'Hung' to Return to West Bloomfield for 2011

“It’s been a rough couple of years. Real rough,” says Ray Drecker, the central character of HBO’s Hung, in the series’ pilot episode. However, the future appears bright for the series, which finished its second season in September and was nominated for multiple Golden Globe Awards.

The Hung crew plans to return to West Bloomfield and surrounding areas soon to film the series' upcoming third season.

Senior Planner Sara Roediger confirmed after a March meeting with HBO officials that the crew would be coming back. “While I can’t get into specifics, I can say that Hung is definitely coming back to West Bloomfield,” she said.

The project was awarded an incentive of $1,059,394 on $2,648,486 of projected in-state expenditures.

“Over the past three years we have developed a strong relationship with the production team of Hung and HBO and we are thrilled that they will be staying here in Michigan for the show’s third season,” Carrie Jones, Director of the Michigan Film Office, said Tuesday.

Hung concerns the exploits of Drecker, a Detroit-area resident portrayed by Thomas Jane, as he attempts to provide for his family in the face of financial peril. Drecker, a “West Lakefield” high school teacher and athletics coach, loses his home in a fire, turning the divorced father of teenaged twins to a career as a male prostitute to make ends meet.

While the circumstances are larger than life, the setting should be all too familiar as “West Lakefield” is brought to life through many locations in West Bloomfield and surrounding cities. 

Among the locations used in previous seasons was a home on Colony Drive overlooking Middle Straits Lake — specifically, the scenic backyard where Ray is forced to sleep after his house burns down in the series’ pilot.

"When I moved to this area, it was just cottages and lakefront," said Don Piggott, a 50-year resident of the Middle Straits Lake neighborhood, who became the caretaker of the house on Colony Drive seen in Hung when its owner, Barbara Sculley, died in April 2010.

"Change can be hard, but I think these productions are a great thing," Piggott said. "They give jobs to people who really need them right now."

Local businesses also had the chance to host the show’s crew or even be featured in select episodes. bar and grill served as a temporary base of operations for the crew as Hung filmed next door at .

"We even got to have lunch with the cast, like we were characters on the show," said personal trainer Heather Mufallam, referring to the Fitness 19 members and staff who were selected to be featured in an episode. "I didn't even care if I got paid. It was honestly such a fun time and a cool experience."

For those behind the scenes, the work and invaluable experience were the biggest draw. "The big thing is they're generating money, and it all gets tied into this production," Piggott said.  

While the show has brought attention to West Bloomfield locations and provided work for some local members of the industry, Michigan has been flooded with productions ever the since film incentives were introduced in 2008.

"What happened with the movie industry and other businesses, like video games and TV shows like Detroit 1-8-7, they make Michigan a fun place to be," said Harvey Grace, co-owner of Grace and Wild Studios in Farmington Hills. "These industries are politically positive. They're emotionally positive. But it's a conundrum. We need to cut the fat."

When Gov. Rick Snyder introduced his 2011 budget plan in February, one of the foremost questions raised was whether film and television productions would continue to see Michigan as a prime shooting location without the incentives the industry has enjoyed in the past few years.

"Snyder is in a dilemma," said Grace. "On one hand, the governor is responsible for balancing the budget, but it's also his obligation to create jobs and bring more business into the state.

"The incentives have created close to 11,000 jobs — not just for studios, but for drivers, hotel staff, the list goes on," Grace said.

Residents in West Bloomfield are stepping up to show support for tax incentives for productions such as Hung.

"Many of my students and their parents have been extras or actually had their homes used" in Hung, said video productions teacher Kevin Walsh. "It's definitely raised the awareness of careers in film and video production. I've got a few alumni who have worked on many local film and television productions ... I think it's definitely been a boost for the economy, but more importantly, shed light on Detroit and Michigan nationally as more than just a one-industry location."

Rob Shane, a West Bloomfield resident and film major pursuing a bachelor's degree at Oakland University, agreed with Walsh. "We need this, not just in West Bloomfield, but in our state. I've lived here my whole life, and this is one of our few claims to fame. Hung is basically important to keeping art relevant in this town."

Local editor Tim Rath contributed to this report.