A superior drama of cops and drug dealers centers on the roles of probation cops James Libertti (Scott Cohen) and Dee Muldern (Erika Alexander). Assigned to monitor a just released major drug dealer, Kevin Hunter (Rob Morrow), Libertti is as flawed as the former inmate. Both men's stories parallel one another in a life of drug sales and drug enforcement. The government wants to catch Hunter, while his erratic and out of control brother wants to spend the money he's stolen from his brother leaving him red handed. With wives whose stories are just short of criminal themselves, the men must somehow function under enormous stress supplied by outside agents, regulations, and responsibilities to their families while trying to remain true to themselves and to a warped code of honor to try and survive, support their children, and remain good husbands.
So at odds with leading a life on the straight and narrow is Kevin Hunter (Morrow) whose illegal investments in drugs has to be hidden from his mandated weekly reports he must file with PO Libertti (Cohen), and whose life is made hell by his wife, brother, and the system which Libertti enforces to trap Hunter. Equally, Libertti's marriage is jeopardized by his gambling problem hidden from his WASP wife, Karen (Kate Greenhouse) and his partner, Dee Mulhern (Erika Alexander), for whom he has the latent hots. Assorted weekly guest stars included Red Buttons and a superior performance by newbie Gale Harold as a rock 'n roller struggling to go straight meant that weekly episodes of this excellent series was a must see. Not the violent gumba Italian mob scene of the Sopranos, this family drug dealing is on the surface, more WASP yet equally as dirty. Taut stories, engaging performances, and superior casting made Street Time addictive. Alas, it was canceled and a loss as Morrow and Cohen were just getting into the chops of their characters.
