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| Californication | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Created by | Tom Kapinos |
| Starring | David Duchovny Natascha McElhone Pamela Adlon Madeleine Martin Evan Handler and Madeline Zima |
| Opening theme | "Main Title Theme From Californication" by Tree Adams & Tyler Bates |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 36 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | David Duchovny Tom Kapinos Stephen Hopkins |
| Location(s) | California |
| Running time | Approximately 28 minutes per episode |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Showtime |
| Original run | August 13, 2007 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Contents |
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Californication - The 1st Season | June 17, 2008 | 12 | This two-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 1. Bonus features include commentaries on the pilot, biographies of the 5 main actors and 16 photos from the show. Showtime has also provided four downloadable episodes, two from Dexter Season 2 and two from The Tudors Season 2. |
| Californication - The 2nd Season | August 25, 2009 | 12 | This two-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 2. Bonus features include interviews with cast members and Marcie's Waxing Salon. Showtime has also provided four downloadable episodes, one from The United States of Tara Season 1 and three from The Tudors Season 3. |
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Californication - The 1st Season | June 16, 2008 | 12 | This two-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 1. The bonus features in the UK release included an audio commentary of the pilot episode, as well as interviews with the cast and director. |
| Californication - The 2nd Season | August 10, 2009 | 12 | This three-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 2. Bonus features include interviews with the cast and the show’s writer Tom Kapinos and a never-before-seen featurette. |
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Californication - The 1st Season | June 18, 2008 | 12 | This two-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 1. Bonus features include commentaries on the pilot, as well as interviews with the cast. |
| Californication - The 2nd Season | August 18, 2009 | 12 | This three-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 2. Bonus features include "Heart, Balls & Swagger" Interviews, Name That Girl, Marcy's Wax Salon, "Caliwood" Bubble Map, Cast Bios and Filmographies and a Photo Gallery. |
"Successful songs, albums and movies can become brands in themselves. What's really surprising is how few songs and albums are properly protected," said Walker. "The Chili Peppers could almost certainly have registered a trade mark for 'Californication', notwithstanding Time's article. They made the word famous, but it doesn't automatically follow that they can stop its use in a TV show." "If they had registered the title as a trade mark covering entertainment services, I very much doubt we'd have seen a lawsuit. The TV show would have been called something else," he said. "As it is, the band faces an uphill struggle.[17]"
| Californication | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Created by | Tom Kapinos |
| Starring |
David Duchovny Natascha McElhone Pamela Adlon Madeleine Martin Evan Handler Madeline Zima |
| Opening theme | "Main Title Theme From Californication" by Tree Adams & Tyler Bates |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 36 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
David Duchovny Tom Kapinos Stephen Hopkins |
| Location(s) | California |
| Running time | Approximately 28 minutes per episode |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Showtime |
| Original run | August 13, 2007 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Californication is an American comedy-drama that premiered on Showtime on August 13, 2007. The show was created by Tom Kapinos. The protagonist, Hank Moody (David Duchovny), is a troubled novelist whose move to California, coupled with his writer's block, complicates his relationships with his long time girlfriend Karen (Natascha McElhone) and daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin). Californication's other main characters are Charlie Runkle (Evan Handler), Marcy Runkle (Pamela Adlon), and Mia Cross (Madeline Zima). The show has been nominated and won several awards, including winning one Emmy Award (nominated for two others) and one Golden Globe Award (nominated for three others). Californication has aired for three complete seasons. Due to strong ratings for the third season premiere, Showtime renewed the show early for a fourth season.[1] Season four began filming in April 2010 and will premiere January 10, 2011 at 9:00PM Central Time.[2] [3]
Contents |
The series revolves around Hank Moody, a charming ladies' man of a writer and novelist plagued by personal demons. He blames his years-long case of writer's block on a variety of reasons, ranging from the hedonism of Los Angeles to his girlfriend Karen leaving him. Hank constantly deals with the consequences of his lack of will to say "no" to available drugs, sex and alcohol, while trying to show his family that he can be a good, responsible caring father to Becca and a monogamous partner to Karen.
The show was renewed for a second season on September 7, 2007.[4] The season 1 finale, titled "The Last Waltz", originally aired on Showtime on October 29, 2007. Season 2 began filming in April 2008,[5] and was underway as of June 2008.[6] The premiere episode of season 2 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,[7] which premiered on Sunday September 27, 2009 at 10PM.
Season 1 (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 is wallowing deep in self-loathing following the release of A Crazy Little Thing Called Love, which he perceives as a low-quality (yet commercially popular) movie adaptation of his most recent novel, God Hates Us All.[8]
After picking up a younger woman in a bookstore and eventually having sex with her, Hank finds out that she is actually Bill's 16-year-old daughter, Mia. Hank spends most of his time drinking and not writing. Meanwhile, Mia continues to harass Hank during his visits to his family. She uses the threat of exposing his illegal sex with her as leverage 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 triggers an alcohol-fueled binge and a sexual encounter with Karen.
After his father's funeral, Hank stays in New York to finish a manuscript for a new novella. However, upon returning to L.A., he believes the original copy to be lost when he is carjacked. Mia, however, had previously copied the original and takes credit for it herself. On Karen and Bill's wedding day, Hank chooses to accept the way things are; but, as he leaves the reception with his daughter Becca, Karen runs out and jumps into his car, presumably to re-start their life together.
In Season 2 (September 28-December 14, 2008), the newly reunited couple of Hank and Karen seems to be working out, their house is on the market, and Becca seems happy again. Hank gets a vasectomy and attends a party invited by Sonja, a woman he had sex with in Season 1. A mistake and a fight with an obnoxious police officer lands Hank in jail, where he meets Lew Ashby, world-famous record producer, who commissions Hank to write his biography.
Charlie loses his job because of masturbating in his office several times and becomes the paternal figure and agent of a porn star named Daisy. Charlie decides to get into the porn industry and finances the porn movie Vaginatown, starring Daisy. Marcy goes into rehab for her cocaine addiction, and Charlie starts an affair with Daisy. Hank proposes to Karen on the night they discover Hank could be the father of Sonja's child, and Karen says, "No". Karen decides she and Hank can't be together, leading Hank to go back to his old ways and continuing the show's centrality on clandestine sexuality.
Hank moves in with Ashby, who starts a romance with Mia (much to Hank's dismay). Becca finds a boyfriend named Damien. Mia's book becomes a hit; and Ashby holds a party in its honor, where Damien cheats on Becca and Charlie decides to divorce Marcy to get together with Daisy. After the party, Hank sees that Ashby's old girlfriend (The One That Got Away) has finally showed up to see Lew. When Hank goes upstairs to get him, Ashby dies after snorting heroin, which he had mistaken for cocaine.
Hank finishes Ashby's biography. Charlie ends up working in a BMW dealership in the Valley. Sonja's baby is born and is biracial, making it clear that Hank cannot be the father. Hank and Karen are slowly starting to get together again. Karen is offered a job in New York; and Hank is happy to go back to New York with her; but, when Damien apologizes to Becca and the two get back together again, Hank decides it would be wrong to take Becca out of Los Angeles. He decides to stay, while Karen starts her job in New York. The season closes with Karen's plane leaving for New York and Hank and Becca walking on the Venice boardwalk.
Season 3 (September 27-December 13, 2009)[7] began where Season 2 ended, with the key elements including Hank becoming a teacher, his ongoing relationship with his daughter Becca, and the various shenanigans he gets into when he is set loose on a college campus.
The focus of Hank's relationship with Becca moved from friendly to inherently more moody as she progresses through her teenage years. Hank continued his battle with his inability as a father as he watched his daughter become more like him than he wanted. This was mixed with various relationships with women of differing ages that complicated his relationship with his long-time love Karen.
In the season finale, Hank has recurring nightmares in which he is afloat in a pool, drinking heavily and talking to the women he has recently slept with, who are naked and swimming around him. Karen and Becca are on the side of the pool. In reality, Mia returns to Hank's home and offers the family an invitation to go to the media launch of the paperback version of her book. At the after-party, Hank meets Mia's new boyfriend, who is also her manager. He knows of the history between Mia and Hank and offers Hank a way out by coming clean to the press about the novel and how it came about. However, Hank is unwilling to do so as it will affect Karen and Becca. Upon another meeting, the two men break into a fight, after which Mia's boyfriend threatens to call the police. Hank leaves and goes home to Karen and tells her his secret that he slept with Mia, and Karen breaks down uncontrollably. The argument breaks out onto the street; and, as Hank attempts to console the still-hysterical Karen, a police car arrives on the scene. Two officers step out of the car; and, when one of them grabs Hank from behind, Hank lashes out and hits him. He is then bundled into the back of the car as Becca runs to try and stop the police. He is taken away, leaving Becca and Karen alone on the street. 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; and the last shot shows Hank sinking, with the bottle remaining in shot.
Season 4 will begin January 10, 2011.[9] Filming began on 19 April 2010. Guest stars set to appear include Carla Gugino as Abby, Hank's lawyer; Zoë Kravitz as Becca's new friend, who gets her to join her all-girl band; and Rob Lowe as an actor wanting to play Hank's character in a movie. Michael Ealy is also reported to be playing a new love interest for Karen in four episodes, and Madeline Zima will return as Mia for four episodes.
In June 2010, it was announced that Tommy Lee would guest-star in an episode as a singer.[10]
The critical reaction for Californication has been generally favorable, with a rating of 70 on Metacritic.[11] American critic Nathan Rabin gave Season 1 an "F" rating on The AV Club, calling it "insufferable."[12]
There has been a backlash from conservative groups who oppose the explicit nature of the program. Conservative columnist Andrew Bolt criticized the program in the Australian newspaper the Herald Sun for the pilot's opening dream scene, in which a nun performs oral sex on Hank Moody in a church.[13] The Australian Christian Lobby’s managing director Jim Wallace also called for a boycott, not only of Network Ten, but all advertisers who advertise during the show, in response to a scene in which Hank and Sonja smoke marijuana, have sex, and vomit.[14] When Network Ten premiered Season 2, the Christian fundamentalist group Salt Shakers led an e-mail campaign against advertisers, requesting they withdraw their advertisements. This resulted in 49 companies withdrawing their advertising, including the show's main sponsor, Just Car Insurance.
The show premiered in New Zealand amidst controversy about issues raised by the conservative lobby group Family First. The group called for families to boycott any company advertising during the episode, which it described as "drug-, sex-, and vomit-laden."[15][16][17]
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.[18]
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Californication - The 1st Season | June 17, 2008 | 12 | This two-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 1. Bonus features include commentaries on the pilot, biographies of the 5 main actors and 16 photos from the show. Showtime has also provided four downloadable episodes, two from Dexter Season 2 and two from The Tudors Season 2. |
| Californication - The 2nd Season | August 25, 2009 | 12 | This two-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 2. Bonus features include interviews with cast members and Marcie's Waxing Salon. Showtime has also provided four downloadable episodes, one from The United States of Tara Season 1 and three from The Tudors Season 3. |
| Californication - The 3rd Season | November 9, 2010 | 12 | This two-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 3.[19] |
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Californication - The 1st Season | June 16, 2008 | 12 | This two-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 1. The bonus features in the UK release included an audio commentary of the pilot episode, as well as interviews with the cast and director. |
| Californication - The 2nd Season | August 10, 2009 | 12 | This three-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 2. Bonus features include interviews with the cast and the show’s writer Tom Kapinos and a never-before-seen featurette. |
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Californication - The 1st Season | June 18, 2008 | 12 | This two-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 1. Bonus features include commentaries on the pilot, as well as interviews with the cast. |
| Californication - The 2nd Season | August 18, 2009 | 12 | This three-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Season 2. Bonus features include "Heart, Balls & Swagger" Interviews, Name That Girl, Marcy's Wax Salon, "Caliwood" Bubble Map, Cast Bios and Filmographies and a Photo Gallery. |
| Californication - The 3rd Season | August 17, 2010 | 12 | This three-disc box set includes all 12 episodes from Season 3. Bonus features include: Campus Tour, Casting Couch, Guest Relations, Marcy's Pajama Party, Sounds of Californication, "OMG! Is That Rick Springfield?" and Pamela Adlon's Video Diary. |
The Red Hot Chili Peppers filed a lawsuit on November 19, 2007[20] against Showtime Networks over the name of the series, which is also the name of the band's 1999 album and hit single. 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".[21] 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 band members are seeking unspecified damages. They are also requesting that a new name be found for the TV show.[21]
Showtime Networks is expected to argue that the band did not in fact create the term Californication. They point out that the term appeared in print in Time Magazine in 1972, in an article called The Great Wild Californicated West.[22] 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".[22][23]
Kim Walker, head of intellectual property at Pinsent Masons, states that the band should have registered Californication as a trademark. 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:
Successful songs, albums and movies can become brands in themselves. What's really surprising is how few songs and albums are properly protected... The Chili Peppers could almost certainly have registered a trade mark for 'Californication', notwithstanding Time's article. They made the word famous, but it doesn't automatically follow that they can stop its use in a TV show.In the United States, character names and titles of works are only subject to trademark protection, not copyright protection.[24] The legal matter remains unresolved.If they had registered the title as a trade mark covering entertainment services, I very much doubt we'd have seen a lawsuit. The TV show would have been called something else. As it is, the band faces an uphill struggle.[21]
The Season 2 finale 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 finale of Dexter. However, Season 3 steadily gained viewership, and the show was quickly picked up for a fourth season by Showtime.[25]
The titles of Hank's novels are taken from the albums of the metal band Slayer. These are: South of Heaven, 'Seasons In The Abyss', and the main novel in the show, God Hates Us All. The movie adaptation of 'God Hates Us All' is named 'A Crazy Little Thing Called Love', a reference to a song by Queen. Charlie also stated that the bathroom of his house was the only place that had been spared his and Marcy's "Unholy Alliance", or the only place they had not had sex. Unholy Alliance was the name of a tour by Slayer. In Season 3 Hank tells Richard Bates, also an author, that he enjoyed his book Crack the Sky, a reference to Mastodon's 2009 album Crack the Skye.
Twice in Season 1, the wait for Hank's new novel is compared to the wait for the latest Guns 'N Roses album, Chinese Democracy, which took over a decade to be released.
Several (if not all) of the episode titles are references to songs or albums by famous rock bands. For instance, the first episode of season 2 is named Slip of the Tongue, which is the name of a Whitesnake album, and the first episode of season 3 is called Wish You Were Here, a song by Pink Floyd.
Referenced in the Drake song "Say Something" where Drake says "let's sit and drink wine and watch Californication"
The music of Warren Zevon also plays a significant role in the series. Many of his songs appear in the show, including "Mohammed's Radio", "My Shit's Fucked Up", and "Keep Me In Your Heart". Steve Earle's cover of "Reconsider Me" makes an appearance, as does "Don't Let Us Get Sick", as performed by Becca Moody's band. There are also nods to Zevon's music in the characters' dialogue, including the phrases "Life'll Kill Ya", "Porcelain Monkey" and "Excitable Boy". In Season 2, Hank Moody describes his ritual for finishing a book as "whiskey, weed, and Warren Zevon." Also, in the Season 3 finale, the GG Allin version of "Carmelita" plays in the opening scene.
Harry Chapin is referenced in Season 3. Episode 3 is titled "Verities and Balderdash", the title of a Chapin album; and Episode 10 is entitled "Dogtown", the title of a Chapin song. "Dogtown" is also a reference to the part of Santa Monica, California, where skateboarding originated. The Dogtown and Z-Boys cross logo is also spray-painted on the wall outside Hank's apartment.
Many lyrics are referenced in Hank's dialogue including Bruce Springsteen "No retreat baby, no surrender" from "No Surrender" and Leonard Cohen "there are cracks, that's how the light gets in" from "Anthem". Both feature in Season 3.
Contents |
| Californication | |
|---|---|
| Format | Dramatic Comedy |
| Starring |
David Duchovny Natascha McElhone Madeleine Martin Madeline Zima |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 3 (to August 27, 2007) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
David Duchovny Tom Kapinos Stephen Hopkins |
| Running time | 33 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Showtime |
| Original run | August 13, 2007 – Present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Californication is a 2007 American television series. The series is shown on the Showtime television network. Californication was created by Tom Kapinos and stars David Duchovny as Hank Moody. It is about a troubled novelist who moves to Los Angeles. The series deals with problems with his job that cause problems with his relationships with his ex-wife Karen (Natascha McElhone) and daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin). The series was first shown on television on August 13th, 2007. Channel Five in the UK[1] and Network Ten in Australia have bought the rights to this television series.
Here are sentences from other pages on Californication (TV series), which are similar to those in the above article.
   | Five picks up new Duchovny sitcom - Television - News - Five picks up new Duchovny sitcom - Digital Spy |
| | ''Californication'' - Californication reviews at Metacritic.com |
| | Just how low can you go with Californication? - Just how low can you go with Californication? | Herald Sun |
| | 'Californication's' next chapter - The Hollywood Reporter |
| | Boycott drug, sex and vomit-laden programme, says Family First - Boycott drug, sex and vomit-laden programme, says Family First | infonews.co.nz New Zealand's local news community |
| | Official site - Showtime : Californication Official Site |
| | Californication - Netflix Online Movie Rentals - Rent DVDs, Classic Films to DVD New Releases |
| | Showtime renews 'Californication' - Showtime renews 'Californication' - Entertainment News, Exclusives, Media - Variety |
| | Chili Peppers sue Showtime - Chili Peppers sue Showtime - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety |
| | 'Dani California' - MySpace.com - DaniCA - 78 - Female - Los Feliz, California - myspace.com/danicasuicide |
| | 'Dani California' - DaniCA blog, pictures, social profile |
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