Providence (American TV series)
| Providence | |
|---|---|
| Created by | John Masius |
| Starring | Melina Kanakaredes Paula Cale Seth Peterson Mike Farrell Concetta Tomei Leslie Silva |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 96 |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | January 8, 1999 – December 20, 2002 |
Providence was an NBC television series starring Melina Kanakaredes. The show ran from January 8, 1999, until December 20, 2002, for five seasons. The show revolved around Dr. Sydney Hansen (played by Kanakaredes), who wished to leave her glamorous job in Beverly Hills as a plastic surgeon to rich people, so she could go back to her hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, and be with her family.
Concetta Tomei and Mike Farrell played her parents, and Paula Cale and Seth Peterson played her siblings. Sydney's mother died in the first episode, and her appearances to Sydney in spirit form comprised much of the series.
The show ended rather abruptly, with a two-parter wedding episode. NBC called this Providence's "winter finale," fully expecting to bring it back in the spring or autumn of 2003, but these plans were eventually scrapped when some cast members, including Kanakaredes, opted out of producing a sixth season.
Characters
- Dr. Sydney "Syd" Hansen (Melina Kanakaredes) - A high-profile plastic surgeon who returned home for her sister's wedding. Unfortunately, her mother died before the ceremony started. She returned to Los Angeles, only to find her boyfriend cheating on her with another man. In the end, she decided to move back home to Providence to help her family, and took a job at a free clinic that she'd later end up running. While struggling with her new speciality of family medicine and helping her family, she also tried to rebuild her love life, without much luck until season 5.
- Joanie Hansen (Paula Cale) - Sydney's younger sister and single mother of young Hannah. Her mother's death interrupted her wedding and, after giving birth to Hannah, she decides to not marry Hannah's father Richie. An optimistic woman, she assisted her father in the clinic until she found out her cooking, while unpalatable for humans, was a delicacy for dogs and she opened a delicatessen bakery for dogs. Her love life, however, was as complicated as her older sister's.
- Robbie Hansen (Seth Peterson) - Sydney's younger brother. A charming bad boy who managed a pub and was addicted to betting. After much trouble, he finally settled down when he married Tina, a divorced mother of one son, Pete.
- Lynda Hansen (Concetta Tomei) - Sydney, Joanie and Robbie's overbearing mother. She dies before her pregnant daughter's wedding started and afterwards, appeared only to Sydney in dreams, giving her (often unsolicited) advice.
- Dr. Jim Hansen (Mike Farrell) - Sydney, Joanie and Robbie's father. A warm-hearted veterinarian who ran a clinic in his house's basement and who, sometimes, related better to animals than to persons.
- Dr. Helen Reynolds (Leslie Silva) - Sydney's friend and head of the free clinic in the first season. Afterwards, she returned to her hometown, leaving the clinic in Sydney's hands.
Theme song
In the United States, the theme song was "In My Life", a cover of The Beatles song performed by Chantal Kreviazuk. Internationally, the theme song was "You Make Me Home", composed by Tim Truman and performed by Angelica Hayden.
International
Providence has been broadcasted internationally by the following stations:
- Canada: W Network
- Denmark: Kanal 5
- France: TF1
- Japan: NHK-BS2
- Poland: TVP 2
- Spain: People+Arts
- Spain (Catalonia): TV3
- United Kingdom: ITV
External links
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