Summary: Shows like 7th Heaven have always played a vital role in shaping our society by depicting the scenarios of suburban Americans with a long Christian heritage. It has been more than two decades since the show aired, and it still holds up to its charm, mainly due to its story-telling and life lessons. This article will discuss 7th heaven’s impact and what it still offers to its audience.
1. Insight into 7th Heaven
7th Heaven is a family drama series often described as the longest running family drama that aired from August 1996 to May 2007. It showed the daily lives and struggles of the Camden family living in Glenoak, California, mainly revolving around their spiritual beliefs and existential debates. It was unique because it portrayed ordinary people’s lives, making the viewers feel like they are living among them.
It featured various aspects of life, such as love, heartbreak, illness, addiction, morality, and responsibility, that every individual can relate to. Its storyline was a combination of both religious and secular themes that a typical middle-class family faces regularly.
Though the show had several cast variations, it always drifted around the Camdens. The Camden couple, Reverend Eric Camden, and his wife Annie Camden strove to maintain a happy, comfortable living for their five children: Matt, Mary, Lucy, Simon, and Ruthie even through uncertainty.
2. Positive impact on viewers
The primary reason 7th Heaven is still relevant to this day is because of its significant influence on people’s lives. The show emphasizes the power of faith, hope, and positive thinking on one’s life. Every episode has a message, making the viewer reflect back towards their own experiences or think outside the box, thus inspiring a new perspective towards life.
The conflicts that arose in the show were realistic and thought-provoking and didn’t rely on outrageous plots or bizarre storylines. It tackled sensitive subjects like racism, teenage pregnancy, interracial marriage, alcoholism, and many more while maintaining a delicate balance of realism and hope.
It also represented family values and being there for each other no matter what, portraying that love is unconditional and could overcome any obstacle. The Camden family’s constant efforts to be there and help anyone who came into their lives left a long-lasting impact on viewers’ minds, thus instilling the importance of family values and kindness.
3. Controversies around the show
7th Heaven’s storyline revolved around the spiritual belief of Christianity and involved certain controversies that polarized its audience. There were allegations of reinforcing gender roles, homophobia, and extreme religious beliefs, showcasing a considerable amount of negativity among its audience.
Furthermore, controversies even happened outside the show, such as Stephen Collins, who played the role of Eric Camden, confessed to molesting minors, leading to an overall halt of the show’s syndication. This incident tarnished the show’s legacy and caused viewers to view the show from a different perspective, often losing its charm.
The allegations also created conflict from the LGBTQ+ community, becoming a substantial controversy, as 7th Heaven had made anti-LGBTQ+ comments throughout its seasons. This ultimately led to cutting off the show entirely by different streaming services.
4. Strengths of the show
7th Heaven has been well received for a wide range of reasons, one of which is the show’s fantastic story-telling and acting. It explored various characters who lived in Glenoak and witnessed the Camden family’s growth. Despite the genre of drama, the show had its fair share of humor, primarily seen through the father-daughter duo, Eric and Lucy Camden.
The show’s strength lies in narrating real-life issues that many people can relate to while maintaining a warm, welcoming atmosphere. It also didn’t shy away from changing out the cast regularly and adjusting its narrative accordingly, keeping it fresh. The show portrayed life in a way that people could, and still can, connect with, thus becoming a timeless classic.
The relationship between the siblings was the central theme of the show, especially the love and bond between sisters Mary and Lucy. Even during their conflicts, viewers could see the love and concern that both of them genuinely had for each other. The show also shed light on the importance of growing up, thus instilling the viewers with a sense of responsibility towards life.
5. Legacy of 7th Heaven
The legacy of 7th heaven has been seen throughout various family dramas that followed in later years. The show tackled sensitive issues without being overly preachy or judgmental, thus laying out a strong foundation for the genre of family drama.
It created a balance between spirituality and culture, which wasn’t entirely explored by any other television shows before 7th heaven. Its impact on family-oriented programming cannot be ignored, considering it ran for over a decade and even inspired spin-offs such as ‘Happy Hour’ and ‘Moxie.’
Although 7th Heaven is criticized for promoting certain religious beliefs and gender roles, it undoubtedly left an impression on its audience. It remains a timeless classic and will forever be remembered as one of the longest-running dramas depicting suburban American life.
Conclusion:
7th heaven was a classic family drama that portrayed the struggles of average Americans and the importance of spirituality in everyday life. The show’s impact reached far beyond its conclusion, becoming a classic and playing a huge role in shaping the genre of family dramas. Despite several controversies surrounding the show, it remains a timeless classic the audience can still relate to. The show left us with valuable lessons about compassion, responsibility, and the importance of family values that remain untouched even after two decades.
