# Hung - anyone?



## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

New HBO Series premieres June 28.
Looks funny, my type of show.
I hope it is not a one-joke thing.
I love HBO!

Wait...would there be a preview anywhere?


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## photoshopgrl (Nov 22, 2008)

I'll check it out because I like Thomas Jane and Anne Heche.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

always


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

I added an auto-record for it on my Wishlist when I read about it in Entertainment Weekly's TV preview issue. It seems to me like the kind of show that could be pretty ridiculous, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt to _any_ HBO Original programming.


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## Fl_Gulfer (May 27, 2005)

Hung - anyone? Hmmmm that can be taken many different ways. But I'm going to check it out on HBO


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## cowboys2002 (Jun 15, 2001)

Fl_Gulfer said:


> Hung - anyone? Hmmmm that can be taken many different ways. But I'm going to check it out on HBO


I was SO tryiing not to go there!!


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

cowboys2002 said:


> I was SO trying not to go there!!


Oh, COME on.....


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## TIVO_GUY_HERE (Jul 10, 2000)

Sadly no....


HBO that is.


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## Ekims (Oct 18, 2002)

Like a light switch 

and yes, I will watch the show because Showtime/HBO series are usually pretty good.


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

How can you _not_ watch it?


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## BobB (Aug 26, 2002)

Previews look good. Just set the SP. 

I have a feeling that like other shows with a gimmick, such as Big Love (polygamy), Weeds (suburban pot-dealing housewife), and United States of Tara (multiple personalities), this one will sink or swim based on the writing and character development more than the exploitation of the gimmick itself.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

SP set as soon as it showed up on the guide...this has great potential...


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## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

Watched the pre-air....
I will wait so as not to ruin it for anyone, but I am anxious to hear the reactions here.


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## Neenahboy (Apr 8, 2004)

jilter said:


> Watched the pre-air....


Where'd you get it from? EZTV's been down for at least 24 hours, and I can't find it on Mininova or Isohunt.


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## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

I never go anywhere but TVT, but it was down for awhile (23 & 24) last week, so I believe it was....<checking history> yes, sorry...it was EZTV.

BTW, it had the watermark of HBO throughout the episode. A bit annoying.


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## rrrobinsonjr (Nov 26, 2004)

I don't think the lead is particularly interesting. The writing was obvious and predictable. The peripheral characters were written one-dimensionally....The kids, Anne Heche and her mother. I don't see how it can go anywhere but down the repetitive path of him meeting wacky customers. The side stories are not promising.

I'll stick with it a few more weeks.


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## TiVo'Brien (Feb 8, 2002)

I thought it was pretty decent. They loaded up the pilot with a lot of potential story lines so at least it won't only be about his gigolo gigs.

My wife and I got a kick out of his "full baseball scholarship to the University of Central Florida". We both graduated from and work there! Funny to hear it mentioned.


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## speedcouch (Oct 23, 2003)

My husband and I watched the premiere last night. I thought it was pretty good - he was less enthused. I'm setting a season pass for it. Great to have anythine halfway decent to watch during the summer months!


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## jschuur (Nov 27, 2002)

rrrobinsonjr said:


> I don't think the lead is particularly interesting. The writing was obvious and predictable. The peripheral characters were written one-dimensionally....The kids, Anne Heche and her mother. I don't see how it can go anywhere but down the repetitive path of him meeting wacky customers. The side stories are not promising.
> 
> I'll stick with it a few more weeks.


This isn't meant to be a personal attack, but there's a commentary in there somewhere about the state of American TV viewers today. Not about TV, but about the viewers.

When it comes to pilots, I just judge them by whether or not I want to see the next episode, no more, no less. As far as the characters being one-dimensional, every line starts out as a period, which is about as one dimensional as it gets. Pilots always have a lot of backdrop to fill out, that's why they're (usually) the start of a series and not a movie.


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## pjenkins (Mar 8, 1999)

I found a few laughs that will make me keep the SP around for a bit, though I'm not sure the lead character is very likeable, we'll see if he grows on me (lol, that came out wrong )


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## gossamer88 (Jul 27, 2005)

A little slow. But I'll also keep the SP for now.


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## RGM1138 (Oct 6, 1999)

Man, this guy's life is depressing. All of a sudden, mine is peachy by comparison. 

Bob


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## rrrobinsonjr (Nov 26, 2004)

jschuur said:


> This isn't meant to be a personal attack, but there's a commentary in there somewhere about the state of American TV viewers today. Not about TV, but about the viewers.
> 
> When it comes to pilots, I just judge them by whether or not I want to see the next episode, no more, no less. As far as the characters being one-dimensional, every line starts out as a period, which is about as one dimensional as it gets. Pilots always have a lot of backdrop to fill out, that's why they're (usually) the start of a series and not a movie.


I don't disagree with you about American TV viewers attention span and your point about pilots is valid. This has nothing to do with me, so I don't feel attacked.

I said I wasn't going to bail yet. I'll give it time to develop. I don't hold out much hope though and I'm not an average viewer by any stretch. If I bail on a show early it's because I've got tons of other things to watch. Mad Men starts soon, three nights of Big Brother, Eureka, and Six Feet Under on DVD will fill my TV viewing.

I'm 99% accurate about making a quick assessment on a TV show. It's rare that a show improves a great deal after the pilot. There are few exceptions to this for me. 30 Rock is the only example I can think of off the top of my head.


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## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

Wait, 30 Rock got better?
I bailed after trying to watch the pilot. (!)


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

jschuur said:


> When it comes to pilots, I just judge them by whether or not I want to see the next episode, no more, no less.


I couldn't agree more. That's the whole point of a pilot: set up a situation so that the viewer wants more.

Personally, I didn't find anything appealing in this episode. Not one character, plot point, or line of dialog seemed original or interesting. My wife felt the same. Since we do have considerable confidence in HBO, we're going to give the second episode a chance. But if this were on any other network we would not have even finished watching the pilot.


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

Dawghows said:


> I couldn't agree more. That's the whole point of a pilot: *set up a situation so that the viewer wants more*.
> 
> Personally, I didn't find anything appealing in this episode. Not one character, plot point, or line of dialog seemed original or interesting. My wife felt the same. Since we do have considerable confidence in HBO, we're going to give the second episode a chance. But if this were on any other network we would not have even finished watching the pilot.


Then it failed. I don't care if I ever see any of these people again, ever.


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

I'm not hooked yet, but I'll give it a bit of slack since nothing else is really on. I'm surprised it is a 1 hour slot. Is that just for the pilot?


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## Craigbob (Dec 2, 2006)

I caught the pilot anf and I agree his life is so depressing it makes mine look positively amazing. While the characters are a bit flat, and it has the chance of being a one joke show, I'm willing to give it a few weeks. If it doesn't catch me by week three, well, buh - bye.


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## Sparty99 (Dec 4, 2001)

I'll give it a chance. Having them tearing down Tiger Stadium as the first scene of the show was a bit bothersome to me, although I knew what they were doing. It's definitely worth as a summer show, but I'm anxiously awaiting Entourage. I don't quite get the move of premiering it this week and then waiting 2 weeks for the second episode.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

It was ok, and I agree, no compelling characters. I'll keep watching because it looked like it might have some potential.


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## speaker city (Sep 28, 2005)

Man, those opening shots of depleted Detroit landmarks really struck a nerve. 

I am going to stick with it. I think it has a lot of promise. It has a lot of similarities to Weeds, but it seems a lot smarter and more realistic. I smoke cannabis almost everyday and I can't stand Weeds. I'm hoping Hung will take the premise of a suburban parent forced into an illegal trade and actually make an entertaining show out of it.


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## janry (Jan 2, 2003)

I mildly enjoyed the pilot. I'll give it another shot. 

I hope the neighbor's wife turns out to be one of his best clients.


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## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

I am not sure I understand the casting of the "pimp"
Does not seem too realistic to me.


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## janry (Jan 2, 2003)

jilter said:


> I am not sure ii understand the casting of the "pimp"
> Does not seem too realistic to me.


That he would have a pimp or that she doesn't seem pimp-like?


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## BobB (Aug 26, 2002)

jilter said:


> I am not sure I understand the casting of the "pimp"
> Does not seem too realistic to me.


Why not? She's a poet, she needs to find SOME way to make money. She knows the guy, she's casual about sex, she clearly has a better understanding of how to approach women on the subject than our clueless protagonist. It's off the wall but I'm going along with it. Plus I love the actress, she's so wonderfully goofy-looking and yet still sexy.

Overall I think this show has potential. Keep in mind United States of Tara -at the start we were all saying it's an interesting premise but how the heck will they keep it going once we get beyond "Omigod she has multiple personalities"? The secondary characters got well fleshed out as it went along, and I think - at least I hope - that the same will happen here. I think his kids, for example, have great potential, all the more so since we've been introduced to them in a way that makes it pretty easy to stereotype them. Mark my words, they'll break out of those stereotypes soon.


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## jtlytle (May 17, 2005)

Saw the show, and like it. Will keep that show in my SP for now.


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## Gregor (Feb 18, 2002)

Saw it, need to watch a few more eps before deciding.


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## justapixel (Sep 27, 2001)

Saw it last night. I liked it quite a bit, husband a bit less than me. I think the flat affect of the main character is deliberate - and it worked for me. It fits in with a guy who thinks his only redeeming quality is he's "hung."

If you think about it too hard, of course it's silly. Poetry bread and male escort and house burning down, ex married to a doctor, and rich snobby neighbor - but somehow it all worked for me. We'll see what happens down the road but it's a keeper for me.

On another note, if I was Anne Heche's husband I'd be very worried. I believe she has had an affair with anybody she's ever been in a show with. And, they main character is kind of hunky. And, apparently, hung. 

She sure looked awful in the pilot though - what the heck was that bag she was wearing? Maybe she's supposed to be dowdy in this one?


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## janry (Jan 2, 2003)

It really wouldn't surprise me if the guy never actually gets paid for intercourse. I can see where everytime he goes for a job, it winds up like the pilot, or the client just wants to talk, or just wants an escort, or wants someone to make her boyfriend jealous, or some wacky reason.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I'm waiting for it to get good.....it could go either way. This week's episode was pretty good.


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## BobB (Aug 26, 2002)

I thought this episode was great, much funnier than the pilot since it required less exposition so they had more time to play with the characters. I'm hooked already.


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## janry (Jan 2, 2003)

I must have watched a different 2nd episode than the previous two posters.


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## brebeans (Sep 5, 2003)

I think it's pretty interesting so far and will keep watching.
I think the 30 minute format works well and I really liked the second episode.


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## marksman (Mar 4, 2002)

I think it has been interesting so far. I think it shines a pretty interesting light on why guys are much less capable of being man-whores than vice-versa.


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## heySkippy (Jul 2, 2001)

We just watched the first 2 episodes and liked it quite a bit. SP set.


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## speaker city (Sep 28, 2005)

Alright, so the ball is finally rolling. Tanya and Lenore have lined up some marks for Ray.

That commercial Jessica was watching with the sad-looking animals and depressing music is just like this SPCA commercial

Koontz's wife sure seemed to like the poetry cookie telling her she was sexy. Something tells me she might end up seeking Ray's services.

I really enjoyed the version of This Land played during the credits.
You can hear the track here.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

speaker city said:


> Alright, so the ball is finally rolling. Tanya and Lenore have lined up some marks for Ray.
> 
> That commercial Jessica was watching with the sad-looking animals and depressing music is just like this SPCA commercial
> 
> ...


So do you think the cookie that Koontz wife opened was meant to be there or that Ray had no idea, and this might turn into a windfall? Also, the cookie thing could be used as marketing. I think that is where they are leading.

I think this was the best of the 3 episodes so far. It's not my fav show of the summer, but it's holding my interest.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

speaker city said:


> Alright, so the ball is finally rolling. Tanya and Lenore have lined up some marks for Ray.
> 
> That commercial Jessica was watching with the sad-looking animals and depressing music is just like this SPCA commercial
> 
> ...


My prediction is that Anne Heche will end up seeking Ray's services, obviously not realizing who she is lining up.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Bob Coxner said:


> My prediction is that Anne Heche will end up seeking Ray's services, obviously not realizing who she is lining up.


Good call. I can see that happening as well.

BTW, she looks terrible on this show. A far cry from how she looked in Men In Trees.


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## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

I am still very uncomfortable with the casting of Jane Adams.
She is not believable, whiny, dressed terribly, and looks like she never washes or brushes her hair. Plus her character does not strike me as particularly sharp in order to compensate for all of the above.

Thomas Jane, otoh is awesome. In every way.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

ep-specific thread can be found  here


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## bengalfreak (Oct 20, 2002)

Wow, I'm surprised at all the positive reaction here. I thought the pilot was pretty boring but then I'm usually disappointed in pilots. After watching the second episode, which was quite a bit worse than the pilot, I'm convinced that this show is terrible.


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

bengalfreak said:


> Wow, I'm surprised at all the positive reaction here. I thought the pilot was pretty boring but then I'm usually disappointed in pilots. After watching the second episode, which was quite a bit worse than the pilot, I'm convinced that this show is terrible.


I'm surprised, too. I wouldn't go so far as to call it terrible, but my wife and I both found it to be really flat. We tried three episodes and then deleted the SP.


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## Neenahboy (Apr 8, 2004)

So I've watched the first four episodes. A few thoughts:

- I agree with all the negative comments about the Jane Adams casting. She doesn't seem at all right for this. The kids were definitely miscast as well.

- Anne Heche doesn't look nearly as bad as I expected her to.

- I'm still not sure if this show will make it into my regular rotation. It's definitely a lot less intense than I normally like the first few eps of a cable series to be (especially considering that the season is only 13 episodes), and it seems as though they could very easily pull a Weeds and move entirely away from the main premise.


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## BobB (Aug 26, 2002)

Neenahboy said:


> So I've watched the first four episodes. A few thoughts:
> 
> - I agree with all the negative comments about the Jane Adams casting. She doesn't seem at all right for this. The kids were definitely miscast as well.


Sounds like this isn't the show for you then. I on the other hand find Jane Adams perfect in this role. She somehow manages to balance geeky with sexy and goofy with sensible in just the right amounts to make it believable. Anyone more traditionally Hollywood attractive would be completely wrong in the part.

As for the kids, I'm glad to see that they dared to choose actors who, again, aren't traditionally Hollywood-looking but are as awkward yet perceptive as many actual teens.

The weakest casting in the show to my mind is Anne Heche. I'm thinking they put her in for name value more than anything else.


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## brebeans (Sep 5, 2003)

I agree with Bob B.

I am liking this show more than I thought I would.
I think the kids work and seem more like "real" kids and not typical Hollywood kids.
And, I completely agree with Ann Heche. I never liked her, so I'm not surprised that I feel this way, but I'm glad to see that someone else thinks she's miscast. She doesn't bring anything to the role and she's pretty boring, I think.

I was happy to see the outcome of Ray's setup last week, too.

I'm hoping they can keep this going for awhile and still keep it interesting.
It's fun to watch something different than cops, doctors, lawyers and vampires (even though I love many of those shows!).

Food for thought though.....wonder what the reaction would be to a female equivalent of Ray.....i.e. a "prostitute". Think they could get away with a show like that? Or has there been one? ( I don't recall). Would be interesting, as would the reaction to it.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

brebeans said:


> Food for thought though.....wonder what the reaction would be to a female equivalent of Ray.....i.e. a "prostitute". Think they could get away with a show like that? Or has there been one? ( I don't recall). Would be interesting, as would the reaction to it.


there is a show like that...BBC makes it and it also plays on Showtime...Secret Diary of a Call Girl...very good show...


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## Sparty99 (Dec 4, 2001)

brebeans said:


> I think the kids work and seem more like "real" kids and not typical Hollywood kids.


As I said in one of the episode threads, my problem with the kids is they're not the realistic offspring of a coupling between Thomas Jane and Anne Heche. To be blunt, they're too heavy and not particularly attractive, which is fine, but you'd expect the kids of Ray and Jessica to be a little bit more along their lines in terms of attractiveness.

And the word "sexy" does not belong anywhere near a description of Jane Adams, at least not in this role.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

brebeans said:


> I agree with Bob B.
> 
> I am liking this show more than I thought I would.
> I think the kids work and seem more like "real" kids and not typical Hollywood kids.
> ...


I agree with this, except I don't think Anne Hetch is miscast as much as her part is under utilized. And I think she looks terrible. Not sure if that's on purpose or she just does, but I ddin't even recognize her for a long time. Far cry from how she looked in Men In Trees.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

Sparty99 said:


> As I said in one of the episode threads, my problem with the kids is they're not the realistic offspring of a coupling between Thomas Jane and Anne Heche. To be blunt, they're too heavy and not particularly attractive, which is fine, but you'd expect the kids of Ray and Jessica to be a little bit more along their lines in terms of attractiveness.
> 
> And the word "sexy" does not belong anywhere near a description of Jane Adams, at least not in this role.


you're not the only one to make this comment...so I'm not picking on you...but I look at it as part of the joke...this is kind of a comedy show, right?


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## Sparty99 (Dec 4, 2001)

Anubys said:


> you're not the only one to make this comment...so I'm not picking on you...but I look at it as part of the joke...this is kind of a comedy show, right?


It strikes me like Entourage in that it's not a pure comedy. I guess when it comes to the kids I'd like to be slapped in the face with the joke. The whole show is supposed to be set up by what a loser he is and how much his life has collapsed (which is why Detroit was used as the backdrop), so if it's part of the joke, I'd like to see something where he says, "Look at this, even my kids didn't turn out right...it's not like we're talking homecoming king and queen here."

I'm sure I'm being too harsh because I'm not exactly the best looking guy, but it just really doesn't make sense to me.


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## hyimted (Apr 13, 2003)

totally diggin' this show. i love the two main leads (took me forever to realize that was the guy from 'the myst'). the kids kinda bug me, but not so much. the mom is annoying ... but i guess she's supposed to be.

will definitely keep watching this.


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## TiVo'Brien (Feb 8, 2002)

I'm kind of enjoying it. You could say it's growing on me. 

The kids and the mom are totally wrong for the show, though. The kids really distract me, plus I totally don't see them as having been their parents' offspring, not genetically anyway. The parents are attractive and slim, the kids are unattractive and overweight - not that that can't happen, but on TV it's annoying.

Glad to see Ray finally went through with a real gig for once.


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## photoshopgrl (Nov 22, 2008)

Sparty99 said:


> As I said in one of the episode threads, my problem with the kids is they're not the realistic offspring of a coupling between Thomas Jane and Anne Heche. To be blunt, they're too heavy and not particularly attractive, which is fine, but you'd expect the kids of Ray and Jessica to be a little bit more along their lines in terms of attractiveness.


:up: My thoughts exactly. They could have found kids that maybe weren't candidates for prom king/queen without making them so obviously NOT possible offspring of the parents.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

photoshopgrl said:


> :up: My thoughts exactly. They could have found kids that maybe weren't candidates for prom king/queen without making them so obviously NOT possible offspring of the parents.


maybe they're not his


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## FilmCritic3000 (Oct 29, 2004)

BobB said:


> Sounds like this isn't the show for you then. I on the other hand find Jane Adams perfect in this role. She somehow manages to balance geeky with sexy and goofy with sensible in just the right amounts to make it believable. Anyone more traditionally Hollywood attractive would be completely wrong in the part..


I wholeheartedly agree, Bob.


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## Philosofy (Feb 21, 2000)

I'm enjoying the show, but I can't figure out why. Its not really funny. Yet they are developing the characters slowly and deliberately. Too many shows come out of the gate hitting you over the head on who the characters are. Hung is slowly building their cast. My only problem is I see the lead as a Christoper Lambert look a like.


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## marksman (Mar 4, 2002)

I kind of agree. I think I am enjoying the show. Although it is not really funny, and it is not a drama.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

Saw the last 2 eps tonight. I like it more now. I really enjoy the scenes at the school, and the characters are beginning to have some depth.

Plus, it was great to see Margo Martindale again; she always makes me laugh. Nina was one of my favorite TV characters.


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## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

Philosofy said:


> I'm enjoying the show, but I can't figure out why. Its not really funny. Yet they are developing the characters slowly and deliberately. Too many shows come out of the gate hitting you over the head on who the characters are. Hung is slowly building their cast. My only problem is I see the lead as a Christoper Lambert look a like.


_That's_ who he reminds me of!


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## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

I watched last night because it came on while I was surfing.
Last night's episode was truly good. G-d, Ray is so appealing.


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## dogcat321 (Jul 14, 2009)

I thought the 1st episode was good, but the 2nd was a bit of a let down...


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## janry (Jan 2, 2003)

They are going down a dangerous path in the latest episode IMO. The last thing this series needs is him to be in a 'steady' relationship. However I'm hopeful she is a nut and will dump him now that she has him hooked.


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## hyimted (Apr 13, 2003)

i think that chick (who, for the record, is pretty hot), is gonna cause all sorts of problems for him. she is *clearly* whacked ... so i think it's gonna be interesting.


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## brebeans (Sep 5, 2003)

hyimted said:


> i think that chick (who, for the record, is pretty hot), is gonna cause all sorts of problems for him. she is *clearly* whacked ... so i think it's gonna be interesting.


yup..what s/he said.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

brebeans said:


> yup..what s/he said.


I think this is leading to the possibility that his "steady" is going to threaten to expose him at some point. Either he's going to want to break it off, in which case she'll threaten him with exposure, or she'll try to extort him of something (not sure what yet, maybe ex-wife's supposed fortune, which looks like it might be gone).

I also don't like the fact that they are having him getting attached to one steady like that. One where the relationship is more than just her being a customer. I thought Jane Adams was excellent in this episode. You can see that her character is really falling for Ray, yet she wants to keep control of him somehow, so she's losing on both accounts. I see her breaking down at some point.


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## BobB (Aug 26, 2002)

hyimted said:


> i think that chick (who, for the record, is pretty hot), is gonna cause all sorts of problems for him. she is *clearly* whacked ... so i think it's gonna be interesting.


Absolutely. But I think we should start following the usual practice of creating a new spoiler-tagged thread for each episode. This thread started out as a general discussion of the show but has now turned into a spoiler-laden episode-by-episode discussion.

I'll start one, please join that instead of adding more spoilers to this.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

BobB said:


> Absolutely. But I think we should start following the usual practice of creating a new spoiler-tagged thread for each episode. This thread started out as a general discussion of the show but has now turned into a spoiler-laden episode-by-episode discussion.
> 
> I'll start one, please join that instead of adding more spoilers to this.


Lord knows I tried...I will follow you to the new thread...please post a link here so people who come here can see it and go to it...thanks!


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## BobB (Aug 26, 2002)

Anubys said:


> Lord knows I tried...I will follow you to the new thread...please post a link here so people who come here can see it and go to it...thanks!


Good idea - here's the link: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=431445


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