Sétimo Céu

If you read through the comments already posted (and there are many), you'll see that most people are very strongly polarized... people either love this show or hate it.

I, for one, am somewhere in the middle of the road about it.

It is heavy-handed. It takes an 'issue of the week', and involves each member of the family in some aspect of that issue... fidelity, drug use, abstinence from sex before marriage... then wraps everything up in a nice neat package before the end of the episode.

The way the issues are dealt with are both shallow and heavy-handed. You never have any doubt in your mind what issue the writers are bringing up this week; you never have any doubt what they thing the "right" thing to do is.

At the same time...

We're looking inside of a family that seems to genuinely care about each other. There's a father who's involved with his children, siblings who look after each other, and a mother who obviously loves her children... and her husband, even after seven children.

Yes, Matt needs a punch in the nose. Mary could stand a valium perscription. Lucy needs a little more maturity. And so on. But...

But I keep watching this show, episode after episode.

And I'm not entirely sure why.

I understand the need for shows like 7th Heaven. Shows that can help kids comprehend the very complicated world that we live in. Shows that can teach as well as entertain. Shows that an entire family can watch. And while an entire family could sit down and watch this show; I have no idea why they would want to. This show is so bad on so many levels that it is hard to know where to begin. Almost all the shows problems stem from the ridiculously trite and unrealistic plotlines. Not only are some so ludicrous as to border on the bizarre, but quite a few are downright offensive. The misogynistic overtones aside, who are these people? Why does nothing make sense on this show? Since when does painting situations in black and white ever convince kids to follow the better path? Kids are smarter than that; they know it isn't that simple. And by refusing to show the other side or simply misrepresenting it will not sway any impressionable youth.

Most people don't get engaged/married within a week/month/day of knowing each other. Everyone over the age of 6 knows that smoking is bad but that doesn't mean all smokers are bad. The same with drinking. The same with sex. Its unrealistic to portray all of the kids as virgins with all the heavy making out that gets shown. And further more its detrimental because it gives the impression that that heavy petting doesn't lead to sex with most people. Why is there never an episode that deals with these complicated problems in a realistic manner? Why does an associate pastor drive a BMW, is it really that lucrative of a job? Why do the Camdens have expensive bottled water if they're so poor? Why do the girls on this show so often need the approval of men? Why? Why? Why? This show and countless others like it merely perpetuate unrealistic notions concerning appearance, romance, and income. So really is this what you want your children watching? Something that will make them feel ugly now, lonely and depressed later because its been two days since they've had a date, and broke because for some reason their income doesn't allow them live up to a "poor" family's standards. If you want quality time with your kids, buy them some books and read with them.

This series has all the qualities that should go into a horrid sitcom. The acting is beneath sub-par--with kids who were clearly picked more for their "look" than their acting abilities. The writing is so syrupy and pedestrian as to make "Martha Stewart's Living" look edgy and sophisticated by comparison. And the production quality looks like that of a 5th-rate syndicated show from 1987.

And, yet there is something oddly mesmerizing about this show. Maybe it's Aaron Spelling's knack for populating a world with such pretty people with such simple, easily solved problems. Maybe it's part of a secret desire to live in such an uncomplicated world where good guys are soapy pure and every house has a picket fence. Or maybe I just like to ogle Jessica Biel.

But what I really think is so appealing about this show is its camp value. Like a really cheesy B-horror film, 7th Heaven is at its best when it's at it worst. The hokier the story-line, the worse the acting; the more you have to laugh at it. It's like a train-wreck that you HAVE to watch--to find out who will introduce the next groan-inducing plot point, who will utter the next over-rehearsed bit of "spontaneous" dialogue, or what guest star has sunk so low this week.

7th Heaven is must-see TV, if for nothing else than watching desperate sup-par directors' constant cutaways to the family dog (to cover bad edits and, presumably, even worse dialogue). And the great thing is, the dog is actually a better actor than most of the kids on the show.

So, check it out. Get some popcorn, and have a good laugh.

I like '7th Heaven'. The cast is great, the writing isn't that bad, the plots are okay, and overall, it's one of the better shows on TV.

I know that a lot of people don't like this show. It's frowned upon mainly because it is 'sappy'. I use the word 'sappy' only because every episode ends so perfectly and the characters are goodie goodies. Well, the show IS sappy and perfect and all that, but I still enjoy it. I'll admit that there are some episodes that are annoying because everyone is just so happy and cheerful and everything goes just right. Oh, well, there are always those episodes you wish that weren't ever made.

The cast is wonderful. There's something about each member of the Camden family (and even those who aren't members) that just clicks. I can honestly say that I like each character and the actors, too. Eric, Annie, Matt, Mary, Lucy, Simon, Ruthie, and Robbie are great. Even though I'm really fond of David Gallagher and Mackenzie Rosman, I must say that the entire group of actors is terrific. I'm a little disappointed that Barry Watson and (even) Jessica Biel are no longer part of the cast, but the 'adjustments' that have been made; the addition of Geoff and George Stults as well as showing more of Adam LaVorgna, are good. One of the reasons I like this show so much is because it has a large cast. The more the merrier.

The plots are good, sometimes they drag, though. Same goes for the writing. Thankfully, the actors help the show along with their TERRIFIC acting skills.

'7th Heaven' is a nice, well-rounded show. It reminds me of 'Full House'. I was a fan of 'Full House' for many, many years, but I must say that I enjoy '7th Heaven' just a tad more. I hope the WB keeps it on the air for at least one or two more seasons. Anything more than that may be a mistake. After all, there's just so much a television show can work with. Mondays are THE night for television.

P.S. - For those of you who haven't taken the opportunity to view 'Everwood', which follows '7th Heaven', definitely try to catch it!

I watched this show once to kill time before something else came on, and found myself hooked. Sure the show has some major flaws -- it's heavy-handed moralizing, largely terrible acting, corny plots, a tendency to take itself way too seriously, and with the exception of the Mary-in-trouble story arc, everything is wrapped up in an hour.

But...

Everyone in the family cares about the others (tho sometimes I think mom has just a touch of an Evil Overlord bent on world domination streak), there's no sex, no violence beyond what's required to make a point, and no swearing. We're drowned in that stuff every day of our lives in every other medium we have. It's nice to find one hour during the week that's free of it. And if it moralizes -- what's the harm? Frankly most ppl could use a bit of moralizing. The other thing I've noticed is that while they're a religious family, and they approach their lives by that code -- they don't force it down anyone's throat, and that's pretty nice to see too. While they are tenacious in their own beliefs, they do allow others theirs... except when it impacts their family, which is understandable.

All in all, the irritations of the show are more than balanced by the sweet nature of the show, and the very family friendly spot it occupies. It may not be entirely realistic, but it's not entirely false either -- and if I want realism I can look at my own family which is just a bit *too* real.