in 1996, a brand-new drama premiered on national television. It was a family-friendly show anout traditional values, and it revolved around a nuclear family living in a quaint American town. But this was not just any family.

     The show was about the Camdens, a family that consisted of a minister, his wife, and thier five (now seven!) children. Exploring the life of a man of God and his family was an unusual concept for television. Appropriately titles 7th Heaven (as there were then seven members of the Camden family), the show came to the attention of the brand-new WB Network.

     Because of its late arrival to network television, the WB was not yet available in every city in the United States. Its audience was still small, though growing by leaps and bounds. The WB Network was willing to take a risk on a show that did not fit the usual formula. They wanted something unique.

     7th Heaven was that show.

     The new series was the brainchild of a talented woman named Brenda Hampton. she based her idea for the show on a simple concept: "What if there is a functional family in America?" Her version was of happy, loving American family-something not often portrayed on network televission. But according to one TV Guide article, that was just the hook she needed to get a major producer interested in the show.

      "Brenda throws her heart and soul into every show," said Stephen Collins, who plays the head of the Camden household. "She is genuinely inspired by the people she is writing about."

      But Brenda Hampton knew she could not create a television show without a producer. So she approached one of the single most succesful television producers of all time.

     Aaron Spelling was already famous for such high-profile hits as Love Boat, Beverley Hills, 90210, and Melrose Place. A giant in the industry, he had produced over onhundred television shows in his long career. Spelling also liked to tale risks. And after he met with Brenda Hampton, Spelling fell in love with the 7th Heaven concept. He decided to take another risk-and 7th Heaven was born

 

By putting faith in 7th Heaven, Mr. Spelling was offering his viewers something different from the type of shows that had made him a television mogul.

     7th Heaven was so different, in fact, that the other networks-ABC, CBS,NBC, and FOX-all said no. Only the WB was willing to give the show a chance.

     The network ordered a half-season's worth of programs, or thirteen episodes. Although it wasn't a full season of twenty-two episodes, it was a start.

      Soon an appealing cast was assembles. Brenda Hampton had said that her goal was "to create a show that families enjoy watching." What she didn't expect was for the cast and crew of 7th Heaven to bond as if they were a family themselves. But that's exactly what happened.

      "We have such a great time together that we feel like a family," said Jessica Beil, who plays oldest daughter Mary Camden.

     With a happy cast, a hardworking writer, and a television genius for a producer, 7th Heaven began production.

 

Everyone who saw the first episode of 7th Heaven in August, 1996, agreed that the show was unlike anything on television at the time.

     For one thing, 7th Heaven wasn't flashy. Instead of the usual glitz and glamour, the show had a kick-off-your-shoes, homespun feel that was comforting, even old-fashioned. It reminded television viewers of shows like The Waltons and Litlle House on the Praire.

     But 7th Heaven wasn't all sugar-and-spice or feel-good fluff. The scripts balanced sentiment with cutting-edge stories that dealt with real issues. And the show had a very attractive cast of young performers who were fresh and vibrant.

      What 7th Heaven didn't have were phenomenal special effects of breathless car chases. It didn't have sensational soap opera plots or mysterious muders. And it didn't star a cast of former runway models wearing glamorous runaway models wearing glamorous fashions as they posed in expensive, exotic settings.

      7th Heaven started as a small show by today's television standards. But it was a small show with a very big heart. It dealt with the kind of dilemmas that most people wrestle with at one time or another.

      At it's core, 7the Heaven is teh story of an American family led by a devoted minister named Eric Camden and his loving wife, Annie. The series features members of Eric's church congregation, as well as some of the people in the local community. But most of the action on 7th Heaven revolves around the Camdens' large family, which originally consisted of three teens and two young children. (Down the road, the family was joined by a dog named Happy and twin baby boy.)

       With drama-and plenty of humor-7th Heaven explores how each member of the camden family faces life and relate to his her world and to each other. But most of all, 7th Heaven is filled with love.

        Lots and lots of love.

 

Before 7th Heaven, the WB Network was probably best known for the weekly adventures of a certain foxy, teenage monster hunter. Unlike Buffy the Vampire Slayer, however, 7th Heaven was not an instant hit. In fact, the show was in trouble at the start.

     Maybe 7th heaven was just too different.

     When the first hour-long episode premiered, there weren't many programs on network television that an entire family could enjoy together. The few exceptions, like Home Improvement and The Nanny, were sitcoms. Though half-hour comedies are entertaining, it's nearly impossible to delve into complex problems in just thirty minutes-and stay funny at the same time.

      7th Heaven filled that gap. It was the first television series to appear in a very long time that attempted to explore the joys and pains of family life in both a dramatic and a funny way. Before 7th Heaven, and outside of a few rare sitcoms, audiences usually found family-friendly fare only on cable stations like TVLand and Nick at Nite.

      Despite the show's many blessings, however, 7th Heaven struggled to find an audience in its first season. It debuted at the bottom of the ratings chats. And it pretty much stayed there, week after week.

      7th Heaven's future was beginning to look grim. Things got so bad that it seemed as if the show might be canceled before it even had a chance to shine.

      Fortunately, the creator, the producer, and the cast all believed in the show. And they soon convinced the folks at the WB to stick with it. But even with the network's support, the show finished its first season with very low ratings.

      It seemed as if no one was watching the Little Show That Could.

      Finally, during its second season, the good word about 7th Heaven began to spread. slowly and steadily, teh show's audience began to grow. Critics and mediawatchers began to sit up and take notice, too.

     By the end of that second season, things were moving in the right direction. 7th Heaven finished as the second-highest-rated show on teh WB, right behind Dawson's Creek.

      But because the WB Network was very small, the show's audience-when compared to that of shows on the big, established networks-was small, too. The show was ranked at 103 on teh Nielsen ratings chart, which meant that more viewers watched 102 other shows than watched 7th Heaven.

     Then the long-awaited miracle happened. The kids of America discovered 7th Heaven!

 

Suddenly, children and teenagers alike began to watch the show-and loved it! They thought it was sweet and wise, funny and clever. But above all, they thought it was real. (And they were psyched about the good-looking cast, too.)

    Teens in particular found something cool about a show that didn't feature guntoting bad gus or psycho-killers. Finally, there was a show that seemed to understand what they were going through. And it wasn't long before their fathrs and mothers were watching, too.

    Adults enjoyed the sympathetic way the Camden parents were portrayed. Television shows often seem to depict parents as silly, incompetent, or both. Not 7th Heaven. Brenda Hampton and Aaron Spelling chose to portry real, three-dimensional characters to depict true-to-life parents in Eric and Annie Camden.

     7th Heaven found its most loyal and enthusiastic fans in teen and preteen girls. They loved 7th Heaven's mix of comedy and crisis. And major crushed on two irresistibly cute members of the cast, Barry Watson and David Gallagher.

     By the time the third season began, 7th Heaven had become a full-blown phenomenon. It was declared the fastest-growing drama on television. In fact, the show was becoming so popular that viewers were eager to see the early shows they had missed. That led to the WB's decision to run 7th Heaven: Beginnings, in addition to brand-new episodes. Suddenly, the little show that not many people had known about becasume the little show that won the heart of America.

     In 1999, 7th Heaven becasme the weekly show most watched by young adults. The February 8 episode, which featured the birth of the Camden twins, David and Samuel, was the highest-rated hour-long show in teh WB Network's history. Then the march 6, 1999, issue of TV Guide pronounced 7th Heaven the "best show you're not watching."

     But actually, you are watching, Millions of Americans now tune in to the WB Network to watch the show twice each week. They want to laugh and cry with the most loving and popular family in America.

     And it's quite an family!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a recent TV Guide article, writer Janet Weeks described a special on-set moment that occured during the filming of the episode that featured the birth of the twins.

    It happened after many days of hard work for the cast. The family was gathered around Annie's hospital bed following the arrival of the newest Camdens. As Annie help David and Sam, the family sang the theme from the Mary Tyler Moore show. As the voices sang "You're Gonna Make It After All" softly, so as not to awaken the babies, director Burt Brinckerhoff whispered to his assisstant, "I don't want to say 'Cut becasue this is so good."

    And so it was. But as beautiful as that scene was, it was just another heartwarming moment for the audience-and the cast-of this wonderful series.

     And you can be sure there will be many more such moments in 7th Heaven's future...