- 7th Heaven
infobox television
show_name = 7th Heaven
caption = The "7th Heaven" title card.
format = Family Drama
runtime = 60 minutes
(with commercials)
creator = Brenda Hampton
|Full CastStephen Collins Catherine Hicks
Barry WatsonDavid Gallagher Jessica Biel Beverley Mitchell Mackenzie Rosman Nikolas Brino Lorenzo Brino Happy (dog actor)
country = USA
network = The WB (1996-2006)
The CW (2006-2007)
first_aired =August 26 1996
last_aired =May 13 2007
num_seasons = 11
num_episodes = 243
list_episodes = List of 7th Heaven episodes
imdb_id = 0115083
tv_com_id = 251"7th Heaven" is an Emmy-nominated American drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on Monday
August 26 1996 , on theWB Television Network , the first time that the WB aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from1996 -2007 . Theseries finale was scheduled forMay 8 2006 ; however, the show was renewed bythe CW Television Network when the intended final episode received high ratings. The 11th and final season premiered on Monday,September 25 2006 and ended onMay 13 2007 . InJanuary 2008 7th Heaven started airing in syndication onThe Hallmark Channel andWGN America . "7th Heaven" is the longest running series that has ever aired on The WB network, the longest running family drama in television history and the longest running show produced byAaron Spelling .The show tells story about a Protestant minister's family living in the fictional town of Glenoak, California. The show originally got its name from the fact that there were originally seven members of the Camden family, which was later increased to seven children in the family with the birth of the twins. Furthermore, the father (Eric Camden) was a minister and all seven children are named after saints.
Cast and characters
Camden family
*
Stephen Collins as Reverend Eric Camden (1996- 2007)
*Catherine Hicks asAnnie Camden (1996 - 2007)
*Barry Watson as Dr. Matt Camden (starring 1996-2006)
*David Gallagher asSimon Camden (1996-2006)
*Jessica Biel asMary Camden-Rivera (starring episodes 1-95, 2001, 2001-2002, 2003, 2006)
*Beverley Mitchell as Reverend Lucy Camden-Kinkirk
*Mackenzie Rosman asRuthie Camden (1996-2007 season 11; except episodes 1-7)
*Nikolas Brino asSam Camden (2001-2007) {the role originally played by all four Brino Quads before Season 6}
*Lorenzo Brino asDavid Camden (2001-2007) {the role originally played by all four Brino Quads before Season 6}
*Happy asHappy the dog (1996-2007)Recurring/guest characters with starring roles
*
Adam LaVorgna as Robbie Palmer (1999-2000; starring 2000-2002)
*Geoff Stults asBen Kinkirk (2001-2006; starring 2002-2003)
*George Stults as (former) Officer Kevin Kinkirk (2002; starring 2002-2007)
*Ashlee Simpson as Cecilia Smith (starring 2002-2004)
*Rachel Blanchard as Roxanne Richardson (starring 2002-2004)
*Jeremy London as Chandler Hampton (starring episodes 2002-2004)
*Scotty Leavenworth as Peter Petrowski (2002-2006; starring 2003-2004)
*Tyler Hoechlin asMartin Brewer (starring episodes 2003-2007)
*Sarah Thompson as Rose Taylor (starring 2005-2006)
*Haylie Duff asSandy Jameson (starring episodes 2005-2007)
*Megan Henning as Meredith Davis (2004-2005; starring 2005 {episodes 200-208})
*Chaz Lamar Shepherd as John Hamilton (1996-1999; starring 1999-2001)
*Maureen Flannigan as Shana Sullivan (1998-2002; starring 1999-2000)Other recurring characters
*
Christopher Michael Seargant, Detective, Captain and Chief of Police Michaels (1996-2007)
*Alan Fudge as Lou Dalton (1997-2007)
*Peter Graves as "The Colonel" John Camden (1996-1997; 1999-2002; 2006-2007)
*Barbara Rush as Ruth Camden (1996-1997; 1999-2003; 2006-2007)
*Andrea Ferrell as Heather Cain (1997-2004; 2006)
*Carlos Ponce asCarlos Rivera (1998; 2003-2006)
*Sarah Danielle Madison as Dr. Sarah Glass (Camden) (2002-2006)
*Kyle Searles as Mac (2004-2007)
*Dorian Harewood as Reverend Morgan Hamilton (1996-2001; 2003)
*Olivia Brown as Patricia Hamilton (1996-2000; 2003)
*David Netter as Nigel Hamilton (1996-2000)
*Gabrielle Union as Keesha Hamilton (1996-1999)
*Camille Winbush as Lynn Hamilton (1996-1999)
*Colton James as Theodore "T-Bone" (2006-2007)
*Meg Wittner as Donna Cain (eight episodes, 1997-2002)
*Andrea Morris asMargaret (2006-2007)
*Sarah Wright asJane (2006-2007)
*Alyssa & Hannah Yadrick asSavannah Kinkirk (2005-2007) {only officially credited in Season 11}
*Andrew Keegan as Wilson West (1997-1999; 2001-2002; 2004)
*Barret Swatek as Cheryl (2000-2003)
*Laraine Newman as Rosina Glass (2002-2004)
*Richard Lewis as Rabbai Richard Glass (2002-2004)
*Shannon Kenny as Paris Petrowski (2002-2005)
*Brenda Song as Cynthia (2000-2002)
*Brenda Strong as Mrs. Carmen McKoul (2000-2002)
*David Lago as Jeremy (2001-2002)
*Beverly Garland as Ginger (1997-1999; 2001-2002; 2004)
*Graham Jarvis as Charles Jackson (1996-2003)
*Sam Saletta as George Camden (1997; 1999; 2001)
*Nicole Cherie as Deena Stewart (1998-1999; 2000)
*Ed Begley Jr. as Hank Hastings (1999-2003)
*Deborah Raffin as Julie Camden Hastings (1996-1997; 1999-2005)
*Eileen Brennan as Gladys Bink (1996-1997; 2001; 2003-2004; 2006)
*Matthew Linville as Jimmy Moon (1996-1999; 2001; 2003)
*Bo Derek as Mrs. Kinkirk (2003; 2005)
*Brad Maule as George Smith (2002-2005)
*Jeremy Lelliott as Mike Pierce (2000-2002)
*Oliver Adams as Jake Davis (2002)
*Lance Bass as Rick Palmer (2000)
*Thomas Dekker as Vincent (2005)
*Aaron Carter as Harry (2004)Premise
Denomination
denomination is typically never disclosed (with the exception of an episode that was narrated by Simon in Season 8; in a Season 11 episode in which Annie comments on how Protestants can't have a confession; in Season 6 episode 15 when Matt tells Sarah Glass that his father is Protestant).
In at least one episode, the Disciples of Christ denominational logo (St. Andrew cross and chalice) was displayed prominently on the front of the church's pulpit. Many of the church scenes were filmed at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of North Hollywood.cite web |url=http://www.fccnh.org/ |title=First Christian Church |work=fccnh.org |accessdate=1996-08-26] Although the logo display was likely unintentional, there appears to be nothing about the Camdens' brand of Christianity that would be negated if they were not a part of the Disciples of Christ. The reason for the display of the Chalice is most likely due to the rental agreement of the church. On the wall hanging left to the pulpit, the church's logo is present (blue logo with a cross/anchor symbol). The church (First Christian Church of North Hollywood), has noted that when the cast was on set, they often went into the church office to observe how church staff really act! Fact|date=May 2008
In an earlier online show guide from Warner Brothers Television, the back story for Eric Camden described him as being an Episcopal Priest leading, with his Bishop's permission, a non-denominational church. Some people find this interesting in light of
Stephen Collins ' real-life attendance at an Episcopal parish in the Pacific Palisades area.Clerical family
The family originally consisted of five children (Matt, Mary, Lucy, Simon, and Ruthie), but in the third season, Annie gave birth to twins, Sam and David. Three of the children (Matt, Simon, and Mary) moved away from home. Simon went to college, and Matt married and pursued his career as a doctor. Nevertheless, the house is always full; Lucy, her husband Kevin, and their daughter Savannah all live near the Camdens. Frequent house guests also find the Camden house a home of their own. Due to dissatisfaction with the show and her image,
Jessica Biel was slowly written out of the show starting in 2000 and, after an appearance onSeptember 22 2003 she did not appear again until the Season 10 finale onMay 8 2006 . On the other hand, Matt and Simon have regularly found themselves involved with the family since they moved out and Simon (David Gallagher ) returned for most of the ninth season and the entire tenth season.Mackenzie Rosman (Ruthie) remained with the show for its entire run, with the exception of the first six episodes of the eleventh season.Themes
Each episode deals with a moral lesson or controversial theme that the family handles either directly or indirectly. Some range from the traumatic (e.g., Eric's sister came to visit and the children found out that she was an alcoholic) to the somewhat trivial (e.g., in one episode, every child acquired an
addiction , with even Ruthie being addicted to gum). Beyond the moral lesson in each show, there are also longer-runningstory arc s. The first episode involved Lucy's (lack of) period. In the later seasons, Eric had to deal with his wife enteringmenopause and his daughter Ruthie needing atraining bra . The topics are usually approached from a socially and politically conservative Protestant Christian point of view (devoting almost all of Season 9 to the alleged need not to have pre-marital sex while, however, several pre-marital episodes occur, including a Season 10 episode where Eric mentions that his parents had to marry because his mother became pregnant with him and most recently Ruthie disclosing that she lost her virginity while in Europe over the summer, although it was revealed to be a lie), although the series avoided touching "hot button" issues (i.e.affirmative action ,abortion , andhomosexuality ). A2004 episode about the importance of voting on election day seemed to suggest that men in the family were voting for incumbent presidentGeorge W. Bush , while the women were voting for Massachusetts SenatorJohn Kerry , although the script went out of the way to make sure that no mention of either candidate was ever made directly by name, leaving the viewer to decide and the message of the episode simply being "vote, no matter who you vote for". However, in the same episode in which Matt discloses that the family is Protestant, he also discloses to Sarah that his father, is a Democrat. Along with the show's family-oriented storyline, this conservative nature has been responsible, in part, for the show's longevity—appealing to an audience who are rarely targeted. This appears to extend even to the question of the denomination of Eric's church ("Reverend Camden", in the vocabulary of the program's producers and writers).The show is reliant on the
very special episode concept, attempting to introduce contemporary social issues to lend greater emotional resonance to episodes. These episodes do in fact lead to high ratings for the show. TheJanuary 24 2005 episode, which featured the birth of Lucy's daughter Savannah, garnered 7.99 million viewers—the highest WB rating since2003 . Another example included the would-be series finale, now simply known as the Season 10 finale, which scored 7.56 million viewers onMay 8 2006 .Changes in the show's tone
Many long-time viewers noticed a gradual change in the tone of the show throughout the years. In the early seasons, Eric and Annie are very strict with their children, often harshly lecturing and/or severely punishing them for minor (by most families' standards) offenses. The show also had a more dramatic tone in earlier seasons, featuring very serious issues in each episode, such as alcoholism and self-injury. In later seasons, however, Eric and Annie are much more laid-back, and the show has a lighter, more comic, tone to it. Because of Executive Producer Aaron Spelling's death, "7th Heaven" was the final production under the Spelling brand name. Although never formally announced, it is believed that CBS/Paramount has retired the Spelling name following the conclusion of "7th Heaven", out of respect for its namesake.
Jessica Biel's departure
Jessica Biel played daughter Mary from the show's beginning. However, gradually dissatisfied with her "goody goody" image, Biel eventually posed for semi-nude photographs for "Gear" magazine of which the producers of the show did not approve. During the fifth (2000 -2001 ) season, her character had gone through a rebellious phase, and this storyline was used to write Biel out of the show, sending Mary to her grandparents' house inBuffalo, New York for some tough love to counter her rebellious behavior. During Season 6 (2001 -2002 ), Mary returned home, but the differences between Biel and the producers led to Mary leaving home full time and becoming a flight attendant.Biel returned for five episodes during Season 7 (
2002 -2003 ), including Lucy's wedding episode and the season finale. She then appeared in the second episode of Season 8, which aired onSeptember 22 2003 , when she revealed to the family that she had married Carlos Rivera (Carlos Ponce ) whom the Camdens assisted in returning home to his family in the Christmas episode "Here Comes Santa Claus" in Season 3, and was pregnant with his child. After a nearly three-year absence, it was announced onApril 3 2006 that Jessica would make a triumphant return for the season finale "And Thank You", reuniting all nine Camdens for the first time since the Season 7 finale "Life and Death" inApril 2003 .While she was away, from 2003-2006, Mary has had major storylines off-camera, including giving birth to son Charles "Charlie" Miguel Rivera in
2004 , and then subsequently divorcing her husband and signing away custody of her child in theMay 2005 ninth season finale "Mi Familia". Her on-screen ex-husband Carlos Ponce, made several appearances during her absence to deliver these stories. Minor stories or tidbits include Mary taking a political stance in Season 9 by sending her husband to the voting booth and attending rallies, sending Lucy a baby shower gift, going through job training in London, relocating to Chicago following her divorce, and most recently, helping Simon in Season 10 with financial difficulties. However, she has clearly maintained a connection with Carlos and Charlie, and up until the divorce was made known, kept in contact with her siblings semi-regularly at least.Her appearance in the Season 10 finale, though limited, shed light on events taking place during the last few months. Mary graduated from college the same weekend as Matt and Sarah, reunited with husband Carlos, and was pregnant with twin girls. Although she was not with the family, her conversation with her husband during the episode revealed that Mary's reunion with the family would take place during Matt and Sarah's graduation ceremony. All of this brought resolution to the estrangement that had been present since Season 5.
In the Season 11 premiere it is revealed that Mary had the twin girls over the summer. She and Carlos also returned to New York for reasons unknown. She got a job teaching and was going to coach basketball.
Episodes
DVD releases
Ratings
"7th Heaven" was the most watched TV series ever on the WB. It holds the record for the WB's most watched hour at 12.5 million viewers, on
February 8 ,1999 , 19 of the WB's 20 most watched hours were from "7th Heaven". No other WB series had as much success as "7th Heaven". OnMay 8 ,2006 , it was watched by 7.56 million viewers, the highest rating for the WB sinceJanuary 2005 . However, on the CW, ratings dropped. This is most likely because The WB had formally cancelled the series in November of 2005 and aired a "Countdown to Goodbye" ad campaign for the last six months of the 2005-06 season which promoted that season as the final season ever. Whatsmore, after The New CW Network announced the series' unexpected renewal, they didn't promote the new season well (no billboards or bus stops and few magazine or on-air commercials). To make things worse, the network moved "7th Heaven" to Sunday nights, and, as a result, most of the few returning viewers thought the series was removed from the schedule, causing a dismal season average of just 3.3 million, losing 36% of the previous year's audience. It was the third most watched scripted show on the CW. Overall, it was the seventh most watched show.U.S. ratings
Production
Although originally produced for Fox in
1996 , the show aired onThe WB . It was produced bySpelling Television , and distributed for syndication by (corporate sibling)CBS Paramount Television . Its producers, includingAaron Spelling , considered it wholesome family viewing, incorporatingpublic service announcements into the show. The final season of "7th Heaven" was shown on the inaugural season of The CW. The show wrapped production on the final episodeMarch 8 2007 which is about month before most shows film their last episodes of the season. This was due largely to the fact that after ten years of working together, the actors, producers and crew had gotten production down to a well-oiled machine, slashing costs repeatedly and routinely coming in well under budget. This resulted in "7th Heaven" filming episodes in shorter time during the final seasons, explaining why the show stopped filming earlier than other network dramas.Broadcast and Syndication
7th heaven stopped airing on
The CW Television Network in September 2007. The show did air on theABC Family television network, but the network stopped airing the show in 2008. The show now is being aired on the Hallmark Channel starting in 2008. When the show began airing on the Hallmark Channel the network shortened the opening credits. It started airing on WGN on September 8, 2008.2006 renewal
After much deliberation within the now-defunct WB network, it was made public in
November 2005 that the tenth season would be the program's final because of high costs, which were later revealed to be no fault of the show (which had a very low budget itself), but rather due to a poorly-negotiated licensing agreement by the WB network a few years earlier. Regardless, because of this, the program's future was hanging in the balance, and it was entirely in the hands of the newly-established CW network whether to renew it for an eleventh seasonal run. InMarch 2006 , the main cast of characters were approached about the possibility of returning for an eleventh season.cite web|url=http://www.tvfodder.com/archives/20701/7th_heaven_canc.shtml |title="7th Heaven" Cancelled Because of Costs |work=TVFodder.com |accessdate=2006-01-16] cite web|url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-collinsheavenstory,0,6958603.story?coll=zap-news-headlines|title=Collins Celebrates New Life For '7th Heaven'|work=Zap2it.com |accessdate=2006-05-19]After further consideration by the CW network, it was decided—three days after the airing of its "series finale"—that "7th Heaven" would be picked up for an eleventh season, which would air on their network in the Monday-night slot that had helped make it famous. cite web |url=http://www.tvweek.com/news/2006/05/7th_heaven_back_for_an_11th_se.php |title='7th Heaven' Back for an 11th Season|work=TVWeek.com|accessdate=2007-06-19] Originally the show was renewed for thirteen episodes, but on
September 18 2006 the renewal was extended to a full twenty-two episodes.cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20061020cw01|title=The CW gives full season orders to new comedy "The Game" and "7th Heaven"|work=TheFutonCritic.com|accessdate=2006-10-20]Along with the show's unexpected, and last-minute, renewal came some changes. The show's already-low budget was moderately trimmed, forcing cuts in the salaries of some cast members and shortened taping schedules (seven days per episode instead of the typical eight). Furthermore,
Mackenzie Rosman , who played youngest daughterRuthie Camden , did not appear in the first six episodes. She had appeared in every episode of the series prior to that.Catherine Hicks missed three episodes in Season 11, as another cost-cutting move. Additionally, for the first time since joining the cast in2002 as a series regular,George Stults was absent for a few episodes at the beginning of Season 11.Stephen Collins andBeverley Mitchell ended up being the only two cast members to appear in every single episode of "7th Heaven"'s 11 seasons.
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