Californifying some perennial themes

Californication was written as a cable TV series - like these other MA-rated programs. Surely, the responsible translation of such content to free-to-air TV in Australia throws up some challenges. There is no doubt that Californication's content is unsuitable for under 15s. That it has offended sections of the community should surprise no one especially given the punch packed by the first scene. It is also possibly unsuitable for older teenagers but our regulatory arrangements don’t seem to acknowledge or address this problem adequately.

Why do so many teenagers end up watching programs like this or the disturbingly violent Oz on SBS? Perhaps parents need more leadership and also encouragement to develop a collective backbone about guiding our teenagers in wiser viewing choices. We need to get real about the fact that sometimes adult themes really are just that and the subtleties, complexities and ironies mixed up in them might occasionally go over their heads.

Channel Ten has done the right thing in programming Hank's adventures in a later time slot. In its street advertising, to their credit, they have employed some discretion. But it has flogged the MA-rated series with intensive TV advertising in earlier time slots and has been almost too upfront about the adult themes and sexual content. That younger viewers may have been enticed to watch is not unlikely and that doesn’t help parents trying to do the right thing.

With all its adult themes, adolescents might end up finding the show a bore. All the Hank-in-the-sack content, might also paradoxically start to get a little dreary for the adults.

But ultimately, dreariness could well be the right note to strike for the terminal trajectory Hank is on. Research has shown again and again, that faithful committed marriage is a bloke like Hank's best bet for long term contentment and satisfaction.

And if Hank was to really consider how best to ensure the wellbeing of his beloved daughter, Becca, then again he would be doing all in his power to restore and elevate his relationship with his ex to formal marriage status. As for Karen, she has acknowledged that their little family is tied together for life regardless of whether they share the same house or the same bed.

We've seen that in some ways Hank is an old fashioned kind of dad and will do what it takes to extract his 12-year-old Becca from a decidedly inappropriate party. Great, we say, but why undo it with the drugs and booze, and the sex with another guy's teenage daughter?

The humour is edgy and even a little black. The scenery is luscious. The themes are decidedly adult - and I mean voting-age and above. And ultimately, it appears that in among all the clever irony, double entendres, and yes, all the tedious naked flesh and strongly implied sex, there may actually be an interesting story about fatherhood, the value of marriage or the permanence of family. Maybe, too there will be a story about the ultimate failure of drugs, booze and fornication to solve anything let alone deliver happiness.