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Providence
DVD box set. Clockwise from top left: Lynda, Robbie, Jim, Syd, and Joanie.
January 8, 1999 (1999-01-08)– December 20, 2002 (2002-12-20)
Providence is an American medical drama television series that was created by John Masius and ran on NBC from January 8, 1999, to December 20, 2002, airing 96 episodes over the course of five seasons.
The show revolves around Dr. Sydney Hansen (Melina Kanakaredes), who leaves her glamorous job as a plastic surgeon for the rich in Beverly Hills so she can return to her hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, and be with her family. Sydney lives with her father Jim (Mike Farrell), brother Robbie (Seth Peterson), sister Joanie (Paula Cale), and Joanie's baby Hannah in a large home in suburban Providence that also houses her father's veterinary clinic. Sydney's mother Lynda (Concetta Tomei) dies in the first episode but continues to appear to Sydney as a spirit, to offer advice.
The show ends rather abruptly, with a two-part 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 Melina Kanakaredes, opted out of returning for a sixth season.
Characters
Main
Dr. Sydney "Syd" Hansen (Melina Kanakaredes) – A high-profile plastic surgeon who returns home for her sister's wedding. Unfortunately, her mother dies before the ceremony begins. Syd returns to Los Angeles, only to find her boyfriend cheating on her with a man. She ultimately decides to move back home to Providence to help her family, and she takes a job at a free clinic that she later ends up running. While struggling with her new specialty of family medicine while helping her family, she tries to rebuild her love life, without much luck until season 5.
Joan "Joanie" Hansen (Paula Cale) – Sydney's younger sister and single mother of young Hannah. Her mother's death interrupts her wedding and, after giving birth to Hannah, she decides not to marry Hannah's father, Richie. An optimistic woman, Joanie assists her father in his practice until she discovers that her cooking, while unpalatable for humans, is a delicacy for dogs, and she opens a delicatessen bakery for dogs. Her love life, however, is as complicated as her older sister's. Though loyal to her family, Joanie often feels overshadowed by Syd's accomplishments, and they quibble frequently. Joanie senses that her parents, especially her father, tend to favor Syd, so she decides to take over as her father's caregiver after he survives a near-fatal gunshot head wound that was intended for his dog, Fearless. Joanie often makes Syd feel guilty about having her own life and priorities, but as she later learns, it stems from extreme envy. While Joanie admires her sister, she finds herself resenting her sister's sense of freedom.
Robert "Robbie" Hansen (Seth Peterson) – Sydney's younger brother. A charming bad boy who manages a pub and is a gambling addict. After much trouble, he finally settles down when he marries Tina, a divorced mother of one, Pete, and later has a son with her, Nicholas "Nick" Hansen.
Lynda Hansen (Concetta Tomei) – Sydney, Joanie, and Robbie's overbearing mother. She dies before her pregnant daughter's wedding service, and afterwards appears only to Syd in dreams, giving her (often unsolicited) advice.
Dr. Helen Reynolds (Leslie Silva) – Sydney's friend and head of the free clinic in Season 1. Afterwards, she returns to her hometown, leaving the clinic in Sydney's hands.
Dr. Jim Hansen (Mike Farrell) – Sydney, Joanie, and Robbie's father, a warmhearted veterinarian who runs a clinic in his basement and who occasionally relates better to animals than to people.
Recurring
Kyle Moran (Tom Verica) – Syd's old high-school sweetheart.
Lily Gallagher (Nicki Aycox) – A troubled teenage girl whom Syd took in to provide her with a better life. While getting her life straightened out, she was called on by her drug dealing ex-boyfriend and killed in a car accident during a high-speed police chase.
Heather Tupperman (Dana Daurey) – Jim's assistant in his veterinary clinic.
Izzy Nunez (Samaria Graham) – Syd's physician assistant in the free clinic.
Burt Ridley (Jon Hamm) – A firefighter who dated Joanie after saving her from a kitchen fire.
Tina Calcaterra (Maria Pitillo) – The divorced mother of Pete who met Robbie during one of Pete's hockey games. She later married Robbie, and she gave birth to a son, Nicholas "Nick" Hansen.
Pete Calcaterra (Alex D. Linz) – Tina's son from a previous marriage who later becomes Robbie's stepson.
Graham Hollings (Alastair Duncan) – A reclusive lighthouse keeper with a badly scarred face whom Syd tends for an injury and later convinces him to undergo plastic surgery to fix his face.
Dr. Sam Magala (Cress Williams) – A veterinarian who fills for Jim while he recovers from a gunshot injury to his brain.
Owen Frank (George Newbern) – A lawyer who helped Syd on her malpractice suit. He later began dating Syd, and they got married in the two-part series finale.
In the United States and in Canada, the theme song was "In My Life", a cover of the Beatles song performed by Chantal Kreviazuk. Internationally and on the DVD release, the theme song was "You Make Me Home", composed by Tim Truman and performed by Angelica Hayden.
Home media
The Providence Collection, a collection of 12 episodes from the show, was released on DVD in 2004 by Lions Gate Home Entertainment (under license by NBC Entertainment). The four discs contained the following episodes: "Pilot", "Home Again", "Tying the Not", "The Letter", "Don't Go Changin'", "The Thanksgiving Story", "Falling", "Best Man", "Act Naturally", "A New Beginning", "Eye of the Storm", "The Eleventh Hour".
The release contained several bonus features, including an introduction by creator John Masius, commentaries by Melina Kanakaredes, Paula Cale, Mike Farrell, Michael Fresco, Seth Peterson, Concetta Tomei, Monica Wyatt, and creator John Masius on selected episodes. A gag reel with outtakes and bloopers, and a retrospective documentary featuring new interviews with the cast, creators, and special guests.
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