Californication - The First Season [2007] [DVD]

Some people go all through their career without managing to land even one memorable role. Thanks to Californication, David Duchovny has now chalked up two. Yet Hank Moody is as far removed from The X-Files’ Fox Mulder as you can pretty much get. That’s because Moody is a successful author, only one with a real eye for the opposite sex. He’s a man caught in the midst of a troubled life, on one hand a father, on the other dabbling with the odd drink (to put it mildly). And it’s the complexity of the character that Duchovny clearly has a ball with, lifting Californication into must-see territory in the process.

A real show out of nowhere, Californication though has so much more going for it. The scripts veer between very funny moments and areas that other shows wouldn’t go anywhere near, while the supporting cast do ably up their game to keep up with the leading man.

The full first season of Californication is presented here, and it’s fair to say it leaves you salivating for more. An individual, entertaining and very funny show, this is one of those occasions where the hype surrounding a programme is there to be believed. Don’t miss it. --Jon Foster

David Duchovny (The X Files) returns to our screens in the hilariously dark new comedy series, Californication. Bachelor Hank Moody (Duchovny) has almost got it made: he's a sexy, best-selling author, but his insatiable appetite for beautiful women often lands him in hot water. Every day, Hank finds himself in bed with another woman and two steps back from his ultimate goal – restoring his family. He wouldn’t mind reviving his writing career either, but as a part-time dad juggling his wild LA lifestyle with grown-up responsibilities, this "devil may care" writer is at a loss for words. From the very first episode, Hank sets the tone for the whole series. We meet him first in a church asking Jesus to help him get his life back on track, but he gets distracted by a hot nun, which turns out to be a dream that is representative of his lifestyle – he then goes on to have sex with a woman who is cheating on her enraged husband and a 16 year-old girl who he thinks is in college. This clever comedy also stars Natascha McElhone (Solaris) as Hank's ex-girlfriend, Madeleine Martin as Becca, his wise-beyond-her-years 12 year-old daughter and Evan Handler (Sex And The City)as Charlie, Hank's best friend and agent.

Subtitles: English, English for the Hearing Impaired.