Hack (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Hack is a television series that aired on the American CBS
television network
from 2002 to 2004. The show also aired in the UK on ITV3
, in Australia on Network Ten
, and in France on M6. The final four episodes of Season One were never aired in the UK as ITV3 allowed their broadcast rights to lapse before they were shown.
The series centers on the fictional life of a former police officer, Polish-American
Mike Olshansky (David Morse
), who left the force after being charged with corruption and now works as a taxi
driver in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The charges of corruption were never clearly proven but Olshansky, riddled with guilt, considers it his duty to make up for his past wrongs by helping those the police will not help. Olshansky saves many lives and people by going above and beyond the call of duty, becoming a kind of heroic vigilante. He receives "inside" help from within the police force from his friend Marcellus Washington, played by Andre Braugher
, who often comes close to risking his own career.
Meanwhile, he tries to repair his relationship with his young son, Mikey (Matthew Borish), and rebuild his life after losing his marriage, his son's admiration, his professional identity, and his reputation. Co-stars Jacqueline Torres as Olshanshky's neighbor, and George Dzundza
as long-time priest and confidant.
Though not on DVD, the complete series is available as streaming content from Netflix
in high definition
.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
from 2002 to 2004. The show also aired in the UK on ITV3
ITV3
ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom that is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel was launched on 1 November 2004. ITV3 is the second largest UK multi-channel, second only to ITV2.-History:...
, in Australia on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
, and in France on M6. The final four episodes of Season One were never aired in the UK as ITV3 allowed their broadcast rights to lapse before they were shown.
The series centers on the fictional life of a former police officer, Polish-American
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
Mike Olshansky (David Morse
David Morse (actor)
David Bowditch Morse is an American stage, television, and film actor. He first came to national attention as Dr. Jack Morrison in the medical drama St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988...
), who left the force after being charged with corruption and now works as a taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. The charges of corruption were never clearly proven but Olshansky, riddled with guilt, considers it his duty to make up for his past wrongs by helping those the police will not help. Olshansky saves many lives and people by going above and beyond the call of duty, becoming a kind of heroic vigilante. He receives "inside" help from within the police force from his friend Marcellus Washington, played by Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998 and again in the 2000 made-for-TV film Homicide: Life on the Street, and as Owen Thoreau Jr...
, who often comes close to risking his own career.
Meanwhile, he tries to repair his relationship with his young son, Mikey (Matthew Borish), and rebuild his life after losing his marriage, his son's admiration, his professional identity, and his reputation. Co-stars Jacqueline Torres as Olshanshky's neighbor, and George Dzundza
George Dzundza
George Dzundza is an American television and film actor.-Personal life:Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany, to a Ukrainian father and Polish mother who were forced into factory labour by the Nazis. He spent the first few years of his life in displaced persons camps with his parents and one...
as long-time priest and confidant.
Though not on DVD, the complete series is available as streaming content from Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
in high definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Andre Braugher Andre Braugher Andre Braugher is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998 and again in the 2000 made-for-TV film Homicide: Life on the Street, and as Owen Thoreau Jr... |
Marcellus Washington |
| David Morse David Morse (actor) David Bowditch Morse is an American stage, television, and film actor. He first came to national attention as Dr. Jack Morrison in the medical drama St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988... |
Mike Olshansky |
| Matthew Borish | Mikey Olshansky |
| George Dzundza George Dzundza George Dzundza is an American television and film actor.-Personal life:Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany, to a Ukrainian father and Polish mother who were forced into factory labour by the Nazis. He spent the first few years of his life in displaced persons camps with his parents and one... |
Tom Grzelak |
| Donna Murphy Donna Murphy Donna Murphy is an American stage, film, television actress and singer.Murphy has won two Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for her roles in Passion as Fosca and in The King and I as Anna Leonowens... |
Heather Olshansky |
| Jonathon Ruckman | Officer Tulley |
| Matt Czuchry | Jamie Farrel |
| Jacqueline Torres | Liz Garza |
| Bebe Neuwirth Bebe Neuwirth Beatrice "Bebe" Neuwirth is an American actress, singer and dancer. She has worked in television and is known for her portrayal of Dr. Lilith Sternin, Dr. Frasier Crane's wife , on both the TV sitcom Cheers , and its spin-off Frasier... |
Faith O'Connor |