Hung Information

Hung is a comedy-drama series, which ran on HBO from June 28, 2009 to December 4, 2011. The series was created by Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson and stars Thomas Jane as Ray Drecker, a struggling suburban Detroit high school basketball and baseball coach who resorts to male prostitution. The second season premiered on June 27, 2010 and concluded its 10 episode run on September 12, 2010. On September 2, 2010 it was announced that HBO had ordered Hung for a third season consisting of 10 episodes, which ran from October 2, 2011 to December 4, 2011. On December 20, 2011 HBO decided not to renew Hung for a fourth season.

Plot

Hung follows Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane), an unhappy, financially strapped history teacher and athletic coach at a high school in suburban Detroit. He is also the father of twin teenagers (Charlie Saxton and Sianoa Smit-McPhee) who are currently living with their remarried mother (Anne Heche). After a fire destroys the childhood home Ray still owns and lived in, he is left without many options. With the help of a friend, Tanya (Jane Adams), Ray decides to turn his extremely large penis into an opportunity to make money. The episodes center on Ray's attempts to maintain a "normal" life while starting his business as a male prostitute. Together, Tanya and Ray begin their business, "Happiness Consultants".

The second season focuses on the complex dynamic between Ray and his two pimps, Tanya and Lenore (Rebecca Creskoff). Lenore, a life coach whom Tanya brought in to help them in the early stages of the business, began taking over Happiness Consultants late in the first season, as she believes she can take Ray places in the business and views Tanya as an obstacle.

The third season sees Tanya and Ray forced to compete for clients against Lenore and her younger prostitute Jason (Stephen Amell).

Production

The show's pilot was directed by filmmaker Alexander Payne, who served as executive producer along with Lipkin, Burson, and Blueprint Entertainment. Lipkin and Burson's script was the first major purchase by the network's new entertainment president Sue Naegle in April 2008. This led the writers to immediately work on five more episodes for the series, a total of ten episodes. On December 18, 2008, HBO announced picking up the series for its first season, which ran from June 28, 2009 to September 13, 2009. On July 30, 2009, HBO announced it had renewed the series for its second season, which ran from June 27, 2010. In December 2011, HBO announced the cancellation of the series, ending it after three seasons.

The theme song for Hung is "I'll Be Your Man" by The Black Keys from their debut album The Big Come Up (2002). The track can also be found on the Rescue Me Original Television Soundtrack (2006) album.

Much of the show is filmed in the suburban Detroit cities of Royal Oak, White Lake, Troy, Walled Lake, and West Bloomfield, Michigan.

Cast and characters

Main

• Thomas Jane as Ray Drecker: Former star athlete turned high school teacher/coach and single dad who becomes a prostitute in order to provide a better life for himself and his children.
• Jane Adams as Tanya Skagle: A former flame of Ray's who reunites with him later on. She takes on the role of his pimp after proving to have optimism to make money in the business.
• Anne Heche as Jessica Haxon: Ray's ex-wife who is trying to build a relationship with her children as they drift away from her. She also finds herself drifting from her new husband, Ronnie.
• Charlie Saxton as Damon Drecker: Ray and Jessica's son. He partakes in goth-like activities and is unsure as to his exact sexuality. He has issues with his mom and is much more comfortable around his father.
• Sianoa Smit-McPhee as Darby Drecker: Ray and Jessica's daughter, and Damon's twin. Darby has had issues with her boyfriend, and is very close with her brother, often a source of support.
• Eddie Jemison as Ronnie Haxon (Regular Seasons 1"2, Recurring Season 3): Jessica's new husband who is starting to become more about business than romance, causing both Jessica and himself to drift to outside romantic sources.
• Rebecca Creskoff as Lenore Bernard (Recurring Season 1, Regular Seasons 2"3): A life coach who is introduced to Ray by Tanya to bring in clients. Eventually, Lenore proves she can be a better pimp than Tanya, and the two are currently battling for his attention. She is shot by Jason's fiancée Sandee at the end of the third season; it is never revealed if she survived.
• Gregg Henry as Mike Hunt (Recurring Season 1, Regular Seasons 2-3): Ray's good friend and assistant coach. He is becoming suspicious of Ray's behavior, and is worried about being laid off as the school begins cutting costs.
• Lennie James as Charlie (Recurring Season 2, Regular Season 3): Tanya's pimp mentor.
• Stephen Amell as Jason (Season 3): A young prostitute found by Lenore to serve as competition against Ray.
• Bob Piggott as Himself (Season 1, episode 1): Starred in the opening episode as a distraught neighbor on Colony Drive.

Recurring Season 1

• Natalie Zea as Jemma
• Joshua Leonard as Pierce
• Steve Hytner as Floyd Gerber
• Alanna Ubach as Yael Koontz
• Loren Lester as Howard Koontz
• Marylouise Burke as Lottie
• Gina Hecht as Principal Rhonda Barr

Recurring Season 2

• Kathryn Hahn as Claire
• Alanna Ubach as Yael Koontz
• Loren Lester as Howard Koontz
• Marylouise Burke as Lottie
• Roxanne Hart as Frances

Recurring Season 3

• Analeigh Tipton as Sandee: Jason's fiancee.
• Ana Ortiz as Lydia
• Kaitlin Doubleday as Logan
• Alanna Ubach as Yael Koontz
• Matt Walsh as Matt Saline
• Amy Farrington as Mindy Saline
• Roxanne Hart as Frances

Episodes

See List of Hung episodes for more information

Reception / Accolades

Hung was well received by critics. For its first season, the series' reviews equated to generally positive, with special mentions made to Thomas Jane and Jane Adams for their lead performances. The show received multiple nominations during its run.

Casting Society of America, USA

• 2010: Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Television Pilot (Comedy): Lisa Beach & Sarah Katzman (Nominated)

Golden Globe Awards

• 2012: Best Actor " Television Series: Musical or Comedy: Thomas Jane (Nominated)

• 2011: Best Actor " Television Series: Musical or Comedy: Thomas Jane (Nominated)

• 2010: Best Actor " Television Series: Musical or Comedy: Thomas Jane (Nominated)

• 2010: Best Supporting Actress " Series, Miniseries, or Television Film: Jane Adams (Nominated)

Primetime Emmy Award

• 2010: Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series: Uta Briesewitz (Episode: "Pilot") (Nominated)

Satellite Awards

• 2010: Best Actor " Television Series: Musical or Comedy: Thomas Jane (Nominated)
• 2010: Best Actress " Television Series: Musical or Comedy: Jane Adams (Nominated)

Writers Guild of America Award

• 2010: Best Screenplay " New Series: Colette Burson, Ellie Herman, Emily Kapnek, Brett C. Leonard, Dmitry Lipkin, and Angela Robinson (Nominated)

Distribution

DVD releases

Season	Region 1 Release Date	Region 2 Release Date	Region 4 Release Date	Episodes	Discs	Bonus Features
1	June 22, 2010	September 13, 2010	August 4, 2010	10	2	Disc 1: Audio commentary on episodes 1 and 4 with the creators and executive producers of the series Colette Burson and Dmitry Lipkin. - Disc 2: About Hung. ? Women Hung. ? Personals Ray and Tanya. ? Audio commentary on episode 8 with the creators and executive producers of the series Colette Burson and Dmitry Lipkin and writer Brett C. Leonard.
2	September 27, 2011	October 17, 2011	TBA	10	2	TBA
3	September 4, 2012	TBA	TBA	10	2	TBA

International broadcasting

Country	Television Network
Latin America	HBO Latin America
Southeast Asia	HBO Asia (2010-01-08)
Australia	Showcase on Foxtel and Seven Network
Austria	Comedy Central, FOX
Belgium	Prime, Be TV, RTBF, and Acht (TV)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	HBO
Bulgaria	HBO
Canada	HBO Canada, ARTV
Croatia	HBO
Czech Republic	HBO, ?T1
Middle East	OSN Comedy
Estonia	ETV
France (premiered on December 1, 2009)	Orange Cinémax, Série Club
Finland (premiered on September 24, 2010)	YLE TV2
Germany (premiered on May 6, 2010)	Comedy Central, FOX
Hungary	HBO
Iceland	Stöð 2
India	HBO
Ireland	3e
Israel	Yes Drama HD, HOT V.O.D, Yes Oh HD
Italy	SKY Uno
Macedonia	HBO Macedonia
Moldova	HBO
Montenegro	HBO
Netherlands	Comedy Central
New Zealand	TV One
Nordic countries	[[Canal+]]
Norway	NRK1
Pakistan	HBO
Philippines	HBO
Poland	HBO
Portugal	Fox Next, FX
Romania	HBO
Serbia	HBO
Slovenia	POP TV
South Africa	MNET
Spain (premiered on January 10, 2010)	[[Canal+ Spain]]
Sweden	SVT
Switzerland	TSR1, SF2 (2011-02-24), Comedy Central
Turkey	e2, CNBC-e
United Kingdom	More 4, Channel 4, Sky Atlantic HD