News

Patricia Arquette is set to star in, direct, and executive produce the limited series “Love Canal” currently in development at Showtime, Variety has learned exclusively.

The series is based on the upcoming documentary “The Canal” by Will Battersby and upcoming book by journalist Keith O’Brien entitled “Paradise Falls.”

“Love Canal” is about a group of blue collar women who came together in the late 1970s to fight for environmental justice for their community. The women became activists when they realized that 20,000 tons of deadly chemicals were buried beneath their neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York. With little formal education or training, they took on the chemical industry and the US government and inspired the first major environmental rights legislation in the US.

Colette Burson is writing the series and will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold of Safehouse Pictures will also executive produce along with...

Exclusive: ABC is planting some heartland drama with Empire co-creator Danny Strong and Hung co-creator Colette Burson.

The Disney-owned network has put The Growing Season is development from the duo, I’ve learned.

The show is based on Sara Frey’s recently published The Growing Season: How I Built a New Life–and Saved an American Farm. Hitting shelves back in August, Frey’s memoir detailed the hardscrabble shift the rule breaking author made from rural poverty to creating a widely successfully family business that has now seen her dubbed “America’s Pumpkin Queen.”

The Anonymous Content-repped Burson will showrunner The Growing Season with Strong as a non-writing executive producer. Frey herself will served a co-ep and Danny Strong Productions chief Mandy Safavi will also serve as an EP on the 20th Television production, that comes with a penalty commitment.

In front of the camera himself in Showtime’s Billions...

"Hairstyles are temporary, but family is forever." Magnolia has debuted an official trailer for an indie comedy titled Permanent, set in the 1980s about a young girl who gets a special hairstyle to fit in. The title is, of course, referring to the 80's hairstyle called "permanent", or better known as a "perm", with big Farrah Fawcett-type curls. When she tries to get this done at the wrong place, it turns out to be a disaster, turning her into the laughing stock of the school. Kira McLean stars as Aurelie, along with Patricia Arquette and Rainn Wilson as her parents, plus Aidan Fiske, Jane McNeill, and Brian Bremer. This looks fun, quirky, and charming, in a quintessential indie way of course, which is why it also looks mostly forgettable. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Colette Burson's Permanent, direct from YouTube: Set in 1983 in small town Virginia,...

Magnolia Pictures has released the first trailer and poster for Permanent. This indie comedy is set in the early 80's in small town Virginia and "Perms" are all the rage. 13-year Aurelie dreams about getting one to finally fit in at her new school but when her clueless parents bring her to a hairdressing academy to save a few bucks, things go incredibly wrong. This is the story about adolescence, socially awkward family members and bad hair.

Bad hair day? Nope! More like a bad hair life. Set in 1982 in small town Virginia, Permanent centers around 13-year-old Aurelie Dickson (Kira McLean) and her parents, Jeanne and Jim (Patricia Arquette and Rainn Wilson). In this hilariously awkward and unique telling full of wit and wisdom of a hairstyle gone wrong, the Dicksons are struggling through major life changes together all the while trying desperately to emerge intact on the other side.

Exclusive: Company plans Us release later this year.

Magnolia Pictures will launch international sales in Cannes on the comedy Permanent starring Patricia Arquette and Rainn Wilson.

Colette Burson wrote and directed the 1980’s-set coming-of-age story about a young teenager who desperately wants a perm to make a fashion statement at school.

When her clueless parents take her to a hairdressing academy to save money, things go wrong. Newcomer Kira McLean rounds out the key cast.

Magnolia head of worldwide sales Scott Veltri and director of international sales Lorna Lee Sagebiel-Torres will introduce Permanent on the Croisette.

Magnolia plans a Us release later this year for the 2929 production in partnership with Park Pictures and Washington Square Films.

Mary Ann Marino, Haroula Rose, Sam Bisbee, and Joshua Blum produced the film.

Executive producers are Todd Wagner, Mark Cuban, Ben Cosgrove, Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Lance Acord, and Danielle Renfrew Behrens.

A new ’80s comedy is going to put a serious crimp in Patricia Arquette’s style—according to The Hollywood Reporter, the Oscar winner has just signed on to star in Colette Burson’s Permanent. The comedy is set in the ’80s, and will follow a family in the American South that’s just obsessed with hair. Arquette will presumably play the well-coiffed (or not) matriarch; she’s joined in the cast by Rainn Wilson, who’s already declared his excitement about working with the Boyhood star and Burson while “wearing a toupée and dressing exactly like my dad circa 1982.”

Wilson previously sported a questionable ’80s ’do in 2008’s The Rocker, but Arquette’s rarely had an onscreen bad hair day (not even in A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors). Michael Greene (Batteries Not Included, Return Of The Killer Tomatoes, we think?) and newcomer Kira McLea ...

Writer/director Colette Burson is currently directing Patricia Arquette, Rainn Wilson, Michael Greene and Kira McLean in a comedy that has been underway for weeks in Central Virginia called Permanent. The coming of age story is about an idiosyncratic family set in 1983 where they become obsessed about their hair. Burson is the creator and executive producer of the HBO television series Hung. 2929 Productions is financing in partnership with Park Pictures and Washington…...

Film Society Of Lincoln Center announced on Monday complete details for the interactive storytelling programme that runs from October 1-4 within the 54th New York Film Festival.

Convergence includes nine interactive experiences featuring virtual reality, augmented reality and installations.

Sound Hunters invites users to record the sounds of their world via an app by mixing and remixing their own electronic music compositions, while audience-directed heist film Late Shift gets its Us premiere

Click here for the full line-up.

Oscar winner and Boyhood star Patricia Arquette and Rainn Wilson are lining up for Colette Burson’s Permanent, which will shoot in Virginia this summer. Mary Ann Marino, Haroula Rose, Sam Bisbee, and Joshua Blum produce the comedy about an idiosyncratic family in the 1980s that seeks to be more artistic. 2929 Productions is financing in partnership with Park Pictures and Washington Square Films.

Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson spent countless hours working side by side, painstakingly writing and developing HBO's hit TV show "Hung" ... so, naturally they're getting a divorce.  The couple co-created the show starring Thomas Jane ... about a well endowed high school basketball coach who becomes a male prostitute.  According to the docs, Dmitry filed ... citing irreconcilable differences ... after 8 years of marriage. He's requesting joint custody of their two kids -- a girl and boy, ages...

Los Cabos International Film Festival will offer, within its industry activities, a total of Usd $227,000 to support projects from Mexico, the U.S.A. and Canada.

In its Third Edition, in an effort to contribute the development and consolidation of the North American film industry, presents as part of its industry activities, the first Mexico-usa-Canada Co-production Forum .

Los Cabos Film Festival , announces the 13 participant projects in the Forum:

Afronauts by Frances Bodomo (USA). Coward by Boris Rodriguez, an Anne Marie Gélinas production (Canada). The Other Tom by Rodrigo Plá, a Sandino Saravia production (Mexico). First Match by Olivia Newman, a Veronica Nickel and Chanelle Elaine production (USA). Away from Meaning by Olivia Luengas Magaña, a Vanessa Romo Gutiérrez production (Mexico). Butterfly by Maria Saakya, a Jeff Kalousdian production (USA). Museum by Alonso Ruizpalacios, a Manuel Alcalá and Alberto Muffelman production (Mexico). Permanent by Colette Burson, a Haroula Rose and Joshua Blum production (USA). Taganga by Ciro Guerra, a Katrin Pors and Serge Noel production (Canada- Colombia). Wolverine Hotel by Patricia Chica, a Byron A. Martin production (Canada). X Quinientos by Juan Andrés Arango, a Edher Campos and Yanick Letourneau production (Canada- Mexico- Colombia). I’m No Longer Here by Fernando Frías, a Gerry Kim and Mayuran Tiruchelvam production (Mexico- USA). Yamaha 300 by Jorge Michel Grau, a Mayra Espinosa Castro production (Mexico - USA). Representatives from each project will have access to a series of one-to-one meetings with key members of the international film industry and potential co-producers.

The Co-production Forum Jury, composed of Fabien Westerhoff , Sales and Distribution Director at WestEnd Films (UK), Nick Ogiony , Sales Agent at Creative Artists Agency (USA) and Lyse Lafontaine , renowned Canadian producer, will announce the winning project at the Festival, which will receive a cash prize of Usd $8,000.

Also, the recognized studios Splendor - Omnia Mantarraya will award a prize valued at Usd$30,000 to one of the participating projects, consisting of a 40 hours of color correction, 40 hours of sound mixing, accommodation and food for two people in Tepoztlán, Mexico.

Supporting the completion of Mexican feature or documentary films in post-production stage, Los Cabos Film Festival has announced the six films participating in the second Work In Progress Mexico :

El charro de Toluquilla by José Villalobos Romero, a Sergio Adrián Morkin and José Villalobos Romero production. Charity by Marcelino Islas Hernández, a Santiago García Galván production. Heirs by Jorge Hernández Aldana, a Michel Franco production. Light Feet by Juan Carlos Núñez, a Henry Lesperance Álvarez production. You Will Know what to Do with Me by Katina Medina Mora, a Gerardo Gatica and Alberto Muffelmann production. Holy Days by Alejandra Márquez Abella, a Nicolás Celis and Sebastián Celis production.

Jaie Laplante, Director of the Miami International Film Festival (USA), Nicole Mackey, Vice President of sales agency Fortissimo Films (UK), and Nate Bolotin, Xyz Films cofounder (USA), as members of the Work In Progress Mexico Jury, will evaluate six films that compete for a cash prize of Usd$10,000 .

The TV station Fox+ will also award a prize of Usd $30,000 to one of the participating films (the equivalent to the anticipated purchase of broadcast rights for Latin America and the Caribbean, excluding Brazil through the channel’s windows). And the outstanding post-production company Chemistry will award a prize worth Usd $45,000 consisting of 80 hours of color correction, 40 hours of conform and digital mastering, and packaging in Dcp.

In addition, the two winning films of the Post-production Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund , each received from Labodigital’s Usd $52,000 in post-production services. These two films will also be part of the Work In Progress Mexico selection.

Hung co-creator Colette Burson is re-teaming with Anne Heche (who had a supporting role on that show) on a new comedy for NBC that the two are co-writing, with Heche likely to star. The show will center on the manager of a department store's beauty section, who "turns a comic yet anthropological eye on what love and sex really mean for women." She'll have help from her "hilariously opinionated" sister, her co-workers, and whoever happens to walk past her beauty counter, one hand up to shield themselves from being spritzed by perfume, because if it's anything like ...

News

Now that FX has ordered a fourth season of American Horror Story, EW reports that Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett are likely to return. Ryan Murphy says he has invited both performers to return and both are eager to return. Click on the link to find out about the bonkers gift basket Bates sent to the Ahs writers.

Yes. Just yes.

In an interview with NPR, creator Shonda Rhimes says she doesn’t expect Scandal to have a long run like Grey’s Anatomy since she has an end in mind for Scandal. “I feel like there is a finite amount of Scandal to be told … I can see where the end point is. And I don’t think I’m going to change that.”

Meanwhile, Scandal‘s audience is heavily female. However, Vulture argues why more men should be watching with comparisons to guy-skewing shows like 24, Mad Men and Breaking Bad.

All you HecheHeads must be blowing up the message boards right now, now that the Save Me actress has sold a single-camera comedy to NBC with Hung co-creator Colette Burson. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Heche is set to potentially star in the as yet unnamed new sitcom as "beauty department sales manager Poppy Blake, 43, who questions everything about love and relationships," and oh boy, that "potentially" means you're not getting any sleep tonight!

If at first you don’t succeed, try again with a different premise!

NBC and Anne Heche, whose most recent sitcom collaboration (the short-lived Save Me) crashed and burned, are giving it another go.

Per Deadline, Heche is developing a new untitled comedy series for the Peacock Net that would find her playing the sales manager at a department store’s beauty counter who questions everything about love and relationships.

Heche — who is currently recurring on The Michael J. Fox Show — will co-write the pilot script with her former Hung colleague, writer-producer Colette Burson.

Hung co-creator/ executive producer Colette Burson has teamed with the series’ co-star Anne Heche for another half-hour single-camera project, this time at NBC. The two will co-write the comedy, which may serve as a potential starring vehicle for Heche. It centers on Beauty Department Sales Manager Poppy Blake, 43, who questions everything about love and relationships. With the help of her hilariously opinionated sister Chelsea, her romantically deprived co-workers, and a vast array of department store clients, Poppy turns a comic yet anthropological eye on what love and sex really mean for women. The project stems from Heche’s first-look deal with Universal Television, which will produce the comedy. Burson and Heche executive produce. This marks the first half-hour network sale for Burson who, along with her husband — Hung co-creator Dmitry Lipkin — have a cable overall deal at Fox 21. She is with UTA and Gang Tyre. Heche, repped by UTA,...

Anne Heche is reteaming with Hung co-creator Colette Burson. The duo has sold a single-camera comedy to NBC as a potential starring vehicle for the Save Me actress, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The untitled comedy, which received a script commitment from the network, centers on beauty department sales manager Poppy Blake, 43, who questions everything about love and relationships. With the help of her hilariously opinionated sister Chelsea, her romantically deprived co-workers and an array of department store clients, Poppy turns a comic yet anthropological eye on what love and sex really mean for women. Photos:

read more...

Chicago – HBO finally broke through with their first major new comedy successes since “Entourage” this year with the amazing “Girls” and “Veep.” There were a few growing pains between the critical darlings however, a trio of shows that never quite took off like their breakthrough network hoped they would. And yet there are things to like about at least two of them and they probably have some loyal audiences who want to own them on Blu-ray. Now they can.

Bored to Death: The Complete Third Season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 4, 2012

Photo credit: HBO

“Bored to Death: The Complete Third Season”

Rating: 3.0/5.0

The third and final season of Jonathan Ames’ hipster comedy is typically inconsistent for a show that never quite found the right rhythm. Having said that, there were always elements of “Bored to Death” that worked, most notably a spectacular cast led by Jason Schwartzman,...

Showtime is developing a new show from the co-creators of HBO’s Hung entitled Sleep No More, Deadline reports.

Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson, who also wrote The Riches, will write and executive produce the supernatural thriller, in which the dead keep returning to life in a small town. It’s very early, so that’s all we got, but hey, it’s got dead people in it, which is always a plus.

Showtime is in desperate need of another 'cash cow' now that Dexter is winding down. As such they're developing a new supernatural series that has a very impressive pedigree behind it.

This new series, titled Sleep No More is being developed with Hung co-creators Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson. The show is set in a mysterious small town where the dead are returning to life. Not much else is known about it at this time, but the premise can't help but remind of of Dead & Buried, and that alone is enough to make me curious.

Lipkin and Burson will do double duty as writers and executive producers. We're still in the early stages of this one, but don't fret. We'll keep you appraised of all things Sleep No More as we hear it. In the meantime, take two minutes and savor this excellent trailer for Dan O' Bannon's 80s classic Dead & Buried.

Showtime is developing a supernatural thriller series titled Sleep No More, which Deadline says revolves around "a town where the dead keep returning to life." While that's kind of a placeholder title for something spooky, we're hoping it's based on the incredible, interactive NYC theater experience. (Like, really hoping. Desperately.) Hung co-creators Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson (pictured) are running the show.

Exclusive: Showtime is developing a new series from Hung co-creators Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson. Called Sleep No More, the Fox 21-produced supernatural thriller tells the tale of a town where the dead keep returning to life. Lipkin and Burson were the creators of The Riches and co-creators of HBO’s now cancelled moonlighting male prostitute series Hung. The husband-and-wife team will serve as executive producers and writers. This is the first project from the duo in their recent two-year deal with Fox’s cable and reality TV division. Fox 21 produces FX’s Sons Of Anarchy and Showtime’s Homeland and recently announced a two-year pod deal with Oscar-winning screenwriter Stephen Gaghan. Lipkin is repped by CAA. Burson is repped by UTA.

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Sept. 4, 2012

Price: DVD $39.99, Blu-ray $49.99

Studio: HBO/Warner

Thomas Jane is the exceptionally endowed Ray Drecker in Hung.

Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane, Give ‘Em Hell Malone) — the well-endowed former high school sports legend turned middle-age high school basketball coach turned local gigolo — returns for his third and final go-round in HBO’s comedy TV series Hung: Season 3.

HBO officially cancelled the television show in December, 2011 and will not renew it for a fourth season.

In the face of a (still) recession-plagued economy, Ray and his unlikely pimp Tanya (Jane Adams, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) take matters into their own by hands by opening the “Happiness Consultants Wellness Center for Women.” The center is a very public front for their gigolo enterprise complete with “orgasmic living” seminars and “private consultations.” However, just as the business begins to make money, their former partner Lenore (Rebecca Creskoff,...

Hung co-creators, the husband-and-wife writing team of Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson, have signed a two-year overall deal with Fox 21, 20th Century Fox TV’s cable and reality division which produces FX’s Sons Of Anarchy, Showtime’s Homeland and A&E’s Breakout Kings. This is only the second overall deal Fox 21 president Bert Salke has done since he took over the company a year-and-a-half ago, along with a cable pact with Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol co-writers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec. He plans to add to the roster but continue to be selective. “We really believe that what keeps (cable-focused) companies like Fox 21 relevant is our relationship with the creators, and Dmitry and Colette are the type of creators we want to be in business with.” He plans to sit down with the duo next week to discuss show ideas. The deal includes Lipkin and...

Stephen Amell (Jason), Thomas Jane (Ray), Jane Adams (Tanya)

Warning: This article contains minor spoilers about the upcoming season of Hung.

There's a new male prostitute in town, and he's young, hot, and maybe even heteroflexible – all things that are quite threatening to Ray Decker, the football-coach-turned-gigalo at the center of Hung, the provocative HBO series about a man whose most valuable asset is in his pants.

The show's star, Thomas Jane, raised eyebrows last month with some intemperate remarks that seemed to indicate that the actor had issues with same-sex sexuality as well.

"I told HBO, the year I end up with a penis in my mouth is the last year of the show," he said. "If they want to keep me around, there's certain guidelines they have to follow. Not all of us can be bloodsucking vampires. That's not all they're sucking, you know!"

Jane later clarified that...

Hung is kicking off its third season this Sunday, and I wanted to make sure you all got notice of the fact. I know there is a lot going on right now, and it's hard to keep track of everything, but don't let this show slip past you.

HBO Comedy Series Hung, Starring Thomas Jane, Jane Adams And Anne Heche, Returns For Its Ten-episode Third Season Oct. 2

Having skirted the watchful eyes of family and friends, Ray and Tanya are taking their business to the next level. But can they continue to fly under the radar of the law after setting up a new, very public front for their gigolo enterprise?

The Emmy®- and Golden Globe-nominated comedy series Hung kicks off its ten episode third season Sunday, Oct. 2 (10:00-10:30 p.m. Et/Pt), exclusively on HBO. Created by Colette Burson and Dmitry Lipkin, the show uses dark...

Whoever thought upscale prostitution solved problems never met Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane). Season 2 of HBO’s Hung is a delightful romp through several socially relevant issues that bring about thoughtful and uproarious laughs. Creators Colette Burson and Dmitry Lipkin continue to dig deep into the emotional layers of male prostitution and the women who hire men. While Ray struggles to work out the problems in his personal life, Tanya’s (Jane Adams) war for pimp supremacy against Lenore (Rebecca Creskoff) takes some very strange and unpredictable turns. Lennie James joined the cast as Charlie, Tanya’s pimp professor. Unintentionally, Charlie pushes Tanya to a new level of unforeseen weird that is a joy to watch when you’re not wincing at Tanya’s bizarre choices. The Season 2 Blu-ray release collects all 10 episodes of the second season and features some delightful bonus material for more extended Hung drama. In Season 2, Ray...

Nsfw Thomas Jane returns as Ray Decker in the third season of HBO's Hung. The premiere date for the third season is set for Sunday, October 2. At first glance, Ray Drecker seems like an ordinary divorced dad who’s facing tough times and trying to make ends meet. But Ray’s got one extraordinary, God-given gift – call it his “winning tool” – that sets him apart from other underpaid high-school teachers. With a little help from an unlikely business ally named Tanya, Ray is about to hatch an inspired plan to ride his winning tool all the way to a moreproductive, debt-free life. Hung stars Thomas Jane, Jane Adams, Anne Heche, Sianoa Smit-McPhee, Charlie Saxton, Eddie Jemison, Rebecca Creskoff and Gregg Henry. Created and executive produced by Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson; along with...

Hung Season 2 Blu-ray Contest Giveaway Sweepstakes. This Hung: Season 2 Blu-ray contest, giveaway, sweepstakes illustrates Hung: Season 2‘ release by HBO Studio on DVD and Blu-ray on September 27, 2011.

Hung: Season 2 stars Thomas Jane, Jane Adams, Eddie Jemison, Charlie Saxton, Sianoa Smit-McPhee, Rebecca Creskoff, Gregg Henry, Anne Heche, Kathryn Hahn, Gina Hecht, Alanna Ubach, Lennie James, Lyudmila Velikaya, and Eileen Grubba.

Hung: Season 2′ plot synopsis: “A former high school sports legend turned middle-aged high school basketball coach finds a way to benefit from his biggest asset.”

For more Hung‘ photos, videos, and information, check out our Hung Page.

Three winners will receive:

- (1) Hung: Season 2

To Enter:

1. Follow @FilmBookdotCom on Twitter (click below).

Follow @filmbookdotcom

2. Tweet: I just entered to win Hung: Season 2 on Blu-ray @FilmBookdotCom. You can too here: http://bit.ly/nLthNa #hung #contest #win #free #giveaway

Rules:

Only contestants that are (1.) following Film-Book on...

Thomas Jane discusses the 2nd Annual 3D Film Festival and reveals some of the secrets behind Hung Season 3

Thomas Jane has been tapped as host for this year's 3D Film Festival (3Dff), now in its 2nd year of residency at the Los Angeles Film School, from September 22-25, 2011. Besides being Master of Ceremonies during the Opening & Closing nights, Thomas Jane will function as an ambassador of the festival to filmmakers and press throughout the four days of screenings, panels and the new 3D Music Festival Program being held at Avalon Hollywood. The Festival will open Thursday night with a screening of Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment's Dolphin Tale 3D. To buy tickets: clickHere or clickHere

The actor also currently stars on HBO's critically-acclaimed comedy series Hung, which returns for Season 3 on October 2nd with Don't Give Up On Detroit or Hung Like a Horse.

We recently caught up with Thomas Jane...

Thomas Jane will be hosting the 2nd Annual 3D Film Festival in Hollywood, which kicks off September 22nd with the premiere of Alcon Entertainment's Dolphin Tale 3D, and runs through September 25th, closing out with Dr. Steven Greer and the Disclosure Project.

We recently caught up with the actor to chat about his affinity for 3D, a conversation you can read on our site soon. We also chatted with Thomas Jane about his role on the hit HBO comedy series Hung, which returns for Season 3 on October 2nd with Don't Give Up On Detroit or Hung Like a Horse.

Thomas Jane is quick to declare Hung Season 3 his favorite thus far, and revealed some of the details in regards to this year's main storyline.

"Hung Season 2 was a little bit of a downer, because I get divorced, and we deal with some somber subject matter. With Hung Season 3, we really get back to fucking.

HBO has released two trailers for Season 3 of Hung, which debuts on Sunday, October 2 at 10 Pm Et with Episode 3.1: 'Don't Give Up on Detroit' or Hung Like a Horse. Click on the video players below to delve deeper inside this hit drama series, which stars Thomas Jane.

Click to watch Hung Season 3 Trailer #2!

Click to watch Hung Season 3 Trailer #3!

Hung episode 3.1, "'Don't Give Up on Detroit' or 'Hung Like a Horse'" airs on HBO October 2nd, 2011. The episode stars Stephen Amell, Elizabeth Weisbaum, Georgia Hatzis, Mageina Tovah, Angela Nicole Hunt and is directed by Colette Burson.

Nsfw Thomas Jane returns as Ray Decker in the third season of HBO's Hung. The premiere date for the third season is set for Sunday, October 2. At first glance, Ray Drecker seems like an ordinary divorced dad who’s facing tough times and trying to make ends meet. But Ray’s got one extraordinary, God-given gift – call it his “winning tool” – that sets him apart from other underpaid high-school teachers. With a little help from an unlikely business ally named Tanya, Ray is about to hatch an inspired plan to ride his winning tool all the way to a moreproductive, debt-free life. Hung stars Thomas Jane, Jane Adams, Anne Heche, Sianoa Smit-McPhee, Charlie Saxton, Eddie Jemison, Rebecca Creskoff and Gregg Henry. Created and executive produced by Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson; along with...

Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane, Give ‘Em Hell Malone)—the well-endowed former high school sports legend turned middle-aged high school basketball coach turned local gigolo—returns for digital dominance on September 27 when HBO Home Entertainment releases Hung: The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray and DVD.

It's Season Two and Thomas Jane is still Hung.

The Blu-ray and DVD, which are priced at $49.98 and $39.98, respectively, will arrive on the eve of the HBO show’s Season Three premiere.

In the second season of the TV comedy series, Ray, and his unlikely pimp Tanya (Jane Adams, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) have taken on slick “life coach” Lenore Bernard (Rebecca Creskoff, Knucklehead) as co-pimp, devastating Tanya in the process. With Lenore pushing a debonair version of hooker Ray on her upscale clients, Tanya wants to prove she has the “right stuff” when it comes to being a successful – and far more ethical – pimp than Lenore.

The Punisher star Thomas Jane is set to romance a transgender actress in the upcoming season of his racy U.S. TV drama Hung.

The actor, who plays a well-endowed gigolo on the show, will hook up with Jamie Clayton and series creator Colette Burson admits Jane was quickly smitten with his same-sex co-star.

She tells TV Guide magazine, "The idea of kissing a man was not a comfortable one for him, but he did great. They had to kiss for hours. After his initial shyness, she became a woman for him."...

Hung's creator Colette Burson has revealed that there will be a transgender character in the show's upcoming new season. In a future episode, Ray (Thomas Jane) will have sex with a transgender receptionist called Kyla (Jamie Clayton). The experience, and the threat of a new rival, could then lead Ray to consider having a homosexual encounter. Burson has now admitted that Jane was unsure about the storyline at first. "The idea of kissing a man was not a comfortable one for him, but he did great," she told TV Guide. "They had to kiss for hours. After his initial shyness, she became a woman for him." Jane revealed that he was impressed with Clayton, (more)...

"Hung" season 3 will take Ray Drecker closer to Lgbt zone. When a rival gigolo is threatening his business, the male prostitute will take a transgender turn although it is against Thomas Jane's "no gay sex" mandate for his character.

Ray will bed down with a pre-op transgender receptionist named Kyla before contemplating a full same-sex encounter when the show enters midseason. Portraying Kyla is transgender actress Jamie Clayton who co-hosted VH1's "TRANSform Me".

For Thomas who has long maintained that the "no gay sex" mandate still stands for his character, "the idea of kissing a man was not a comfortable one for him," creator Colette Burson tells TV Guide, before adding "but he did great." He further reveals, "They had to kiss for hours. After his initial shyness, she became a woman for him."

Jamie additionally gushes on the newest twist, saying "For them to want to do this is great!

The dark comedy series Hung looks to keep on giving pleasure in all the right places. Deadline reports HBO has just picked up the show for a third season run of 10 episodes to air in 2011. If you’re unfamiliar with the well-endowed series, it follows a down-on-his-luck Detroit high-school coach (Thomas Jane) moonlighting as a male prostitute and his rookie, poetry-loving pimp (Jane Adams). Ironically enough, the adulterous show was put together by husband and wife team Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson. If you’re looking to catch up on the series or give it a shot, the second season finale airs September 12th, so you should have plenty of time after that to get started.

Hit the jump for news on a new sketch comedy series from Jamie Foxx.

Since Jamie Foxx has more recently taken more of a liking to his more dramatic acting talents, it’s easy...

HBO announced today that it has ordered a third season of Hung, the half-hour show starring Thomas Jane as Ray Drecker, a failed pro athlete and bored high school coach who takes advantage of his, um, endowments. The second season runs through Sept. 12, and the third season of 10 episodes will likely bow next summer.

The show also stars Jane Adams (Tanya Skagle), Anne Heche (Jessica Haxon), Eddie Jemison (Dr. Ronnie Haxon), and Rebecca Creskoff (Lenore Bernard). The series comes from creators Colette Burson and Dmitry Lipkin.

HBO has picked up dark comedy Hung for a third season with a 10-episode order to run in 2011. Hung stars Thomas Jane as a down-on-his-luck Detroit high-school coach moonlighting as a male prostitute and Jane Adams as his rookie, poetry-loving pimp. The husband-and-wife duo of Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson created the show and are executive producing with the pilot's director Alexander Payne, Michael Rosenberg, Scott Stephens, Noreen Halpern and John Morayniss for E1 Entertainment. Anne Heche, Eddie Jemison, Rebecca Creskoff, Gregg Henry, Sianoa Smit-McPhee and Charlie Saxton co-star. The penultimate episode of Hung's second season on Sunday averaged 2.5 million. Its season finale airs Sept. 12.

"Hung" is coming closer to the end of season 2. In the episode called "Fat Off My Love Or I'm the Allergen", Mike accuses Ray of betrayal. Meanwhile, Ronnie vents his frustrations with Jessica at a dermatology banquet and Tanya lashes out at Ray, Lenore and Horny Patty.

The episode airs Sunday, August 29 on HBO. Speaking of the episode before the finale, series co-creator Colette Burson said in an interview with TV Squad, "I directed next week's episode. There's quite a bit of Detroit in it. There's a big scene shot on the old Tigers Stadium field. We can't replicate this stuff in the studio."

Revealing a little hint about the character played by Jane Adams, Burson said, "Tanya stands up for herself. Tanya's going to smack somebody down."...

Filed under: Spoilers, TV News

Including this Sunday's installment, there are only three episodes of 'Hung' left this season. Which means major, life-changing events seem to be coming for Ray, Tanya and the rest of the characters on the HBO comedy.

Series co-creator Colette Burson spoke to TV Squad today and offered some spoilers about what to expect for the rest of this season (including an important, funny and painful moment coming this Sunday). She also spoke about changes 'Hung' fans can expect to see if, as seems likely, HBO renews 'Hung' for a third season.

Spoilers ahead!

 

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"Hung: The Complete First Season" is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def.

The HBO series, which focuses on a man with a most unorthodox way to deal with his personal economic crisis, was released on home format June 22 to coincide with the second season's June 27 premiere. The DVD contains plenty of special features for followers of the show.

Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane) is a Detroit high school history teacher and basketball coach whose recent life has reflected his team's performance on the court: one long losing streak. Suffering a divorce, neighborhood harassment, a house fire and an insurmountable amount of debt, Ray is reduced to living out of a tent in his backyard. Desperate for money, he decides to employ the single asset in his life — his manhood. Teaming up with his friend Tanya, (Jane Adams), a failed poet who has her own financial difficulties, he embarks on...

Hung is back from the brief holiday break. Check out this preview clip from Hung Season 2 Episode 2: "Tucson Is the Gateway to Dick" About the Episode: Ray irritates Lenore and risks losing a client by giving Claire marriage advice. Tanya tries to prove she can land a big fish for Ray after being humiliated by Lenore during a meeting with a 60-year-old widow. Ray uses his sex earnings to pay for the school baseball team’s transportation to away games, raising Mike’s (Gregg Henry) suspicions. Jessica embarrasses Darby by crashing an eat-in protest outside a fitness gym. At the end of a long day, Ray reconsiders accepting a gift delivered by his neighbor’s wife, Yael (Alanna Ubach). [jambovideo id="225624" wide="yes" /] Written by Dimitry Lipkin & Colette Burson and Julia Brownell; directed by David Petrarca.

Check out a behind-the-scenes clip from the second season of HBO's "Hung" which made its premiere on Sunday, June 27th on HBO. The series created by Colette Burson and Dmitry Lipkin stars stars Thomas Jane as Ray Drecker; Jane Adams as Ray’s business partner, Tanya Skagle; Anne Heche as Ray’s ex-wife, Jessica Haxon; Eddie Jemison as Jessica’s successful husband Ronnie; Sianoa Smit-McPhee as Ray’s daughter Darby; Charlie Saxton as Ray’s son Damon and Rebecca Creskoff as Ray’s co-pimp Lenore. In the recession-plagued suburbs of Detroit, Ray Drecker and his unlikely pimp, Tanya Skagle, have taken on slick “life coach” Lenore Bernard as co-pimp, devastating Tanya in the process. With Lenore pushing a debonair version of hooker Ray on her upscale clients, Tanya wants to prove she has the “right stuff” when it comes to being a successful – and far more ethical – pimp than Lenore.

Chicago – HBO’s “Hung” doesn’t quite live up to the incredibly high standards of the best network on television but the sporadic writing on the show and very strong ensemble did produce enough interesting dramatic and comedic moments to warrant a look on the excellent Blu-ray release of the first season, timed to coincide with the premiere of season two on Sunday, June 27th, 2010.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

The series premiere of “Hung” and even the next few episodes were missing that spark; the chemistry that elevates an experience from being just another one-night stand. The tale of a man (Thomas Jane) who lost everything in the horrible economy but maintained the rights to his giant pecker and how to use it was a hit-and-miss affair that too often missed for at least three episodes. Then the casting agent found the perfect supporting actress and gave her an excellent subplot and...

Green Zone

Damon and Greengrass' Iraq war film was a big disappointment for me. You don't get to know a single character and the plot has no suspense since you already know how the whole Wmd situation ends.

Extras include:

CommentaryDeleted ScenesMatt Damon: Ready for ActionInside the Green Zone

The Last Station

I really enjoyed this indie about Leo Tolstoy's final days. James McAvoy is great in a role very similar to his in The Last King of Scotland.

Extras include:

CommentaryDeleted ScenesOuttakes

She's Out of My League

Looks decent and Apatow-regular Jay Baruchel always delivers.

Extras include:

CommentaryDeleted ScenesBlooper ReelDevon's Dating Show![Read More...]

Hung: The Complete First Season

I am a big fan of lead Thomas Jane and Alexendar Payne (Sideways, Election), who produces and directed the pilot, so I will have to check this out.

Extras include:

Three audio commentaries by series creators-executive producers Colette Burson and...

The 2010 Writers Guild of America Awards Winners The Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) and the Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) tonight announced the winners of the 2010 Writers Guild Awards for outstanding achievement in writing for screen, television, radio, news, promotional, and videogame writing at simultaneous ceremonies at the Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City and the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. Susie Essman of Curb Your Enthusiasm hosted the East Coast show, which was executive produced by Craig Shemin, who was also the head writer. Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy) hosted the West Coast show, which was executive produced by Spike Jones, Jr.

The Writers Guild of America, East presented special honors to: Alan Zweibel - Ian McLellan Hunter Lifetime Achievement Award; Gary David Goldberg - Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence; Edward Albee - Evelyn F. Burkey Award for contributions...

As hard as it may be to believe sometimes, someone (or someones) actually sits down and writes a movie or TV show before you end up seeing it at your local multiplex or on your favorite TV network. The people who do the sitting and the writing are, surprisingly, called writers and, like the Directors, the Golden Globes and the Oscars, they have their own awards show.

This week, the Writers Guild of America, which is the trade group and advocate for writers, announced its nominations for outstanding achievement in feature film and television, radio, news, promotional writing, and graphic animation during the 2009 season to be honored at the upcoming 2010 Writers Guild Awards on February 20, 2010, in Los Angeles and New York.

We realize that these nominations may not be as glamorous as the Golden Globes or the Oscars, but we kinda like writers around here and think they do a pretty important job.

It’s mid-December and that can only mean one thing: awards season. Today, the WGA announced their TV nominations (feature nominations will be announced Jan. 11th) and it’s the usual suspects for the most part with a couple of surprises. Mad Men, 30 Rock, The Office, and newcomer Modern Family earned 3 nominations each. Meanwhile, popular fan favorite Glee received two. There are a lot of categories and nominees so I’m just going to mention the two big awards before the jump.

The nominees for Best Drama Series are: Breaking Bad, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Lost, and Mad Men. The nominees for Best Comedy Series are: 30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Glee, Modern Family, and The Office.

The WGA will announce the winners on Feb. 20th. Hit the jump to see the full list of nominees.

Drama Series

“Breaking Bad” - Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, George Mastras,...

Awards heavyweights "Mad Men," "30 Rock" and "The Office" and buzzed-about newcomer "Modern Family" led the TV field for the 2010 Writers Guild Awards with three nominations each.

AMC's "Mad Men" and NBC's "30 Rock" and "The Office" are in the running for best drama/comedy series, and each received two nominations for episodic writing. "Family" made the cut for best comedy series, best new series and best episodic writing for a comedy series.

ABC's "Family" was one of two new shows to break into the best series categories along with Fox's quirky high-school dramedy "Glee," which faces "Family" in the best comedy series and best new series fields.

While the WGA Awards are still in its nomination phase, Fox's "The Simpsons" can already uncork the champagne. The veteran series is assured to win the animation category after landing all five nomination slots.

The biggest surprise among the series nominees was HBO's low-key baseball comedy "Eastbound & Down,...