"La Femme Nikita" (1997) TV series 1997-2001

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Writers:

Ed Horowitz (writer)
Naomi Janzen (writer) (multiple episodes)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

13 January 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Beauty and danger collide at every turn. (Season 1)

Plot:

Section One, a clandestine anti-terrorist organization, fakes the death of a jailed, convicted murderer and...

Plot Keywords:

Operative | Fighting | Beauty | Counter Terrorist | Counter Espionage

Awards:

4 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Peta Wilson	...	Nikita (96 episodes, 1997-2001)
Don Francks	...	Walter (96 episodes, 1997-2001)
Eugene Robert Glazer	...	Operations / ... (96 episodes, 1997-2001)
Roy Dupuis	...	Michael Samuelle (92 episodes, 1997-2001)
Matthew Ferguson	...	Seymour Birkoff / ... (90 episodes, 1997-2001)
Alberta Watson	...	Madeline / ... (89 episodes, 1997-2001)

Also Known As:

"Nikita" (Canada: English title)

Runtime:

Netherlands:50 min | UK:56 min (96 episodes) | Argentina:60 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Faculty Club, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Baton

Trivia:

The show ran five seasons. The season number determined the number of words in an episodes title (i.e., all third season episodes had three words in their title).

Quotes:

Walter: What you looking at, Sugar?
Nikita: Just the best part of my day.
Walter: Keep talking like that and I'll forget how old I am.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XVII (#18.4)" (2006)

Uniformly fine TV series, a mix of bad/good people make for exciting viewing.

The TV series, "La Femme Nikita" is a spin-off of the fine early-90s French film, "Nikita". Although it does not try to look like the original, it has spun its own look that is every bit as captivating as the film, for a TV series. Peta Wilson who stars a Nikita is so perfect for the role she has created that it is impossible to imagine anyone else playing it now. She is all-in-one beautiful, sensitive, tough, loyal, in a superb acting job. I suspect the real Peta Wilson is not too far away from this character.

I find the series so captivating because of its mix of good and bad. "The Section" exists to foster good in the world, but any means justifies the end, and a lot of people, both innocent and crooked, get in the way and get "eliminated". However, Nikita and Michael both have consciences and in every episode there are ambiguous situations that their characters must deal with. You can't watch it and not ask what you would do in a similar situation. The dark tone of the show, the clandestine operations, the high-tech tracking and communications, the action - it all blends to pull you in and keep you in its grip, until the episode is over. Today, 01/01/01, USA network is running a "Nakita" marathon - 12 straight hours of the best episodes. Very compelling watching.

DEC2004 update: I am watching the DVDs for season one, very nice set.