Hung

Desperate times call for desperate measures and Ray Drecker's situation couldn't be much tougher. The former high school sports legend turned middle-aged high school basketball coach is divorced and struggling to provide for his kids when his already run-down house catches fire. Looking to take on a second job, Ray decides to exploit his best asset in a last-ditch attempt to change his fortunes.

Hung (2009-2011) is an American HBO dark comedy drama series created by Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson. Thomas Jane plays Ray Drecker, a former high school sports legend who has become a divorced, middle-aged high school basketball coach struggling to support his two children. When his already run-down house catches fire, he turns to a desperate second job, using his body as a moneymaking asset. Jane Adams co-stars as Tanya Skagle, the enterprising figure who shapes his new venture, while Charlie Saxton and Sianoa Smit-McPhee play his sons and daughter. Ray's engine is simple: every week he needs more cash, and every dollar he earns from the hustle threatens the family life he is trying to save. The three seasons, all ten episodes each, move through a series of schemes, awkward client encounters, and tense domestic moments in a modest American town. The tone mixes sharp comedy with a melancholic undercurrent of failure and regret, with the sex work premise handled as a bleak hustle rather than a thrill. Fans of Shameless, Californication, and Breaking Bad will find resonance in its flawed antihero, its moral compromises, and its dark, ironic take on the American middle class.

Audiences rated the series positively overall, praising its dark comedy and Thomas Jane's lead performance while finding the premise's sex-work plot increasingly strained over its run.

• Shameless (US)dark comedy tone, morally compromised protagonist, midlife crisis premise
• Californicationprestige cable dark comedy, flawed antihero, sexual and domestic dysfunction
• Breaking Baddramedy about a desperate middle-aged man, bleak humor, moral compromise

Created by

Dmitry Lipkin, Colette Burson

Release Date

2009-06-28

Episode runtime

28 min

Rating

7.2 / 10 (217)

What is Hung about?

A divorced former high school basketball star turned coach becomes a reluctant escort to keep his family afloat.

What is Hung like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hung as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Hung violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Hung as mild.

What did critics think of Hung?

Audiences rated the series positively overall, praising its dark comedy and Thomas Jane's lead performance while finding the premise's sex-work plot increasingly strained over its run.

Which shows are like Hung?

Shows with a similar feel include Shameless (US), Californication, and Breaking Bad.

How long is Hung?

Hung: 3 seasons, 30 episodes.

Is Hung still running?

No, Hung has ended.

Where can I watch Hung?

In United States, Hung streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.