HOLLYWOOD—Last season, in the recession-plagued suburbs of Detroit, Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane) 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. Meanwhile, Ray finds his feelings for his ex-wife Jessica (Anne Heche) rekindled.

On Sunday night, the hilariously funny show returns for a second season. Ray’s (Thomas Jane) new co-partnership with Tanya (Jane Adams) and Lenore (Rebecca Creskoff) gets off to a rocky start when he holds back during a tryst with Claire (Kathryn Hahn), a client, so he turns to Tanya for advice. Later, Ray and other teachers picket the school in anticipation of summer layoffs. Jessica (Anne Heche), already filled with doubts about her marriage to Ronnie (Eddie Jemison) and refusing to take calls from Lenore after her experience with the no-show gigolo (Ray), is stung by criticism from Darby (Sianoa Smit-McPhee) and Damon (Charlie Saxton). Looking to get an edge on Lenore and regain Ray’s trust, Tanya ventures into a tough neighborhood for liberating pimping advice from a real pro.  The season kicks off at 10 p.m. on Sunday night.

Wrapping its first-season run in Sept. 2009, “Hung” was hailed as “HBO’s best new comedy” by the New York Times. The series received two Golden Globe nominations, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series ”“ Comedy or Musical (Thomas Jane), and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Jane Adams).

“Hung” was created by Colette Burson & Dmitry Lipkin; executive producers, Colette Burson, Dmitry Lipkin, Alexander Payne, Michael Rosenberg, Scott Stephens, Noreen Halpern and John Morayniss; co-executive producer, Angela Robinson; producer, Hilton H. Smith; supervising producer, Eileen Myers.

Photograph Courtesy: HBO/ Lacey Terrell