La Femme Nikita (, "The Woman Nikita"; called
Nikita in Canada) is a
Canadian action/
drama television series based on the French film
Nikita by
Luc Besson. The series was co-produced by
Jay Firestone of
Fireworks Entertainment and
Warner Bros.. It was adapted for television by
Joel Surnow. The series was first telecast in North America on the
USA Network cable channel on January 13, 1997, and ran for five seasons until March 4, 2001. The series was also aired in Canada on the over-the-air
CTV Television Network.
La Femme Nikita was the highest-rated drama on American
basic cable during its first two seasons. It was also distributed in some other countries, and it continues to have a strong cult following.