David Duchovny takes a dangerous ’60s trip in ‘Aquarius’

This photo provided by NBC shows David Duchovny as Sam Hodiak in a scene from the episode, "Home is Where You're Happy," from the new NBC television series, "Aquarius." Duchovny plays a Los Angeles police detective working a case involving Charles Manson which premieres Thursday, May 28, 2015, at 9 p.m. EDT. (Vivian Zink/NBC via AP) This photo provided by NBC shows David Duchovny as Sam Hodiak in a scene from the episode, "Home is Where You're Happy," from the new NBC television series, "Aquarius." Duchovny plays a Los Angeles police detective working a case involving Charles Manson which premieres Thursday, May 28, 2015, at 9 p.m. EDT. (Vivian Zink/NBC via AP)

By Associated Press May 27, 2015 3 min read

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Between wrapping “Californication” and the return of “The X-Files,” David Duchovny is making a detour to the mind-bending 1960s.

In NBC’s drama “Aquarius,” he plays a Los Angeles police detective whose search for a missing teen leads to a would-be rock star destined to become the era’s bogeyman: Charles Manson.

“Aquarius,” which airs weekly after its 9-11 p.m. EDT Thursday debut, also will be available for online binging. In a network experiment that echoes a Netflix-style release, NBC is putting the full 13-episode season on NBC.com, the NBC app and other video-on-demand platforms following the premiere.

The series gives Duchovny the chance to play a character far different from his hallmark TV roles of a sex-obsessed writer on Showtime’s dark romp and a rule-breaking FBI agent from Fox’s eerie 1993-2002 drama.

LAPD Detective Sam Hodiak of “Aquarius” is a decorated World War II veteran dismayed to see the stalwart 1940s and staid ’50s give way to drugs, rock ‘n’ roll and political tumult.