"7th Heaven" (1996) TV series 1996-2007

User Rating:

4.5/10   

Creator:

Brenda Hampton

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

Release Date:

26 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Tagline:

You can relate...

Plot:

This weekly television series follows the Camden family as the minister father and stay-at-home mother deal with the drama of having seven children, ranging from toddlers to adults with families of their own. The friends, neighbors, and love interests of the various members of the family weigh heavily on the plot of the series, which seeks to address a real-life issue with each episode.

Plot Keywords:

Children | Minister | Sister Sister Relationship | Sentimental | Mother Son Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 20 wins & 55 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 6	9:00 AM	WGNAMER	Let's Talk About Sex	#3.9
Mon. July 6	1:00 PM	HALMRK	And Away We Go ...	#11.22

Cast

Happy	...	Happy (243 episodes, 1996-2007)
Beverley Mitchell	...	Lucy Camden / ... (242 episodes, 1996-2007)
Stephen Collins	...	Rev. Eric Camden / ... (241 episodes, 1996-2007)
Catherine Hicks	...	Annie Camden / ... (240 episodes, 1996-2007)
Mackenzie Rosman	...	Ruthie Camden (237 episodes, 1996-2007)
David Gallagher	...	Simon Camden (219 episodes, 1996-2006)
Barry Watson	...	Matt Camden (196 episodes, 1996-2006)
Jessica Biel	...	Mary Camden / ... (157 episodes, 1996-2006)
Lorenzo Brino	...	Sam Camden / ... (137 episodes, 1999-2007)
Nikolas Brino	...	David Camden (136 episodes, 1999-2007)
George Stults	...	Kevin Kinkirk / ... (114 episodes, 2002-2007)

Also Known As:

"7th Heaven: Beginnings" (USA) (rerun title)
"Seventh Heaven"

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG (season 3) | Canada:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

First Christian Church of North Hollywood - 4390 Colfax Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Spelling Television

Trivia:

Stephen Collins (Reverend Eric Camden) was offered the role of Eric Camden two days before the pilot episode was filmed. He never auditioned for the role. The next day he met the entire cast in Aaron Spelling's office and read the script out loud with them. It was then when he accepted the role.

Quotes:

Martin: Maybe someday I'll marry a girl with a lot of brothers and sisters.
Ruthie: Yeah, maybe you will.

Movie Connections:

Edited into "Frontline: The Merchants of Cool (#19.5)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

7th Heaven

"Nice" characters fail to make drama ignite

Lots of people talk about how "nice" the family in this show is, and that's certainly its most striking feature. Even those who like the show will probably concede that the family in the show is "nicer" than almost any family you'll find in real life. I suspect that the people producing the show were motivated to create an idealized family as a role model, rather than a "real" family most people would recognize as familiar. Whether you enjoy seeing an "idealized" family or whether you prefer something more realistic is a matter of personal preference. I personally don't feel there is anything necessarily wrong with unrealistic. Is "7th Heaven" any more "unrealistic" than "Friends" or "Seinfeld" or "The Phantom Menace"? Personally, I don't have a problem with "nice" characters, but I do have a problem with "nice" story telling.

In a well written story, be it a TV show, film, novel or play, you have a character faced with a series of seeming insurmountable problems. At some point in the story, the character will generally feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff they have to deal with. There's an escalation of tension in all good story telling. An element of chaos.

I find that missing from "7th Heaven". Solutions to problems are thought of the moment the problem occurs. The solutions are instantly implemented. Problems never pile on or overwhelm the characters. Everyone is in touch with their feelings, and can articulate whatever they feel. No communication problems exist. Everyone gets along just fine. There's no escalation of tension in a "7th Heaven" episode. In an effort to create a nice tone and positive role models, they have robbed their stories of all tension and conflict. They've made them dull. Nice is OK but dull is not.