Looks as if Concetta Tomei's lungs may not get a break after all. Producers on ''Providence'' remain cautiously optimistic that NBC will reverse its decision to cancel the four-year-old drama -- good news for the 10.6 million fans who enjoyed watching Dr. Sydney Hansen (Melina Kanakaredes) converse with her dead, chain-smoking mom (Tomei) each week.
NBC Entertainment president Jeff Zucker now admits he made a snap decision to cancel the show that typically won its Friday time slot, though something had to be done since Kanakaredes is due to have a baby this month and will need time off. Though Zucker gives ''Providence'' a 50/50 chance of remaining on NBC -- he'll make a final decision in January -- executive producer Ann Hamilton says no one should underestimate the show's staying power. ''It still hangs in there. People love to make fun of it, but it doesn't pretend to be Shakespeare. It knows exactly what it is, a sweet, unpretentious family show.''
And expect more of the same should it return in September. Says Hamilton, ''We want to find romance for Jim (Mike Farrell) down the line, and there's certainly the possibility of a pregnancy for Syd and Owen (George Newbern).'' Here's an idea: Have Syd think she's about to have a baby, but then not really, but then yes, really. Fans just love that kind of uncertainty.
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