Hack

Once a decorated Philadelphia patrolman, Mike Olshansky loses his badge, his standing and much of his family life after corruption allegations. Rather than disappear, he takes to driving a city cab, turning the streets into his informal beat. The show follows his double life as a man who’s out of the official system but still trying to make order where he can, offering help, information and occasional direct intervention. He keeps awkward ties with the police, and episodes balance small, street-level cases with the strain on his personal relationships and his struggle to live with choices that haunt him.

Created by David Koepp and premiering in 2002, Hack stars David Morse as Mike Olshansky and Andre Braugher as Marcellus Washington. The series was produced for network television and used Philadelphia as a standing backdrop, lending the show an urban, grounded feel.

Hack did not collect major industry awards, and it wasn’t a frequent presence in Emmy or Golden Globe lists. Critics and viewers tended to single out Morse’s steady, world-weary lead performance, and the show kept a steady if modest profile rather than sweeping prize seasons.

The series left a quiet imprint on early 2000s crime drama, especially in its focus on an ex-officer who operates off the books while remaining emotionally tied to law enforcement. Its depiction of Philly streets and small moral reckonings resonated with a devoted segment of viewers, and it’s sometimes referenced when people discuss under-the-radar shows that blend procedural beats with character study.

Critics gave mixed to positive reviews and audiences rated it reasonably well, with a vote average around 7.65 out of 10. Recurring themes include redemption, guilt, the limits of institutional justice and the personal cost of vigilante impulses. The show’s strengths lie in the leads’ performances and the moral friction of policing when formal rules no longer apply.