Unlike the Brady Bunch, the Camdens of Seventh Heaven aren't a blended family. And unlike the Partridge Family, they aren't a band. They're just a family--a large, if normal family with normal problems and concerns. A little like the Waltons, perhaps, but set in the present day. The parents are Eric (Stephen Collins from All the President's Men), a minister, and Annie (Catherine Hicks from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home), a homemaker. They live in the suburbs of Glenoak, California, with their five children: 16-year-old Matt (Barry Watson), 14-year-old Mary (Jessica Biel), 12-year-old Lucy (Beverley Mitchell), 9-year-old Simon (David Gallagher), and 5-year-old Ruthie (Mackenzie Rosman). By the end of the pilot ("Anything You Want"), they'll add the dog Happy to their household.
Created by Barbara Hampton (Blossom) and produced
by Aaron Spelling (Beverly Hills 90210), Seventh
Heaven premiered on the WB in 1996 and would become its
most enduring hit. It may lack a gimmick, but this
heartwarming family drama doesn't lack a theme:
communication. And since the Camdens are a minister's
family, faith comes up often, as well, which gives the show
something in common with such otherwise disparate programs
as Touched by an Angel and Joan of Arcadia.
Throughout 1996-1997, the Camdens would deal with many tough
issues, both internal and external, including teen pregnancy
("Family Secrets"), death ("In the Blink of an Eye"), racism
("The Color of God"), spousal abuse ("What Will People
Say"), and alcoholism ("Last Call for Aunt Julie"). In the
years to come, the cast would have their own real-life
issues with which to contend, such as Watson's battle with
cancer (after taking 2003 off to recover, he would return in
2004) and the gradual loss of Biel (The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre) to the movies. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Product Description
7TH HEAVEN centers around the Camdens, a tight-knit family
living in Glenoak, California and consisting of minister dad
Eric, homemaker mom Annie, and their brood of five children:
Matt, Mary, Lucy, Simon and Ruthie and their adorable dog,
Happy. The series chronicles the many complex issues of
growing up in the world today, and the Camden family tackles
these issues head-on. Unafraid of intervening in the lives
of their children, Eric and Annie discuss serious issues
with them in an effort to educate them on the ways of the
world. The family remains a tight unit as a result of their
love for one another, and their faith in God.
