Satellite Awards *
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
: Best Actor – Musical or Comedy Series (
David Duchovny David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He received his breakthrough with the role of Fox Mulder in The X-Files franchise, earning Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
as Hank Moody, nominated)
Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
*
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series (Duchovny as Hank Moody, nominated) Telekamery Tele Tygodnia * 2010: Nomination for Best Foreign Television Series


Lawsuit

The
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
filed a lawsuit on November 19, 2007, against Showtime Networks over the name of the series, which is also the name of the band's 1999
album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
and
hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single, or simply hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record'' ...
. They state in the lawsuit that the series "constitutes a false designation of origin, and has caused and continues to cause a likelihood of confusion, mistake, and deception as to source, sponsorship, affiliation, and/or connection in the minds of the public". Pointing to Dani California, a character who appears in both the series and three songs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (including "Californication"), as well as confusion when shopping for their album and that of the series soundtrack, the lawsuit asks for unspecified damages, and requests that a new name be found for the show. Showtime Networks argued that the band did not in fact create the term Californication. They point out that the term appeared in print in ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine in 1972, in an article called ''The Great Wild Californicated West'', while show producer Tom Kapinos cites the inspiration as coming from a bumper sticker he saw in the '70s that read ''Don't Californicate Oregon''. Canadian art-rock band the Rheostatics released an album called '' Whale Music'' in 1992, with a song called "California Dreamline". In this song, the word Californication appears in the phrase "Californication, spooning in the dry sand". Kim Walker, head of intellectual property at Pinsent Masons, states that the band should have registered Californication as a
trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...
. Instead, the only application for such was filed in April 2007 in the US, by Showtime. The mark has not yet been registered. Walker has also stated: In the United States, character names and titles of works are only subject to trademark protection, not copyright protection. According to an article on Hollywood news site ''
TheWrap ''TheWrap'' is an American online news organization that covers the business of entertainment and media. It was founded by journalist Sharon Waxman in 2009 and is based in Los Angeles. The site features original reporting, analysis, and editor ...
'' in 2011, the lawsuit was settled out of court.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Californication (Tv Series) 2007 American television series debuts 2000s American comedy-drama television series 2000s American satirical television series 2000s American sex comedy television series 2014 American television series endings 2010s American comedy-drama television series 2010s American satirical television series 2010s American sex comedy television series American English-language television shows Nudity in television Showtime (TV network) television dramas Television series about show business Television series by CBS Studios Television shows about writers Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Television shows set in Los Angeles