Heaven Can Rate by A.J. Jacobs
Entertainment Weekly page 37 & 38
March 8, 1996
Last season, not much went right for CBS' freshman drama TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL. Take the Dove Incident. For one early episode, the crew of the celestial show was perched on a Salt Lake City hill, shooting its trademark ending-a fluttering dove, meant to symbolize God. But that day, when the snow-white bird of peace took flight, an unexpected guest hawk swooped down and gobbled the dove for breakfast. "All you could see were some feathers floating down," remembers executive producer Martha Williamson. "It was very sad."
Back then, life wasn't much better on solid ground. A schmaltzy hour about two of God's helpers (Della Reese and Roma Downey) who attend to mortals in crisis, TBAA debuted to reviews from hell. The San Francisco Examiner dismissed it as "another example of why '90s America is the stupidest place on Earth." EW gave it an early obituary: "Halo, I must be going." And the show's ratings were lukewarm-thanks both to ABC, which clobbered it every Wednesday night with Roseanne, and a skittish CBS, which often preempted it.
But this season, something just short of miraculous took place. Not only did TBAA slip back onto the CBS schedule, but the switch to a family-friendly hour (Saturdays at 9pm) has dramatically boosted the ratings; the drama now averages 36th out of 137 shows and handily wins its time slot, making it one of the struggling Eye net-work's few blessings. "It's an amazing phenomenon," says CBS Entertainment president Leslie Moonves, "and probably the most pleasant surprise of the year."
It may seem like a Xerox of the '80s halo hit Highway to Heaven, but this brainchild of then CBS Entertainment chief Jeff Sagansky was more of a reaction to the angels craze that began filling up book stores and Oprah shows several years ago. In the series' pilot, the actresses actually did flit about in wings and robes, but the results were deemed too cheesy to air. Williamson, hired to turn the show around, nixed the angels' feathers, gave them 20th-century threads, and toned down the heavenly lighting ("God doesn't use a lot of special effects," she says.
In fact, she scrapped almost everything but the stars: Reese, the 63-year-old blues singer who plays a sassy, maternal angel; and Downey, 32, an Irish-born actress who, prior to this gig, was best known for starring in the miniseries A Woman Named Jackie. (In keeping with the show's Hallmark tone, Reese is a real-life ordained minister who performed Downey's wedding last year.)
Williamson's changes may have improved the show, but the buzz stayed deadly. And the network continued to have little faith in the project. "A CBS executive took me and the writers to lunch," recalls Williamson. "He said, 'When the show goes down, no one will blame you.'"
Industry pundits were thus surprised when ANGEL was renewed for last fall. But CBS had been touched by at least two bottom-line-pleasing facts: The show grabbed decent ratings for a pair of early 1995 episodes, and it was produced by the network, meaning profits would stay in-house. ANGEL'S appeal to more finicky advertisers probably didn't hurt either. "People pooh-poohed Dr. Quinn at first too," says Marianne Ham, a Campbell Soup Co. ad exec. "They're both nice, pleasant show...and yes, they're advertiser friendly."
Little did CBS know how fortuitous its green light was, for 1996 is becoming the year of unlikely hits. With the out-of-nowhere success NBC's alien sitcom, 3rd Rock From the Sun, TV execs are beginning to relies that a little variety can uplift ratings. In a season glutted with Friends rip-offs and crime shows, ANGEL'S wholesome, edge-free scripts offer viewers a respite form urban grit and gripe. And if you think it's only the Polident crowd tuning in, think again: ANGEL hooks 6.5 million 18- to 49-year-olds- more than twice as many as, say, Murder She Wrote.
This is welcome news for CBS. Earlier this season, the grayest of all networks tried to go the FOX route and attract younger, hipper viewers with the racy Melrose Place-style soap Central Park West. The strategy flopped, and CBS hightailed it back to its more traditional fare. The network's latest campaign touts Saturday night (which includes Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and Walker, Texas Ranger) as "America's Night of Television"-a presumptuous motto that appears to have hit a nerve: CBS is now closing in on ABC's #2 spot thanks in part to winning Saturdays.
But back at TBAA's Bible-lined production offices in Salt Lake City- where costs and attitudes are more down-to-earth- time slots and demographics are just so much mumbo jumbo. For the cast, the shows success means one thing: "People are hungering for the spiritual," says Reese. "They've been told toothpaste will make them sexy, but it hasn't made them happy."
CBS Productions president Andy Hill agrees: "Hollywood is a very cynical town. Most everybody believes in God. But not in this town." Adds Williamson: "The only time you hear the word God on TV is when they say, 'God, Roseanne, what am I supposed to do now?' or 'Goddammit' on NYPD Blue."
Christians and conservative groups have heaped praise on TBAA. The right-wing Media Research Center, for instance, called it the best show of the year, and "the most authentically religious prime-time series ever." But TBAA staffers balk at political and religious pigeonholes. the series is spiritual, not religious, they'll tell you _ a show for Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists as well as Christians.
They'd rather boast about less politically sensitive victories: the woman who decided not to commit suicide after watching TBAA; the tough mechanic (frat boy or reporter) who broke into tears. Still, for many viewers, the aggressively homespun TBAA remains a guilty pleasure-like reading the National Enquirer or watching Coach. "It's kind of interesting that people are embarrassed to admit they've seen it," says Downey. "They say in hushed tones it brought a tear to their eye. I don't know where that comes from."
Heaven knows. At least they're watching.
The end.
Contributed by Renee: Jan Brady <gizmo@primary.net>
Back to the interviews and articles page