'Hung' Approved for Financial Incentives To Return to Michigan

The HBO series Hung was approved for financial incentives to return to West Bloomfield. The Michigan Film Office announced Tuesday it has approved a film 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 in a news release.

"Television series like this help to provide our crew base with more long-term work while showcasing Michigan locations to a national audience — both critical factors when looking at bringing the best projects possible to our state."

The show, which stars Thomas Jane and is in its third season, is set in suburban Detroit and has shot in cities including Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Livonia, Royal Oak, Troy, Walled Lake, and West Bloomfield.

West Bloomfield residents enjoy new neighbors

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."

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.