While HBO's "Hung" may have an unusual premise — poor high school basketball coach Ray Drecker decides to use his large male appendage to become a prostitute — creators and husband-and-wife team Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson say that it actually came about from casual conversation.
"Actually, he was inspired in part by someone I knew in high school," Burson said.
Images
Creating the right tone for such a potentially unsavory topic was a major concern for both the writers and the producers and proved to be more of a challenge than coming up with the idea for the show.
"We were very conscious of the tone we wanted to hit — we had to be very careful not to be sordid," Burson said. "We want the female viewer to want to buy Ray. For women, sex is psychological, and we had a window that we had to hit. He's earnest. He's trying really hard."
The role of Ray went to Thomas Jane, who brings a unique sensibility to the show.
"[With] any television show built around an actor, after a certain period of time the actor invariably begins to influence what you're writing," she said.
Both Burson and Lipkin are alumni of NYU's dramatic writing graduate program, and they were introduced by NYU professor Janet Maprus.
"It's very funny because it was my first year of school and I was very lonely, and I couldn't find anyone to date," Burson said with a laugh. "I went into her office and she told me she would take care of it. In the fall she called me and said, 'He's here. His name is Dmitry. He's very cute. Come pick him up when you're ready,' and then she passed the phone to him."
Burson has taken the lessons she learned from NYU and the TV writing industry and advised those interested in writing for television to find ways to always keep writing.
"You have to be fearless and keep on writing and not be disappointed if one script doesn't work out," she said. "Commitment is what makes a writer."
Burson also stressed the value of an NYU degree. She said she appreciates her staff, which is made up largely of NYU students, for its originality.
"It took me a long time to realize that what you sell in Hollywood is original thought," she said. "That's what the town is built on. If you have an original mind and you are fearless, you will make it."
As for the future of "Hung," Burson said she thinks the show will go on as long as Ray's character continues to evolve.
"[HBO] has a lot of shows and not enough slots," she said. "I think it's a question mark because of logistics. In terms of Ray the character, I think that there's still so many women and worlds for him to explore. From a creative point of view, I think Ray keeps on going."
