The Unexpected Influence Dawson's Creek Had On The Much Steamier Californication

At first glance, "Dawson's Creek" and "Californication" don't have a lot in common. One is an acclaimed teen drama about teenagers hanging out by a lake. The other is a raunchy dramedy about a promiscuous middle-aged author. That said, "Californication" creator Tom Kapinos was a writer on "Dawson's Creek," and he believes the two shows have more in common than people think. 

"I learned a lot about creating moments," Kapinos said to Vanity Fair about working on "Dawson's Creek." He continued, "That's all you really remember from shows and movies — scenes and moments. 'Californication' and 'Dawson's Creek' are different, but they're both fractured, dysfunctional fairy tales about people working stuff out."

As Kapinos noted, the series are similar from a storytelling standpoint at times. For example, "Dawson's Creek" features one of TV's most divisive love triangles, between Pacey (Joshua Jackson), Dawson (James Van Der Beek), and Joey (Katie Holmes). "Californication" also boasts a tumultuous romance, as Hank (David Duchovny) longs for his ex-wife, Karen (Natascha McElhone), when she's trying to settle down elsewhere. But the dysfunctional storylines aren't the only similarities between "Dawson's Creek" and "Californication." In fact, "Californication" contains some direct nods to the beloved '90s series.

Are "Dawson's Creek" and "Californication" part of the same fictional universe? It's quite weird to explain. The evidence suggests that they are, as both shows see Ken Marino play a professor named David Wilder. Similarly, the two series have a film director character named Todd Carr, but they are portrayed by different actors who don't share the same skin color. We can probably chalk this one up as a cheeky nod.

If "Dawson's Creek" and "Californication" do share a cinematic universe, it's one of multiversal madness. While Marino's aforementioned professor appears to be the same guy in both properties, "Dawson's Creek" is a TV show that gets mentioned on "Californication." So maybe we should take this theory with a pinch of salt.

The nods don't stop there, either. Karen's surname is Van Der Beek on "Californication." This seems like an obvious nod to the late James Van Der Beek, the main star of "Dawson's Creek." Overall, it seems that Tom Kapinos took a lot of inspiration from "Dawson's Creek."