7th Heaven is an American family drama television series created and produced by Brenda Hampton which follows the Camden family as the minister father and stay-at-home mother deal with the drama of having seven children, ranging from toddlers to adults with families of their own.
The friends, neighbours and love interests of the various members of the family weigh heavily on the plot of the series, which seeks to address a real-life issue with each episode.
The series aired in the USA on The WB (which later became The CW) from 26 August, 1996 to 13 May, 2007. There are 243 episodes in 11 seasons.
7th Heaven originally aired in South Africa on SABC2 from 4 March, 1998 to 9 January, 2009. It later aired on DStv's Vuzu and CBS Drama channels. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 4 premiered on CBS Drama on Wednesday 12 February 2014, at 19h20. New episodes broadcast daily at the same time, on weekdays. There are 22 episodes in the fourth season.
Synopsis
From Spelling Television and Brenda Hampton comes 7th Heaven, a critically acclaimed family drama about a minister, his wife and their seven children.
The WB's highest-rated series, 7th Heaven captured the hearts of television audiences with its witty, charming and heartwarming storytelling and was praised for providing high-quality entertainment for all ages.
The series received numerous awards for chronicling the many complex problems of growing up in the world today. The young adults on 7th Heaven were exposed to issues ranging from teen suicide and sibling rivalry to violence in schools.
Storylines touched on such topics as the Holocaust, hate crimes, prejudice against Muslims, drug use, vandalism, the right to vote, drinking and driving, teen pregnancy and homelessness.
Reflecting the headlines of our times, episodes also focused on the Lost Boys of The Sudan, a real-life American serviceman who was killed in Afghanistan and a law allowing teenage mothers to turn their unwanted babies over to hospitals with no questions asked.
The series received honours from the Parents Television Council, The Media Project's Shine Awards, Entertainment Industries Council's Prism Awards, Viewers Voice, Anti-Defamation League, Film Advisory Board, Academy of Religious Broadcasting, Kids Choice Awards, Teen Choice Awards, Family Friendly Forum Awards and the TV Guide Awards.
7th Heaven stars Emmy Award-nominated Stephen Collins, Catherine Hicks, Beverley Mitchell, Nikolas and Lorenzo Brino as the twins, George Stults, Tyler Hoechlin and Haylie Duff.
Reverend Eric Camden (Collins) and his wife Annie (Hicks) have always had their hands full caring for seven children, not to mention the friends, sweethearts and spouses that continually come and go in the Camden household.
However, Eric and Annie's family issues are pushed to the wayside when Eric is diagnosed with a fatal heart condition and told he only has six months to live.
Of course, as you would expect, the news drastically alters the way they view life and how they interact with the community around them. Eric makes each decision as if it might be his last which proves heartbreaking and even humorous at times, and Annie attempts to fight fate by seeking guidance from psychics, healers and therapy groups.
At the end of Season 10, Matt (Barry Watson), Mary (Jessica Biel) and Lucy (Mitchell) all announced that their respective families were expecting twins, following in the footsteps of Eric and Annie.
The Season 11 opener reveals that Lucy lost the twins over the summer, leaving her to reevaluate what's next for her and her family.
Kevin (Stults) is a good husband and wants to help his wife during this difficult time, but, unfortunately, his efforts at making Lucy feel better only result in pushing her further away.
In addition to being a stay-at-home father, in the final season Kevin takes a troubled young boy - the boy who accidentally shot him in Season 10 - under his wing in an effort to change the course of his life.
Martin (Hoechlin) returns to Glenoak in Season 11 after realising that he misses his son and wants to become more active in his life.
His son's mother, Sandy (Duff), is in love with Simon (Gallagher), but finally comes to terms with the fact that she has to move on with her life after Simon returns to school.
She decides to attend seminary school and become a minister, creating an unspoken rivalry with Lucy who is also a minister and feels like Sandy is on her turf.
It also doesn't sit well with Lucy that the troubled teens from church, who had previously come to her for advice, now flock to Sandy who has a dark past that is more relatable.
Through all the ups and downs of 10 seasons, Eric and Annie managed to keep their romance alive and their family together. They've certainly been there and done that.
However, Eric's diagnosis in Season 11 throws their relatively normal lives into a tailspin and the family will now have to depend on each other more than ever.
7th Heaven was created by Brenda Hampton (Fat Actress, Mad About You, Blossom), who also serves as executive producer along with Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent.
The series is a production of Spelling Television, Inc., a Paramount/Viacom company.
Seasons
Season 1 (22 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 4 Mar 1998 | Finale: 29 Jul 1998 | Wednesdays, 20h00
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 2 Jun 2010 | Finale: 23 Jun 2010 | Daily, 00h30
Channel: CBS Drama | Premiere: 12 Nov 2013 | Finale: 11 Dec 2013 | Weekdays, 19h20
Season 2 (22 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 12 Oct 1999 | Finale: 7 Mar 2000 | Tuesdays, 20h00/19h30
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 24 Jun 2010 | Finale: 15 Jul 2010 | Daily, 00h30
Channel: CBS Drama | Premiere: 12 Dec 2013 | Finale: 10 Jan 2014 | Weekdays, 19h20
Season 3 (22 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 4 Jan 2001 | Finale: 31 May 2001 | Thursdays, 19h30
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 6 Aug 2010 | Finale: 27 Aug 2010 | Daily, 00h30
Channel: CBS Drama | Premiere: 13 Jan 2014 | Finale: 11 Feb 2014 | Weekdays, 19h20
Season 4 (22 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 5 Jun 2001 | Finale: 30 Oct 2001 | Tuesdays, 19h30
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 28 Aug 2010 | Finale: 18 Sep 2010 | Daily, 00h30
Channel: CBS Drama | Premiere: 12 Feb 2014 | Finale: 13 Mar 2014 | Weekdays, 19h20
Season 5 (22 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 2 Apr 2002 | Finale: 27 Aug 2002 | Tuesdays, 19h30
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 19 Sep 2010 | Finale: 10 Oct 2010 | Daily, 00h30
Season 6 (22 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 4 Feb 2003 | Finale: 1 Jul 2003 | Tuesdays, 19h30
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 11 Oct 2010 | Finale: 1 Nov 2010 | Daily, 00h30
Season 7 (22 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 16 Dec 2003 | Finale: 11 May 2004 | Tuesdays, 19h30
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 2 Nov 2010 | Finale: 23 Nov 2010 | Daily, 00h30
Season 8 (23 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 8 Mar 2005 | Finale: 9 Aug 2005 | Tuesdays, 19h30
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 24 Nov 2010 | Finale: 16 Dec 2010 | Daily, 00h30
Season 9 (22 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 10 Jan 2006 | Finale: 6 Jun 2006 | Tuesdays, 19h30
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 17 Dec 2010 | Finale: 7 Jan 2011 | Daily, 00h30
Season 10 (22 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 11 Aug 2007 | Finale: 5 Jan 2008 | Saturdays, 12h30
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 8 Jan 2011 | Finale: 29 Jan 2011 | Daily, 00h30
Season 11 (22 episodes)
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 23 Aug 2008 | Finale: 17 Jan 2009 | Saturdays, 20h00
Channel: Vuzu | Premiere: 30 Jan 2011 | Finale: 20 Feb 2011 | Daily, 00h30