'Providence' brought RI's capital to TV viewers 25 years ago

It was January 1999.

Bill Clinton was in the middle of his second term as president, Donald Trump was five years from becoming a reality TV star, and Buddy Cianci was mayor of Providence.

The Space Shuttle was flying parts into orbit to build the International Space Station, the Broncos would top the Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII, and "ER," "Friends" and "Frasier" led NBC to the top of the TV ratings game.

Closer to home, Rhode Island was eagerly awaiting the debut of a network TV series named for its capital city.

"Providence," starring Melina Kanakaredes as Dr. Sydney Hansen, hit the airwaves on Friday, Jan. 8, and quickly charmed viewers nationwide.

It's the story of a Providence native with a lucrative practice as a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles who is drawn back home to be closer to family: her veterinarian father, played by "M*A*S*H" star Mike Farrell; her younger sister, a single mother played by Paula Cale; her younger brother, a pub owner played by Seth Peterson; and the ghost of her mother, who dies in the first episode, played by Concetta Tomei.

But, for many Rhode Islanders, Providence was the star of "Providence," the city being shown in a glowing light right from the get-go with the show's opening titles including a sweeping aerial shot of the Providence River and the downtown skyline.

"The network drama ... depicts Providence as picture-postcard perfect," Providence Journal TV writer John Martin wrote in a preview the Sunday before the series premiere. "Scenes filmed at Waterplace Park, Prospect Park, Swan Point Cemetery, Thomas Street, Benefit Street and other East Side locations present the city in its most flattering light. WaterFire organizers even stoked up a mini-version of the river spectacle that will be incorporated into a storyline."

Martin's review of the show, which was published a few days later, on the day of the premiere, had kinder words for the city than the show.

"Providence, the city, is an unqualified hit. It looks divine in NBC's 'Providence.' But Providence, the show, is another matter. At its best, 'Providence' is sweetly sentimental and led by an incandescent actress; at its worst, it is sticky sweet and clumsily contrived. But it stays faithful to its theme. Along with raising the obvious question of whether one can go home again, 'Providence's' rock-solid foundation can be summed up in three words: What really matters?"

And Martin and others had some perhaps nitpicking complaints about the show. The accents weren't right. Characters who had supposedly grown up in Providence couldn't pronounce Pawtucket. And when Sydney flew back home, she arrived at a place whose sign proclaimed "Providence Airport Terminal" instead of T.F. Green.

But others had deeper criticisms, ones that changed the way Rhode Island approaches film and television projects.

Much like Dr. Hansen, Rhode Island native Steven Feinberg was building a career in Los Angeles, as a screenwriter, when fate brought him back to Providence to head the state's Film and Television office. Though he didn't get back until after "Providence" had finished its run, he heard a lot about the show, and it influenced how he approached his new job.

More: Can you name these 12 TV shows set in Rhode Island?

"The TV show 'Providence' was great for tourism, but none of us worked," Rhode Island industry professionals griped to Feinberg when he returned. While a few exterior shots were done in Rhode Island, most of the show was shot in California.

So he set out to build a movie and TV production industry in the Ocean State. He pushed politicians to create a state tax credit for productions, and then to adjust it to attract bigger-budget projects. The efforts have borne fruit in recent productions of "Good Burger 2," "The Gilded Age" and "Hocus Pocus 2."

What happened to 'Providence' star Melina Kanakaredes?

"Providence" ended in December 2002, after a two-part wedding episode. NBC at first canceled the show at that time, but then promised to continue it sometime in 2003 before finally pulling the plug.

After 96 episodes as Dr. Sydney Hansen in "Providence," Kanakaredes went on to star, alongside Gary Sinise, as Detective Stella Bonasera in "CSI: NY" for 140 episodes on CBS, from 2004 until her contract expired in 2010.

Since then, she occasionally appears in other series, such as three episodes of "Billions" on Showtime in 2023.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: TV series 'Providence' debuted 25 years ago, changing RI's film scene