Television Review: Touched by an Angel
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this inspirational drama series
follows angels (who look human) who bring hope -- via reminders
of God's love and mercy -- to people struggling with life's
burdens. The heavily spiritual content deals more in moralistic
adages than actual Bible quotes, but a non-denominational
Christian atmosphere is nonetheless prevalent throughout the
show. The ever-changing subject matter can be heavy and
emotionally charged, with characters experiencing illness,
death, and various family crises. A main character is the
heaven-sent Angel of Death (though again, he looks fully
human), who escorts those who die to their eternal fate in
heaven or hell. Some episodes also feature messengers from the
devil who attempt to sabotage the angels' good work.
Families can talk about the struggles the characters face in
each episode and -- when applicable -- relate them to their own
lives. What emotional challenges weighed on the characters? How
did they try to cope on their own? How did the angels help
them? Kids, when have you had to overcome challenging times?
How did a friend or family member help you get through it?
Parents can also use this show to discuss spiritualism. What
are your family's religious beliefs? How do other religions
differ in faith and practice? Do you believe there are angels
among us? What other ways have religion and faith been
portrayed on TV? How do the media treat religion and faith in
general?
In the popular, faith-based 1990s drama TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, messengers from heaven enter people's lives to bring hope during emotionally stressful times and remind individuals of God's love and mercy. Roma Downey stars as the genteel Monica, an angel who, at the show's start, had just been promoted from search and rescue tasks to case work. As such, she's able to pose as a human and seek out people struggling with emotional burdens, quickly befriending them and gently guiding them through life's rough spots, eventually revealing her angelic status and telling them how much they're loved by God. Monica is accompanied by her supervisor, Tess (Della Reese), who interacts less with the human subjects but provides her apprentice (and by association, the viewers) hints about the scope of God's plan. Andrew (John Dye), the Angel of Death, supplements his duties as an escort of the deceased with occasional case work alongside Monica and Tess; in later episodes, Valerie Bertinelli joined the cast as team member named Gloria. The show also welcomed guest stars in nearly every episode, including Bill Cosby (as the Angel of Reconciliation), Angela Lansbury, and a recurring role for Randy Travis.
This uplifting, inspirational show is steeped in strong moral messages, life lessons, and Christian overtones that include multiple references to "God," "Lord," and the "Father." Some episodes also feature self-proclaimed advocates of the devil, including one (played by Jasmine Guy) who falls from God's grace and tries to sabotage the angels' work on Earth.
If the premise of Touched by an Angel meshes with your religious beliefs and your kids can handle the subject matter, this is a good option for family viewing with tweens. But some sensitive kids may find the show's emotional topics (family illness, death, and divorce) upsetting. It's also likely to instigate lots of questions about the existence of God and the idea of predetermined destiny. So let your instinct -- and spiritual tendencies -- be your guide on this one.
Highway to HeavenJoan of Arcadia
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