Shows like Californication

These shows capture the friction between a chaotic personal life and the attempt to maintain a creative or professional identity. They revolve around characters grappling with addiction and rapid self-destruction while navigating environments that mirror their own internal volatility.

The selections below lean into the dark humor and messy consequences of trying to reinvent one's life. Readers of the original series should find common ground in the stubborn, flawed protagonists seen in Uncoupled and the cynical rhythm of Beverly Hills, 90210.