Hung

Ray Drecker used to be the guy everyone admired on the high school field, but years later his life has narrowed down to coaching teenagers, paying bills and looking after his kids after a divorce. When his old, rundown house is damaged by fire and money runs out, Ray decides to try something no one expects. Instead of hunting a conventional second job, he turns a painful vulnerability into a marketable advantage, offering himself in ways that complicate his sense of dignity, family relationships and small-town reputation. The show follows how this choice affects his parenting, friendships and self-image, mixing awkward humor with real stakes without resolving everything neatly.

Created by Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson, Hung premiered on HBO in 2009. The series stars Thomas Jane as Ray, with Jane Adams, Charlie Saxton, Sianoa Smit-McPhee and Rebecca Creskoff rounding out the principal cast, and it established an offbeat place in HBO's late 2000s lineup.

Hung drew some awards attention for performances and its bold premise, but it didn't turn into a major awards juggernaut. Critics and industry viewers noticed the risks the show took, yet big wins and long awards runs never followed.

The series stirred conversation by taking on male vulnerability, sex work and economic strain in a frank, sometimes uncomfortable way. Its unusual hook and matter-of-fact tone made it a talking point about masculinity and survival on cable television, and it remains one of HBO's more talked-about experiments from that era.

Critical response was mixed to positive, reflected in a Vote Average of 6.545/10 from 202 votes. Reviewers often praised Thomas Jane's performance and the show's willingness to treat taboo subject matter with dry humor, while some critics felt the tone wavered between sitcom and social drama. Recurring themes include parenting under pressure, shifting identity and the price of trying to get ahead.