Joel Surnow is an American television writer and producer. He is the co-creator of the action series La Femme Nikita and 24.

La Femme Nikita is a Canadian action-drama television series based on the French film Nikita by Luc Besson. The series stars Peta Wilson as the title character. It was co-produced by Jay Firestone of Fireworks Entertainment and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. It was adapted for television by Joel Surnow. The series was telecast in the United States 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.