Showtime's Californication

A writer (Duchovny) tries to juggle his busy career, his relationship with his daughter and his ex-wife, as well as his appetite for beautiful women. Premieres Aug 13th on Showtime.

I must be honest, I didn't have high expectations for this show, I've never been a fan of the wooden, empty Duchovny, however, the role he takes on in this show is supposed to be wooden and empty, so he is perfect for the role. Duchovny plays Hank, a struggling, brilliant writer who is basically a one hit wonder. His mega-successful first novel was turned into a Hollywood popcorn movie which he despises and his life is a mess. He is still madly in love with his previous girlfriend, whom he fathered a child with. The two struggle to maintain a healthy, amicable relationship for the sake of their daughter, Hank wants to give the relationship another try, Karen (played by the beautiful Natascha McElhone) has moved on and plans to marry another. His daughter is also turning out to be a mess, and Hank is tortured even more by the fact that his daughter's problems are the result of his mess of a life. Hank spends his time chasing after women to try and fill the emptiness in his life, but only ends up hating himself a little more after each one night stand.

The show is quite funny at times and well written. The show has potential and could turn into a solid hit if Showtime actually allows it to happen. Showtime has a very bad habit of dropping shows very early in the desperate struggle to keep up with the growing success of other networks. (Huff, Dead Like Me, Jeremiah, Odyssey 5, Sleeper Cell come to mind.)

Bottom line: Worth a look to see how it develops, but don't get too attached since Showtime is at the helm.