Ein Hauch von Himmel

Roma Downey, John Dye, and Della Reese star in the best show on television today. I especially like Roma Downey and John Dye. This was a message oriented series that deals with a different subject with each different episode they make. Seeing who will be guest starring is always a thrill like seeing Randy Travis, Bill Cosby, and others who have been gone from TV for awhile and those who are different TV shows.

I have so many favorite episodes that I have like 'Til We Meet Again' but my favorite episode is the 100th episode with guest stars Wynona and Celine Dion. I wish I could have seen more of Celine Dion and Wynona in future episodes because they were fantastic.

"Touched By An Angel" is a show that should never have gone off the air because it was a show that not only touches everyone watching it but the guest stars who have acted on it. It is as if this show has a special gift for touching and uplifting people that are surrounded by the show.

My favorite character was the 'Angel Of Death' Andrew, played by John Dye, because he just doesn't take the dying away; he makes sure the dying understand why they are going to heaven. Everybody I know that watch this show doesn't have one negative word to say about it.

"Touched By An Angel" was so touching that it made me want to do one of two things: become an angel like Monica, Tess, or Andrew, and be on the receiving end of their help.

Touched by an Angel still ranks as one of my very favorite shows. Sure, it was a little cheesy and syrupy at times, but you knew that going in, and you watched it for the message it delivered.

But I can sum up the impact it had on me, and could have on you, in one sentence:

"It's the only TV show that regularly made me cry."

It was so good, it spawned another superb show called "Promised Land."

If you've not seen it before, then make a point to catch it re-runs. You won't regret it.

I resisted watching this show for the first few years: too syrupy, too Christian (I'm Jewish), but once I got started (season 3) I was hooked. Yeah, it's predictable, manipulative, extremely Christian(even on the episodes which feature Jewish characters!), but I love it. I can't wait for Monica to glow and say, in that delightful brogue: God loves you so much! However, I think the show 'jumped the shark' when it introduced Valerie Bertinelli as 'Gloria'. She is totally annoying, and unnecessary to the stories. I might have liked her as a guest angel, but enough of her already. As far as the Jewish thing, I'm no expert, but I think that angels sent from God to Jews would not say 'God loves you'. Our relation to God is different than that. Maybe 'God knows you are trying your best' would be more appropriate. Still, I love this show, and now that it's been cancelled, I can't wait for the full set on DVD.

While the show has a certain degree of humor from episode to episode, the producers made the show meaningful to the problems of today's world, with each episode addressing a different and difficult topic in life's journey - ranging from gang problems to drugs to cancer to war to racism, with all giving proof in the end that God's intervention and love is always at hand for those who ask for it. Well-known American Jazz singer and actor Della Reese is well-suited in the role of Supervisory Angel Tess, while Irish-born actor Roma Downey stars in her role as Angelic case worker Monica, who is often given a helping hand from Andrew, The Angel of Death, played consistently well by American actor John Dye.

I'll be short and sweet. "Touched By An Angel" is a beautifully written, wonderfully acted, and fascinating to watch show. There are no "bad" episodes. The show received a very successful and very deserved nine year run.

I have made errors in judging in the past about the quality of various shows, but of this I am certain. "Touched By An Angel" is my second favorite show of all time. (Second only to the beautiful, short-lived "Once and Again".)God has truly inspired everyone involved with this show. May God bless them all!