Inside Section One
Christopher Heyn (Los Angeles: POV Press, 2006)
408pp; ISBN: 0-9787625-0-9

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back cover...

Before Alias ever hit the airwaves, the creators of Fox Network's hit TV series 24 had already reinvented the modern spy drama with La Femme Nikita. Based on the internationally-acclaimed Luc Besson film, La Femme Nikita burst onto the scene as the highest-rated drama on basic cable, and put USA Network on the map as a home for edgy TV series like Monk and The Dead Zone.
INSIDE SECTION ONE: Creating and Producing TV's La Femme Nikita takes readers on the series' six-year journey from art-house action movie to hit TV drama, then breaks down the production process in a uniquely informative and entertaining way. Much more than a "viewers' guide," INSIDE SECTION ONE is a comprehensive exploration of the development and production of a single TV series, using La Femme Nikita as a case study.
Combining extremely candid and often humorous interviews with 60 members of the cast, crew, studio and network, along with 275 photos and illustrations, INSIDE SECTION ONE demystifies the inner workings of a TV series by detailing the production and people skills necessary to succeed in a demanding creative environment. In addition, INSIDE SECTION ONE explores each of La Femme Nikita's 96 episodes in depth, from the development of each script to the production challenges that the cast and crew faced every week. And all this, told by someone who was there on the inside during all five seasons of the series!
Whether you're a student pursuing a creer in TV production, a long-time fan of La Femme Nikita, or someone fascinated by what takes place behind the camera, INSIDE SECTION ONE is the one book you must have in your library.

"Christopher Heyn has performed an incredible service, not only for La Femme Nikita fans but especially for serious students of television production. This is as complete and thorough an examination of the life of a television series as anyone could ever ask for. He takes you into the story sessions with writers and producers who reveal the process behind the creating of the show, along with a detailed examination of each and every episode. Not only am I proud of my association with La Femme Nikita, but I'm also proud of the fact that this quality series has a unique and highly qualified chronicler in Christopher Heyn."
-- Cyrus Nowrasteh, writer
"For anyone who has ever wondered how a television series gets made, INSIDE SECTION ONE is a completely engrossing deconstruction of the creation and production of a groundbreaking television series. For those of us like myself who were directly involved in bringing La Femme Nikita to the small screen, it is especially engaging. Christopher Heyn's ambitious research becomes a prism through which the reader can witness how close the series came to never being made, but then how various key decisions, timing, and ultimately a fantastic creative team and great casting all came together to produce a series that truly was ahead of its time."
-- Rod Perth, President, Moviewatch Network and former President of USA Network
"Christopher Heyn's book is the definitive work on one of the all-time great TV series, but it also much more than that. It is one of the most thorough and thoughtful books every written on the television production process, in which La Femme Nikita becomes a case study of how to create a quality one-hour drama with resourcefulness and ingenuity despite a limited budget. Teachers and students will find this book to be a magnificent learning tool, guiding them through the fickle, high-stakes TV industry where, against all odds, glorious miracles like La Femme Nikita occasionally do happen."
-- Dr. Gary Burns, Dept. of Communications, Northern Illinois University