David Duchovny is back in an new, hard-edged Showtime series with a very suggestive title, “Californication.” David is not only the principal star, but also one of its executive producers. The show is a comedy-drama set in Los Angeles that, according to Duchovny, ”is not a thinly veiled show that’s supposed to titillate you.” With that said, this role appears to be a far cry from well-known FBI Agent Fox Mulder on the ”The X-Files.”

On “Californication,” premiering August 13, David plays dysfunctional writer Hank Moody, who drowns his angst over writer’s block and his split with his gorgeous girlfriend, Karen Natascha McElhone, in bouts of drinking and casual sex. “It was a character I thought would be challenging to play because he wasn’t necessarily likable on the page,” Duchovny said of Hank.

“Californication” marks Duchovny’s return to television as a leading man after roles in feature films including “House of D,” which he wrote and directed, and “Trust the Man.” He also played oddball cameo roles in the Ben Stiller movie “Zoolander” and on TV series including “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Sex and the City” and “Life With Bonnie.”

“Californication” also reunites Duchovny with Showtime, where he previously played Jake Winters on the cable network’s sex-fantasy series, “Red Shoe Diaries.” Even for an actor who specializes in quirky characters, Duchovny has picked a doozy with wayward Hank Moody.

“Sex is part of the problem with this guy,” Duchovny said. “But we don’t preach that it’s a problem. It’s not like he wants to kill himself every time he has sex with someone. He’s actually enjoying it, while at the same time realizing that his time could probably be spent better elsewhere.”

Doing Hank’s sex scenes doesn’t trouble Duchovny, he said. “I’ve done enough of those scenes to know what they are, and to know what to expect. I’m just taking my shirt off, big deal. I can just act it.”