History Series / Californication

* DoNotDoThisCoolThing: In-story. When Hank tries to teach Becca that DrugsAreBad, they find Marilyn Manson doing drugs and chilling out in Atticus' house. Becca finds the experience incredibly cool and Hank's aesop completely backfires.

* BittersweetEnding: Too many to list. Numerous episodes close this way, as well as most of the seven season finales (with the salient exceptions of Season One's played-straight happy ending and the disturbing cliffhanger at the end of Season Five). Usually consists of Hank riding off into the sunset, either toward or away from LA).

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Hank is loosely based on Charles Bukowski.

''Californication'' is a {{Showtime}} {{dramedy}} created by Tom Kapinos and starring Creator/DavidDuchovny, Creator/NataschaMcElhone and Evan Handler.

* MethodActing: Eddie Nero's crazy/awesome take on interpretation: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqRI1Sbais8 Behold his approach to a gay HIV plus role]]. In-universe AcademyAward ensued.

* {{Fanservice}}: There is a ''spectacular'' amount of nudity in this series, mostly [[MsFanservice female]], with each season sporting about fifteen to twenty different nude scenes. Seasons of thirteen [[DramaticHalfHour half-hour episodes]] here. Slightly justified by being a series about a straight man with a sex addiction. Tim Minchin's first introduction to co-star Natascha involved double doors and lots of nekkid.

* RatedMForManly: The show has been described as the manly version of ''Series/SexAndTheCity''.

* BittersweetEnding: Too many to list. Numerous episodes close this way, as well as every single season (with the salient exceptions of Season One's played-straight happy ending and disturbing cliffhanger at the end of Season Five). Usually consists of Hank riding off into the sunset, either toward or away from LA).

** Marcy and Charlie, to an extent, after [[spoiler: her son is revealed to be Charlie's,]] and [[spoiler: Charlie (literally) takes a bullet for Hank.]]

* SpeedSex: Charlie is haunted most of the time by it, given his usual performance. He improves in Season 5. Marcy sums it up in a very witty nickname: "Prema-Charlie".

''Californication'' is a {{Showtime}} {{dramedy}} created by Tom Kapinos and starring Creator/DavidDuchovny, NataschaMcElhone and Evan Handler.

Duchovny plays Hank Moody, [[AntiHero a ladies' man and occasional novelist who likes his booze and pot a bit too much]]. When he is first introduced in the first season, his life has slowly fallen apart since his longtime girlfriend Karen (NataschaMcElhone) left him. He struggles to be a good parental figure to his and Karen's daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin), and he fails to produce any kind of written work due to his drug use and sex addiction. He becomes more unstable especially after his book, "God Hates Us All", gets turned into a gooey, flowery movie called "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love". His producer and best friend, Charlie Runkle (Evan Handler) constantly goofs up mishap after mishap, [[BetaCouple as his marriage to his wife Marcy (Pamela Adlon) crumbles]].

* NeverLiveItDown: In-universe, Charlie is remembered as the masturbation agent wherever he goes. He tried to get Redtube to take the video down, but it still gets a lot of hits.

* JizzedInMyPants: Charlie Runkle gets off in a strip club during a lap dance at this moment. He tries to [[IllTakeThatAsACompliment present it as a compliment]]. The stripper doesn't respond so well either way.

The show premiered in 2007. A final seventh season will be aired in 2014.

* [invoked] MethodActing: Eddie Nero's crazy/awesome take on interpretation: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqRI1Sbais8 Behold his approach to a gay HIV plus role]]. In-universe AcademyAward ensued.

* [invoked] MethodActing: Eddie Nero's crazy/awesome take on interpretation: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqRI1Sbais8 Behold his approach to a gay HIV plus role]]. AcademyAward ensued.

* DawsonCasting:
** Mia, whose age of 16 is an important plot point, is played by an actress who is in her early 20s, and visibly so. The fact that she looks much older is also an important plot point. It also doesn't help that MadelineZima is [[TeensAreShort 5'8"]].
** Averted with Madeleine Martin (Becca), notable given this show is NOT kid friendly.

* MethodActing: Eddie Nero's crazy/awesome take on interpretation: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnvhJD7nSBE Behold his approach to a gay HIV plus role]]. AcademyAward ensued.
--> '''Eddie:''' I took a man in my mouth. I played his skin flute like [[{{Jazz}} Kenny G]], like Kenny G on ecstasy [gargles] And then he gave me his gift, gave it to me on the inside.
** This becomes even funnier when, in season 6, it's revealed that the recipient of that blow job was none other than [[spoiler: Richard Bates]].

* NamesTheSame: This was grounds for a lawsuit by the band {{Red Hot Chili Peppers}}, as the show shares its name with an album and a song by the band. The case did not reach a courtroom.

* ItsASmallWorldAfterAll: [[spoiler:Richard Bates]] is the man Eddie Nero [[CallBack took in his mouth]].

* TakingTheHeat: [[spoiler: Richard spends a wild night with [[DreaDeMatteo some skank]] who shows up at his home the next day.]] A noble Hank sets-up a farce in a pure ScrewballComedy fashion where she is his girlfriend, so Karen won't be unhappy about the infidelity. HilarityEnsues.

* HotDad: Hank, in-universe.