Hung (HBO)

Single dad. Washed out pro ball player. High school basketball coach on a losing streak. Flat broke. Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane) seems like the very definition of down and out. By his own (very low) estimation, he’s really only got one standout quality: a very large penis. Not that his genitalia is enough, on its own, seems to be enough to get him ahead in life. But when his house burns down and he’s on the edge of financial ruin, Ray starts to reconsider: Maybe his penis can help him earn some extra cash. And thus is born a most unlikely gigolo.

As a conceit, HUNG seems pretty thin -- just as shallow as a bunch of high school guys (or older men who prefer not to grow up) who think that a big penis means so much more than it does. But this entertaining dramedy goes deeper than that. Yes, Ray seems glad to have been "blessed," and some of his lovers seem to appreciate it, including his extremely bitter ex-wife (Anne Heche), and Tanya (Jane Adams), a two-night-stand who becomes his pimp (she prefers to think of their business venture as an unusual marketing project).

But Hung isn’t just about sex. Sure, there are plenty of sex scenes featuring male and female nudity (though the title-making body part doesn't get any screen time). But this show is really about a regular guy trying to get by -- and how he deals with his choices. The scenes showing Ray with his clients are just a small portion of the show; the more interesting scenes show him juggling his increasingly complicated life (including hiding his new job from his two teenage kids) and his relationship with Tanya, who wants to teach him how to satisfy a woman (hint: It takes more than just a penis). And if Ray can learn that, it’s clear that he might be capable of learning much more.