A man naturally gifted and a problem to solve.........

Since the worldwide economic meltdown, the vast majority of people working at a non independent basis, had a constant worry: how can I sustain my life and family. This HBO series shows us a original way to solve this problem, at least from the male point of view.

The great thing about this, is that the main characters, are so flawed and clueless about their own life, yet so human and relentless when life really pushed you against the wall. Impossible not to relate to the Thomas Jane role, who has seen life passed him by again and again. He really gave the role a distinctive masculine tone, but a real one, with all the faults we may have, and not in a depressing way.

The prostitution issue is not really the point of this production, it only set the background, and provides a lot of smiles (because it's definitely not a hysterical laughing comedy). Since the troubles with his teenage sons, to the ex wife money driven and his own insecurities; the story will get you interested enough, and waiting for more.

Old story, new approach, good development.

Got my vote.

I had a chance to watch episodes 1 to 4, though I'm living in Germany without HBO and I have to admit, that this show got me hooked from minute one. It's not only the actors who have convinced me - of course especially Thomas Jane, Jane Adams and Anne Heche. Actually, what I really admire is the tone of this show: it could have gotten so ridiculous, so absurd, but it's just funny and at the same time very serious. You are watching a man's struggle for money in order to get a burnt house rebuilt and to get his children back from their kind-of-strange mum, and it's getting to you. You wish this man, Ray Drecker, all the best and many "customers" as well as you wish his pimp, Tanya, that she's getting what she's deserved, a bit of appreciation for what she does. I am watching Thomas Jane's career since the stupid but very entertaining "Deep Blue Sea" and I enjoy seeing him in this leading man situation. I am very happy, that HBO has ordered more episodes and I can't wait to see the rest of this season. .. oh, sorry for my bad English :)

I don't understand why the other reviewers are being so harsh on this show, especially since there's only been one episode! This is obviously a show that has to be set up first, then it will surely kick into gear and fulfill all expectations. I found the idea of this show to be hilarious, and that's something you have to think about the entire time you're watching it. To think that Thomas Jane's character is a guy that once had everything, to only be forced to survive by becoming a gigolo... It's a pretty funny premise for a show if you ask me. The cast of this show is awesome, and all you can do is root for Jane's character Ray as he struggles to get his life back on track by "pleasing" lonely women. In my opinion, you should watch this show with an open mind and don't pay attention to the other reviewers who pride themselves in thinking they are professional critics, because they're probably the same group who thought Entourage wouldn't survive after the first episode. I truly believe "Hung" is sure to surprise, and soon become another HBO classic.

Unlike some others on this site that watch the pilot and think they can claim the entire series to be "sophomoric," I took the time to view three episodes before commenting. In doing so, I've found the series to be the type that leaves me wanting more...and more. I love the relationship dynamics; I love the witty exchanges; and I love the whole sexed up premise of the show--even as a man that boasts an advanced degree.

Sophomoric? I suppose if you're afraid of your own sexuality, of strong women, and of relationships, sure, you might view it that way.

Otherwise, it's a fun new series.

HBO is bringing something positive into the world…another hit show!

HUNG, showcasing poignant performances by Thomas Jane and Jane Adams, captures the tone of the current American economic climate through the journey of two flawed but lovable characters, Ray Drecker and Tanya Skagle. With authentically relatable situations embedded in the premise (i.e. a high-school basketball coach trying to make ends meet, teenagers coping with the divorce of their parents, an artist succumbing to temp work) HUNG delivers in making a comedy that does not lose its sense of reality.

It's American Beauty for television that will make you laugh and leave you talking the next day.

The premise of the show was interesting - a well-endowed man using his 'gift' to make extra money when crisis strikes. I hoped it wouldn't be cheesy or clichéd, and thankfully, it wasn't, for the most part.

I guess some of the episodic plots were predictable - man getting used to service unattractive ladies, trying to keep his side job a secret, learning how to please the ladies as a job rather than to get into their pants. Maybe it's part of the selling point of the series, but I found some of the sex scenes too long - it's almost like the producers are using the sex scenes to fill up the time. I actually enjoyed the before/after-sex scenes better, when he's getting to know the women better.

For a series that's about a well-endowed man being a male prostitute, it is surprising that became another subplot rather than the main plot after a few episodes. The other subplots are are interesting - man's relationships with his ex-wife, pimp and children, children's troubles, pimp's relationships, etc, but except for the man's relationships, the rest take up more time than should be expected in a show that's about a part-time male prostitute. I started out rating this 7.5, after the first half of season 1, it has dropped to somewhere between 6 and 6.5.

Once all that is said however, it is still interesting enough to watch on a slow night. The comedic elements aren't many but they are funny; the acting is pretty good; and you get to wonder why all these beautiful, sexy women are paying big money to have sex with a man who isn't particularly handsome or fit in the first place.

I just saw the pilot for this show. Its pretty funny and smart.

I liked Thomas Jane's character who's getting slapped around by life. I found it easy to empathise with Jane's character; he's kinda the average man who goes through life kind of coasting and wakes up after everything goes sideways on him. His wife leaves him for a guy with money, he's trying to hold everything together and can't seem to find the time or the energy to do so. Eventually, he takes stock of his life, "wasted" potential, limited options, poor job, non-existent prospect and he turns to his one asset; his skill as a lover and the fact that he's "hung" hence the title of the show. This leads him to prostitute himself.

In the end, his plan goes awry and he finds and unlikely pimp. The pilot sets a great tone and leaves the potential for equal parts comedy and drama. I am looking forward to the development of this series.

This new HBO series has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It's hard not to relate to a guy who lost everything in a day and age when so many people are going through similar situations. I've been there myself and I understand a lot of his frustrations. To see him cash in on his best "asset" has proved to be very, very interesting. Would we do the same if we were in his predicament? Well, you gotta eat and pay the bills. The writing is excellent. Also, Anne Heche can consider herself very lucky to have gotten this gig. She, too, is pleasant in her role as the ex-wife and it has made me forget all her past scandals, something I didn't think could be possible. Nice, too, to see Thomas Jane in what appears to be a hit for HBO.

I am thoroughly looking forward to episode #3.

This show interested me from the subtle title, and when I found out we had The Punisher himself, Thomas Jane, in the starring role, I was a goner, so to speak. After watching the pilot and the first official episode, I would most assuredly say to anyone who would listen: count me in for the duration of this bad boy.

Here we have a great premise - Divorced-with-kids basketball coach whose life is financially on the skids seeks a second income. In the brilliantly and meticulously detailed set-up (aka the pilot), it slowly dawns on our hero's consciousness that his tool is, in actuality, the tool he needs to hopefully drill him out of his financial problem.

With the help of a friend, Tanya (Jane Adams, also perfectly cast), Ray takes the baby steps required to bring his idea to fruition. (She has already sampled his wares and has been extreeeemely impressed.) In the first episode past the pilot, he enlists her help (as his pimp) in getting him some clientele. She comes up with a killer merchandising plan, very involved and thought out, and she has a friend who is a 'professional shopper' for older women, to boot. She suggests she enlist this friend, in the hopes that her shopping clients also need to get laid. There's a hilarious scene where Tanya coaches the coach in the finer points of female seduction, involving more attention to foreplay, compliments and yer basic overall studly conduct while in the field.

Although I loved this scene for the wit of it, I thought it was predictable in the way Tanya's character was saying all women needed tons of foreplay, compliments, blah blah blah, in order to get in the mood. In my experience, all women are hardly like that, and I was thinking the show was leaning toward a far more conventional turn than I wanted. This, however, was thrown out of the game in the next scene, where our SIT (Stud In Training) shows up at the client's door and she turns out to be anything but yer basic conventional female, commanding him from the get-go to do away with the tedious foreplay and compliments and get down to business, which she seemingly does, in every position known to man and the canine world as well.

Thomas Jane is more than up to his challenge here; he comes across as a 'normal guy' thrust into a situation he's not quite comfortable with, and that's the charm at the heart of this brilliantly conceived show. My only hope is that they can - pardon the pun, but it's almost obligatory - keep it up.

HBO continues to air innovative shows reflecting aspects of life whether they be vampires living in the South, Hollywood hotshots trying to survive show business, a polygamous family, or it's latest concept about a man taking on the oldest profession in the world which is "Hung." Ray Drekker (Thomas Jayne) a Detroit high school teacher and basketball coach was once the school's most popular boy with an athlete's scholarship and married the most popular girl in school. All falls apart when he is injured and years later his dream girl wife, Jessica (Anne Heche), leaves him for a well-to-do dermatologist. Being a high school teacher and basketball coach does not pay very well. To make things even worse, his house catches on fire forcing him to live in a tent in his backyard and his twin teenage children move back with their overbearing mother. Ray goes to one of those scam "get rich quick" seminars and finds what he is also good at and the "tool" he has: sex and very...ahem..."hung." He meets failed poet and corporate temp, Tanya Skaggle (Jane Adams), and enlists her as his pimp. The two embark on a business they hope will be successful in "fulfilling" women with happiness...will they successful? The show reflects on the subject of the economy very heavily and it's about time a show finally did. "Hung" is set in the backdrop of the economically beaten down but not out Detroit amidst layoffs and the public school system being federally underfunded. Thomas Jayne is perfect as Ray. He is your typical everyday average Joe trying going through economic hardship and through the profession of male prostitution he begins to have an understanding of women and of the direction of his own life. He continues to go on despite the ex-wife, his uptight next-door neighbor, and the economic hardships. Jane Adams is also wonderful in the part of passive aggressive but insightful Tanya. She doesn't face the same hardships as Ray, but she is lonely and sympathetic. Anne Heche is hysterical at times as Ray's overbearing ex-wife who is also going through hard times when her husband's finances take a huge a hit in the stock market. "Hung" is a show that reflects on the current economy and talks about the subject matter of male prostitution without making it look glamorous or fake.

Thomas Jane, Jane Adams, Anne Heche, Eddie Jemison, and Rebecca Creskoff all perform extremely well on screen. They portray their characters flawlessly and allow you to vicariously enjoy the show that is Hung.

This show is difficult to label, it's more of a raw show without any bs. Many of the events aren't as climatic as one would expect, especially the season finales, but this is what makes the show so beautiful. Hung doesn't rely on overly complex drama that makes absolutely no sense in the real world, it relies on real life complications in humorous, yet dramatic scenarios.

Hung is open to interpretation, at least most of it. If you have the patience for massive character development with a smooth plot and actors who portray their characters effortlessly, then this show is a must.

It's not funny. It's not sharp. It's not witty.

It's predictable. It's slow. It lacks any surprise punch.

Are we supposed to sympathize with Ray? He's not the sharpest guy, but some of the writing makes him not only out and out stupid but also lazy. Not only can he not keep his bills paid on time, but he can't even clean his house.

An example of why you have a hard time liking this guy... After his divorce, he moves in to his deceased(?) parent's home (you get the impression he inherited it) that is quite run down. At a later time, he has a new neighbor that is moving in and the new neighbor approaches him and mentions a housewarming party. Ray thinks he's being invited, but really the neighbor is there to ask Ray to clean his own gutters before the new neighbor's friends come to the party and see Ray's house. The problem?... The writers intended you to:

a - find this funny.

b - feel sorry for Ray (being kicked when down).

c - dislike the "lawyer" neighbor.

But instead you don't feel any of that. It's predictable, as the house is an eyesore; you see the condition of the house and think Ray should be grateful he has a place available and take care of it; and you're more apt to empathize with the neighbor, esp. when the camera pans to the gutters and show plants growing out of them. It's worse than the Bundy's house!

It only gets worse. Ray constantly complains about his station in life, but he isn't looking for an honorable way to make extra money. He only complains and compares the present to how things used to be. Again, it's meant to be funny or have the watchers agree, but instead you just want to shake him and tell him to wake up and get over it.

There are times when he comes across as a nice guy, but then you'll learn something about him later to erase it. For example, in the Pilot, we find out the nature of his divorce and you immediately side with Ray. But later, in a flashback of the first time he ever met who will become his "pimp," the timing of the scene reveals Ray is not beyond committing adultery. This makes you think maybe he deserved the divorce.

He's constantly portrayed as a victim, but not real likable. He wants money, but it comes across as he thinks he's entitled to it.

With his better days behind him, and him always looking back, he's just not a character I want to relate to.

Don't waste your time.

Maybe this is a non-biased review, because I have not read any other reviews or opinions before posting mine. Or maybe it is biased because I saw Hung right after I saw Californication. A bit clarification is in order here. The way I watch TV series is that I record the entire season and then view it as a marathon. One sees a lot of things one would otherwise miss when viewed like this.

Anyway, back to the review. I could not help but draw comparisons to Californication while viewing this. The first thing to observe is how lost this show is with what it wants to say. Is it about the adventures of a well-endowed guy who decides to use his natural asset to tide over a bad economy? Is it about the outcome of a bad economy itself and how it pushes people to do things they would normally never do? Is it about friendship and loyalty during bad times? The way I see it, it tries to cram all that and more (in terms of the lives of supporting characters' sub-plots) in a limited time and ends up doing justice to nothing. In contrast we have Californication that wickedly centers about the main character and revolves EVERYTHING around him. That kind of treatment to this show would work wonders because the idea of the show is solid. Hung holds back on everything, like it considers its audience to be pregnant and is afraid it might penetrate too deep. Nothing is explored in depth. Not the main character's relationship with his 2 pimps, not the relationship with his ex-wife, not his interactions with any of his customers, not his dynamic with his children, not the relationship of the twins with each other, or their mother or step-dad. Not even his work ethic is explored in depth.

To me this show is bittersweet because it oozes potential but trickles on actual delivery. I hope the creators mop up their act in the 3rd season.

Edit: Now, why am I not surprised that it got cancelled? Instead of focusing on the main character(s), this season, the show sought to make a supporting character out of Prof. Drecker, and almost succeeded in doing so. Instead of streamlining the plot, it brought in even more 'players', and instead of taking a direction with them, still huffed and puffed its way towards nothing. Damn shame, because it was such a great idea and Thomas Jane fit the part perfectly. Oh well, life goes on!

A show about a middle aged teacher who decides on a career change in male prostitution.

Really? They offer that in community college? I swear HBO (and Showtime and the rest) have a play book tucked away somewhere for their writers. Most of whom likely have an IQ under 10. One book is for stupid plot outlines. The other is the standard manual for shooting the endless nudity and sex scenes.

Once again we have an HBO soft core sex scene (or two) of the week series. And they really--really--expect normal educated viewers to buy into this ridiculous junk? Thomas Jane is naked so much I'd mail him 50 cents to keep his clothes on for awhile. Why do actors assume that they are so hot we simply must see them over and over and over again. I can now tell you what the next sex scene shot will be before you see it, it's so predictable. HBO cranks this stuff out like cheap fast food hamburger and it has just about as much appeal. Who can seriously suggest this fluff is "brilliant?" In an interview Mr. Jane comments (crowing) that he has been naked more often on the set with cast and crew than at home with his wife. I wonder if she considers that a blessing or a curse. Anyway, everyone has to be good at something and if this is Jane's best...well, it beats actually working.

No one does loser-hero characters better than Payne. The story of "big Ray" satisfying rich women was worth a look. Thomas Jane and Jane Adams do excellent jobs but there is nothing else interesting here. The plot lines are all over the place after only 5 episodes. Before the show's premise can even get off the ground, Ray goes from insecure stud, to confident prostitute to falling in love with a customer. His ex-wife goes from rich to poor and from cold to caring. Not enough character development to pull these shifts so quickly. The kids are truly annoying. I don't see how it can recover from that miscasting. Overall, it is not just that interesting. You can wait around to get your "Boogie Nights" thrill but I don't see how HBO could justify more episodes.

Hung is a classic case of a great premise that has been terribly mishandled. The plot of the show is centered around Ray Drecker, who turns to male prostitution in a last ditch attempt to turn his increasingly pathetic life around. However, the pilot moves forward slowly, highlighting more of Drecker's pathetic life and his initial foray into "the world's oldest profession". By the end of the first episode, the viewer doesn't really connect with any of the characters and the plot seems to have gone nowhere. The primary actors attempt to make the most of the material they have, but, ultimately, they fall flat in attempting to be likable to the audience.

The biggest issue is how casually the problems of Drecker were introduced, nonchalantly stacked on one another without emotional string pulling, so much so that the audience can clearly SEE the problems in Drecker's life, but don't really feeling the desperation of man that has no option but to market himself.

Lack of emotional attachment and a slow plot reveal drug the pilot down so much that half way through the episode, I wished I had a commercial break just to give myself an excuse to flip the channel. This is not a great start for this new "comedy" on HBO... but I have high hopes that things will turn around as the season progresses.

Who made this stuff, I had to have a shower after watching an episode because I felt dirty. This is a stupid premise and the actors didn't convince me- all from Sianoa Smit-McPhee the automaton, to the main actor were totally unconvincing.

The coda of this show is if you are too lazy to work, become a prostitute and act like a victim (when you have parents who leave you a house for crying out loud). Is this aimed at women or men? The new Sex in the City? Or a Deuce Bigalow wannabe? I was waiting for the pimp from Deuce Bigalow to pop in and drop and ice cream in Mr Hung's dirty house for a laugh...but who would have noticed among the other rubbish on the floor of this "victim"?

And sexual of course. There is nudity (though I can't recall male full frontal nudity, not that I minded) and there is sexual situation. It touches upon subjects (no pun intended) that are considered taboo. But it's HBO it can do that and goes to that places. One of the thing that surprised me the most, is that it's not so much about the male protagonist (a brilliant Thomas Jane), but more about empowerment. Especially of/for women, which is really nice to see.

It might have ended prematurely (again no pun intended), but it sort closed most things neatly. There are things left unsaid and undone, but that's how things are in life. The general idea is great of course and the series is really well put together. It's not the best HBO show ever, but it's a good addition to their repertoire

This show is extremely entertaining…watched all three seasons and was very satisfied. :)

However….the premise of the show (i.e. big d*** = pleasure) is ludicrous. You can have a big member and not know how to use it, and then just leave a woman feeling less than satisfied. The more sexual encounters Ray has, the more derisive I feel about his ability to please a woman sexually. The show assumes that all women get off in the same way and will pay for it. A more realistic version of this show would be what the show started out portraying: rich, older, lonely, married, women who could afford to pay for an orgasm. Most attractive women nowadays wouldn't even consider such an expense when all you have to do is go down to a local bar and let it be known you're looking for a hookup…but I digress.

For all the talk of liberating women and whatnot by the writers/directors, it's just another opportunity for HBO to show a bunch of T&A, and pretend that all women get off on BigD alone. The plot is mediocre, Tanya is a spazz, and the character development is minimal. But if you like a lot of sex and some humorously awkward situations…have at it hoss.

All that being said, I love Thomas Jane. He's amazing. And the character Lenore is phenomenal.

Other than the fact that this show got cancelled by HBO it was a great and funny compared to your average TV series and also it was very unique in its own way it always had me impatiently waiting for the next episode or season. Not only was it funny but the acting and actors fit in perfect into their parts for the the story and the story was very different then your average comedy TV series. Hopefully HBO or another network will pick it up and provide us with one last season or a TV movie like they did with "Hello Ladies" so we can all be left with a proper ending and not left on a bad cliffhanger witch I think no show that people spent years watching should.

There are many aspects of this show that are good. The storyline - man needs money, man decides to get money for sex, man and woman work together in the business.

Here is the problem: 1. The man (Ray) is dense and no matter how long he does it, he continues to not see how to actually do his job properly. The voice overs are just lame, its an attempt to give this guy some depth of thought. The man fails to learn from anything, including expecting anything other than idiot behaviors from Tanya. They drive to get her money, but its not until she and ray get there they decide to argue about what they should do. Even idiots would have sorted out some type of plan while they were driving to the location.

2. Tanya is a character I want to just take her face and squish it so hard it makes her ears fall off. She is jumpy, fumbly, and absurd. Why would anyone even find her even remotely likable? There are characters in shows that are wacky and silly AND likable... this character is nothing other than annoying and pathetic.

3. Actually almost everyone else is interesting and likable (if intended to be likable) and appropriately unlikeable.

It would be nice if they could continue the storyline, they just need to get some better writing and apply just a slight hint of common sense.

HBO has another hit with this show. Hung is great show that I hope gets green lighted for more seasons. This show is interesting and fun to watch. Thomas Jane is excellent in this role and was great in The Punisher. His character is well balanced and he is just one cool dude. This last episode, "Doris is Dead", in which one of his clients played by Natalie Zea is a wickedly good show. HBO and the producers need to add her to the cast a regular. She seems to have a good chemistry with him. She would have a positive effect on this show. It's good to see HBO with a another great show since Showtime has been kicking HBO's ass for a couple of years. So its thumbs up for me,.

A silly, sophomoric premise delivered with ham-fisted cynicism. A shame, really, because there's some real talent involved here.

The show misses on all counts: it's not funny, sophisticated, insightful, interesting or entertaining.

Worse, it takes itself VERY seriously. It's like hearing a great joke told by someone with no comic timing.

It's like a college freshman who's just discovered Nietzsche. Terribly exciting for them, but tedious for the rest of us!

It's neither edgy nor innovative. It parades its essential narcissism without apology.

A swing and a miss for HBO.

HBO has always been one to be known to push the envelope with original series and programming and with this series "Hung" they once again have. It's outspoken and it's material is complex and very sexy in nature while being blended with funny stories. Yet it stays true to the current times of the economic recession and people having it rough to make ends meet. And very fitting the series is set in Detroit a city that's been affected the most with hard times and a person with do just about anything for a buck.

The series plot involves a man Ray Drecker(Thomas Jane)who was an ex high school star athlete and his current job is that of being a high school teacher and coach. All of a sudden Ray's life goes up in flames his classy and sophisticated ex sweetheart cheerleader wife Jessica(Anne Heche)has divorced him and left for a man with a bigger pocket a dermatologist. So Ray has lost it all his house, even his two nerdy and overweight slacker kids and you guessed it he's broke.

And with a tough job market he needs something to supplement his income so it's with his meeting of a local Detroit woman the lonely and scattered brained Tanya(Jane Adams)who's an apparent mentor and motivational job placement adviser an ideal comes to mind. You would have never guessed it Ray becomes a male prostitute! As the motor city has plenty of lonely and desperate horny housewives. As with any business that goes especially this one a sex for sell aside from pleasure it gets complex and guilt is felt even though the money is good. Tanya will branch out to a local business lady to run the service someone who has the business and money making knowledge that happens to be the sexy and elegant Lenore(Rebecca Creskoff)who's a flat witch of a personality.

Along the way this series shows plenty of skin it's fun to watch and it's funny as some of the episodes stories make you laugh. As a man desperate enough to become a male hooker has it's funny moments, still a lifestyle like this aside from the money has feelings of guilt and pain making feelings and life complex that's one reason aside from the sexy nature of this series that makes it so watchable. So be like me and many others and get "Hung" on HBO's "Hung".

A funny series with great acting and situations. Tanya (played by Kagle) is extremely irritating by Season 2. She's a super hyperactive, two faced, whinning, unstable, self centered hypocrite that ought to be in a hospital. and nobody ought to trust her with anything especially business. Kagle seems to play roles like this. She's mousy and super self centered scatter brained broad i'm amazed Ray has anything to do with her. I suppose it's to the shows created i get irritated by her because so does most everyone else in the flick.