Although it has its unbearably saccharine moments, I'd have to say the show is mostly pretty good.

Even the producer says their they're the whitest family in America.

"7th Heaven" airs Mondays at 8 pm on the WB.

Within a day after posting the "Tuber's Top Ten" list, I got the inevitable response: "7th Heaven? Really?" Yes, really. Well, most of the time, anyway. Sometimes the show slips into the realm of sugar-shock, but for the most part, I do, in fact, like it. "7th Heaven" is the story of the Camden family. Dad, Eric (Stephen Collins), is a minister and Mom, Annie (Catherine Hicks), is a full-time homemaker. They have five kids ranging in ages from 6 to 18 with two more on the way (typical birth during sweeps week, I think). Even the creator of the show, Brenda Hampton, calls the Camden's "the seven whitest people in America" and for the most part, that's true. It's all sounding rather boring and "family-oriented," isn't it? Well, that's the thing about "7th Heaven." It's not trendy and hip, but it is rather good. And its one of those rare shows that's gained quite a following mostly by word-of-mouth, which is usually a good sign.

Let's just state right away, I grew up on Michael Landon. "Little House on the Prairie" was featured prominently in my childhood, so I have a soft spot for these kinds of shows. I'm one of those people who wishes "Second Noah" was still on the air. But I also don't think "7th Heaven" is quite as syrupy as the other hour-long family dramas. Feel-good, yes. Feel-sick, only occasionally.

The thing about "7th Heaven" is that, in addition to covering the typical family issues, they also cover issues that I just don't think other series do, or do as well. In one episode, they addressed the growing problem of self-mutilation among teenage girls. Of course, in the same episode Ruthie (MacKenzie Rosman), the youngest, feels a little threatened by the impending expansion of the family. Typical meets atypical. Last season, second youngest Simon (David Gallagher) had a friend whose sister was in a gang. Yes, she saw the error of her ways, la la la. But not before being beaten to a bloody pulp and realizing her entire family would have to relocate to (hopefully) avoid further retribution. And in an episode taken from the real-life circumstances of Beverley Mitchell, her character Lucy coped with the death of a friend for which she believed she was responsible. Not every episode has a nice, happy ending with a pat solution.

Comparisons can easily be made to other "issue of the week" shows, especially "90210" in its early days. (This week, the gang learns about unwed motherhood!) The difference, I think, between "7th Heaven" and other "family" shows is that the characters seem to "get it" more deeply. The experiences this family has seem to penetrate into their everyday lives and get absorbed, rather than disappearing after the lesson is learned. I can't quite put my finger on why this seems to be the case, but I have a feeling it has to do with the quality of the stories. Yes, there's a moral more often than not. And yes, it has its saccharine and preachy moments. But at its basic core, it's a good show.

Issues, my friends. This family has issues.

Of course, as soon as I feel safe coming out of the "7th Heaven" closet, they hit me with an episode like this week's. I promise, it doesn't get any worse than this (which wasn't as bad as "Touched by an Angel" is every week). Matt (Barry Watson) stops to help a young pregnant woman stranded on the side of the road. She promptly steals Matt's car as soon as his back is turned, leaving him with what turns out to be a stolen car. Eventually, they discover she's a runaway who's afraid to tell her parents she's pregnant (but not afraid to steal their car). Her fears are well-grounded, though, because when the Camden's (who, of course, invite the girl into their home) contact her parents, they basically disown her and tell her by way of consolation, "We warned you not to have sex." Meanwhile, Mary (Jessica Biel) gets her learner's permit, but the other kids opt for the bus rather than ride to school with her at the wheel. Lucy eventually admits they're embarrassed by pregnant Mom, who looks like a walking billboard for their parents' sex life. In the end, Mary gives them a stern lecture about respecting their parents and Eric helps a parishioner who is trying to get over the death of her son three years earlier and just happens to need a friend who needs her (her words, not mine). Gee, I know the perfect candidate! She's this pregnant teenage runaway. The best part (facetiously speaking) is when the dead son's organ transplant recipients parade through Eric's office to meet the mother, each claiming "The hospital sent me over." I kept wondering if there was a waiting room of recipients waiting for their donor's grieving parent to call. And the actress who played the mother can only subscribe to the Tanya Roberts school of acting.

But as I said, it doesn't get any worse than this. And when it is this bad, it's still kind of fun, in a painful way. I guess in the end, the reason I like "7th Heaven" boils down to simple respect. It's cutting-edge in its own way and it covers things that aren't always so easy to cover. And I guess I like that.

Date: October 20, 1998

Copyright © 1998 by Lisa McInnis