Felicity (TV series)

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox television

Felicity is an American drama television series created by J. J. Abrams and Matt Reeves and produced by Imagine Television and Touchstone Television for the WB. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard were executive producers through Imagine Entertainment.

The series revolves around the college experiences of the title character, Felicity Porter (portrayed by Keri Russell), as she attends the "University of New York" (based on New York University), across the country from her home in Palo Alto, California. The show ran for four seasons from September 29, 1998, to May 22, 2002, with each season corresponding to the traditional American university divisions of freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years.

In 2007, Felicity was one of Time magazine's "All-Time 100 Best TV Shows".<ref name="Time100">Template:Cite magazine</ref> AOL TV named Felicity one of the "Best School Shows of All Time".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June 2010, Entertainment Weekly named Felicity Porter one of the "100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Plot

Template:Main List of Felicity episodes The series opens at Felicity's high school graduation, where she asks Ben Covington, a classmate on whom she has a crush, to sign her yearbook. Moved by his comment that he wished they had gotten to know each other further, she changes her education plans completely, deciding to follow Ben to New York rather than attend Stanford University as a pre-med student. Felicity's overbearing parents, concerned about Felicity's seemingly rash decision, come to New York to try to persuade her to return home and "get back on track". Felicity has second thoughts about her decision, but soon realizes that she came not only to follow Ben, but to discover her true inner self.

While Felicity works to sort out her emotions, she continues the basic motions of student life and moves into her dorm. There, she meets the resident advisor Noel Crane. Eventually, the two develop a romantic relationship, and the love triangle among Felicity, Ben, and Noel forms the basic dramatic conflicts in the show throughout the series.

A number of other characters appear and play large roles in Felicity's life. Her roommate for the first two years is Meghan Rotundi, a goth Wiccan who occasionally casts spells on Felicity and others. Julie Emrick is one of Felicity's best friends, as is Elena Tyler, who often takes classes with Felicity. Felicity also has male friends, including Sean Blumberg, who is always trying to produce new off-kilter inventions, and Javier Clemente Quintata, who manages the Dean & DeLuca where Felicity works for most of her college career.

A recurring episode opener of the show is a stark camera shot of Felicity sitting in a dormitory room or apartment holding a tape recorder, recalling events in order to make a cassette tape to send to an old friend named Sally Reardon (voiced by Janeane Garofalo). This occasionally provides a method for Felicity to narrate an entire episode. At the end of episodes like this, Felicity is often shown to be listening to a tape that Sally has sent in reply.

Cast and characters

Template:See also Characters are listed in title credit order and by appearance on the show.

Actor Character Seasons
1 2 3 4
Keri Russell Felicity Porter colspan="4" Template:CMain
Scott Speedman Ben Covington colspan="4" Template:CMain
Amy Jo Johnson Julie Emrick colspan="3" Template:CMain colspan="1" Template:CGuest
Tangi Miller Elena Tyler colspan="4" Template:CMain
Scott Foley Noel Crane colspan="4" Template:CMain
Greg Grunberg Sean Blumberg colspan="1" Template:CRecurring colspan="3" Template:CMain
Amanda Foreman Meghan Rotundi colspan="1" Template:CRecurring colspan="3" Template:CMain
Ian Gomez Javier Clemente Quintata colspan="3" Template:CRecurring colspan="1" Template:CMain

Production

Setting

Felicity was filmed in part in New York City, and is set at the fictional University of New York (UNY), based on New York University (NYU). Like NYU, UNY is located in Greenwich Village near Washington Square Park, and the school is an important part of the show. Although like other universities, NYU normally welcomes being mentioned in film or on television as free product placement, the university refused permission for the show to use its name, stating that "[t]he negatives kind of outweighed the positives".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Writer's age

In 1999, a publicly hyped young writer for the show, Riley Weston, was disclosed as a fraud for claiming to be much younger than she truly was. At the age of 32, she began marketing herself to television studios as a recent high school graduate, passing off her husband as her older brother. She was soon hired by the WB as a writer for Felicity.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Hailed as a child prodigy and "wunderkind",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> she was featured on Entertainment WeeklyTemplate:'s October 1998 list of the "100 Most Creative People in Entertainment", which described her as an up-and-coming 19-year-old. Shortly thereafter, she was offered a six-figure screenwriting deal with Disney.<ref name="Variety">Template:Cite news</ref>

Time-slot and hairstyle changes

In the summer of 1999, after filming the first season,Template:R Felicity star Russell—known for what The New York Times described as "[t]hat glorious head of voluminous golden backlit hair"<ref name="gates20000121">Template:Cite news</ref>—sent the show's producers a photo wearing a short-haired wig. They panicked before learning that it was a joke but then suggested to the actress that a new hairstyle would be appropriate.<ref name="owen20000121">Template:Cite web</ref> After being shifted from Tuesday nights at 9:00Template:Nbsppm Eastern to Sunday nights at 8:00Template:Nbsppm Eastern (WB's weakest night) for the 1999–2000 season, the ratings for Felicity declined immediately. This decline occurred before the hairstyle change, but the later hair-style change became conflated by some of the public and by some of the popular pressTemplate:R and network executives with this earlier event and thus incorrectly blamed the earlier ratings drop partly on the later new hairstyle. After the negative reaction Russell rejected wearing extensions or a wig while her hair grew back. Although storytelling and time-slot changes had already created a ratings decline, a network executive said WB actors' future hair changes would "be given more thought at the network than it previously would have".Template:R In 2010, TV Guide Network listed the hairstyle change at No. 19 on their list of "25 Biggest TV Blunders", with several commentators arguing that it was the reason that the ratings of the show dropped.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Russell did not agree with the network's attribution of the ratings decline, telling Entertainment Weekly in 2000, "I think that's a pretty lame excuse. I think a lot more than a haircut was deciding the ratings [last year]", whichTemplate:Sndaccording to a September 29, 2023, Time magazine articleTemplate:Sndincluded the timeslot change, which cost the show one third of its viewers. Shannon Carlin, author of the Time article, also pointed to a decline in viewership for the network overall, which by May 2000, was in last place in ratings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The haircut incident went on to become a popular culture reference within other television shows, both comedic and dramatic.Template:Citation needed Despite the controversy, Felicity continued for two more seasons.

Home media

All four seasons were re-released on DVD by ABC Studios on April 7, 2009, in "slimmer" packaging.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On February 9, 2012, it was announced that Lionsgate Home Entertainment had acquired the rights to the series and planned on re-releasing it. Seasons 1 and 2 were re-released on May 1, 2012, and do not contain any extras, subtitles, or other languages besides English.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Seasons 3 and 4 were re-released on May 7, 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Title Release Details Special features
Felicity: Freshman Year Collection
  • 22 episodes
  • 6-disc set
  • 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio
  • Subtitles: English, French (Australia), Dutch (Australia)
  • Languages:
    • English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
    • French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) (Australia)
  • Audio commentary on "Pilot"
  • Audio commentary on "Felicity Was Here"
Felicity: Sophomore Year Collection
  • 23 episodes
  • 6-disc set
  • 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio
  • Subtitles: English
  • Languages:
    • English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
    • Spanish
  • 5 audio commentaries
  • Never-before-seen Network Pilot episode
  • Keri Russell's audition
  • Felicity "Emmy Parody" spoof Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Felicity: Junior Year Collection
  • 17 episodes
  • 5-disc set
  • 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio
  • Subtitles: English
  • Languages:
    • English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
    • Spanish
  • Audio commentaries
  • "Docuventary: A Look Back at Season 3 with Greg Grunberg"
  • Mad TV Parody<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Felicity: Senior Year Collection
  • 22 episodes
  • 6-disc set
  • 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio
  • Subtitles: English
  • Languages:
    • English (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround)
    • Spanish
  • Audio commentaries
  • "The Lost Elena Scenes" – J. J. Abrams and Matt Reeves present deleted scenes from the finale, showing that Felicity saves Elena's life by convincing her to attend medical school at Duke instead of Columbia.
  • "Fade Out" – Behind-the-scenes reflections with Keri Russell and the show's creators
  • Creating characters – Q&A with J. J. Abrams, Keri Russell, Matt Reeves, and Jennifer Garner<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Reception

Ratings

The series debut garnered 7.1 million viewers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Season Episodes Original airing Rank Viewers
(in millions)
Season premiere Season finale TV season
1 22 September 29, 1998 May 25, 1999 1998–1999 #124<ref name="9899season">Template:Cite web</ref> 4.4<ref name="9899season" />
2 23 September 26, 1999 May 24, 2000 1999–2000 #138<ref name="9900season">Template:Cite news</ref> 2.2<ref name="9900season" />
3 17 October 4, 2000 May 23, 2001 2000–2001 #123<ref name="0001season">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 3.9<ref name="0001season" />
4 22 October 10, 2001 May 22, 2002 2001–2002 #139<ref name="0102season">Template:Cite news</ref> 3.2<ref name="0102season" />

Accolades

Felicity was nominated for 38 awards during its run from 1998 to 2002 and won several, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series for Robert Primes and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for Keri Russell.<ref name="Awards">Template:Cite web</ref>

Year Award Category Nominees(s) Result Ref.
1999 Artios Awards Best Casting for TV, Dramatic Pilot Marcia Shulman Template:Won
Eddie Awards Best Edited Series for Television Stan Salfas, Warren Bowman Template:Nom
Golden Globes Best Actress – Drama Series Keri Russell Template:Won
Best Series – Drama Felicity Template:Nom
People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Drama Felicity Template:Won
Favorite TV Drama Actress Keri Russell Template:Nom
OFTA Television Awards Best Actress in a Drama Series Keri Russell Template:Nom
Best Actress in a New Drama Series Keri Russell Template:Won
Best Direction in a Drama Series Felicity Template:Nom
Best Music in a Series Felicity Template:Nom
Best New Drama Series Felicity Template:Nom
Best New Theme Song in a Series W. G. Snuffy Walden Template:Nom
Best New Titles Sequence in a Series Felicity Template:Nom
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography for a Series Robert Primes Template:Won
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Actor Scott Foley Template:Nom
Choice TV: Actress Keri Russell Template:Nom
Choice TV: Breakout Performance Scott Foley Template:Nom
Keri Russell Template:Won
Scott Speedman Template:Nom
Choice TV: Drama Series Felicity Template:Nom
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding New Program Felicity Template:Nom
2000 ALMA Awards Special Achievement Award Ian Gomez Template:Won
American Society of Cinematographers Awards Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Robert Primes Template:Nom
GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding TV Drama Series Felicity Template:Nom
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Series Danny Pelfrey, W. G. Snuffy Walden Template:Nom
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Actor Scott Foley Template:Nom
Scott Speedman Template:Nom
Choice TV: Actress Keri Russell Template:Nom
Choice TV: Sidekick Ian Gomez Template:Nom
Amy Jo Johnson Template:Nom
Choice TV Show: Drama Felicity Template:Nom
2001 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding TV Drama Series Felicity Template:Nom
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Actress Keri Russell Template:Nom
Choice TV Show: Drama Felicity Template:Nom
2002 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Tangi Miller Template:Nom
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Action/Drama Felicity Template:Nom
Choice TV Actor: Drama Scott Foley Template:Nom
Scott Speedman Template:Nom
Choice TV Actress: Drama Keri Russell Template:Nom

References

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Template:J. J. Abrams Template:Matt Reeves Template:The WB Template:Authority control

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