The Job is a single-camera television comedy about a New York City police officer named Mike McNeil (Denis Leary), who indulges in adultery, alcohol, cigarettes and prescription drug abuse, and his fellow 'bumbling detective' pals. The show, which appeared to borrow the tone and look of NYPD Blue for semi-satirical purposes, was built around the Mike McNeil character, but relied on a strong ensemble cast. The show is filmed entirely on location in New York City.
Eventually, this morphed into Denis Leary's other TV project, the considerably grittier (if still funny) Rescue Me.
Not to be confused with the CBS reality show hosted by Lisa Ling.
This show contains examples of:
- The Alcoholic: Mike
- Big Applesauce
- Big Fun: Frank
- Butt-Monkey: Tommy
- Mike is also a butt monkey, if to a somewhat lesser extent.
- Camping a Crapper: Mke gets held hostage in the bathroom in one episode.
- Cop Show
- Da Chief
- Face–Heel Turn: Tommy, unexplained, halfway through season 1. Presumably he got tired of being the Butt Monkey.
- Heel–Face Turn: After he starts dating Connie, it becomes really hard not to feel sorry for him.
- Henpecked Husband: Pip
- Jerkass: Mike.
- Also Tommy in the second half of season 1 and first half of season 2.
- It depends on the writer-in some episodes, Mike is just a jerkass but in other episodes, the show tries to hint he might have a heart.
- Mistaken for Gay: Frank, in the episode Gay.
- Naïve Newcomer: Ruben
- Noble Bigot with a Badge: Mike. Although it is debatable how noble he actually is.
- Not So Above It All: Karen
- Only Sane Man: Jan, sometimes Ruben.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Mike.
- Silent Bob: Al
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: Jan, with both Mike and Ruben.
- Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Mike. He cheats on his wife, smokes, drinks, does drugs and treats his coworkers like crap. And has no reason to do so, other than that he is bored with his life.
