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Denis Leary was both producer and star of the iconoclastic cop comedy The Job. Leary played NYPD detective Mike McNeil, whose fashion-plate sensibilites were compromised by his chronic self-abuse, which included drinking like a fish, downing all manner of barbituates, and shamelessly cheating on his estranged wife, Karen (Wendy Makkena). Nor was McNeil a pillar of virtue on the job, ruthlessly strongarming and even blackmailing perps into confessing their crimes and habitually undercutting his colleagues. Although McNeil knew that he had to stop carrying on and change his ways before it was too late for redemption, that didn't prevent him from falling back on his old bag of dirty tricks in every half-hour episode. Others in the cast included Bill Nunn as McNeil's chunky, henpecked partner, Terrence "Pip" Phillips; Karyn Parsons as our "hero"'s mistress, Toni; Keith David as McNeil's easily outraged superior, Lt. Williams; and Lenny Clarke, Diane Farr, Adam Ferrara, John Ortiz, and Julian Acosta as, respectively, Detectives Harrigan, Fendrich, Manetti, Sommariba, and Rodriguez. More fondly regarded by critics than by the public, The Job made the ABC network rounds from March 14, 2001, to April 24, 2002.