Critical reception
The Parents Television Council (PTC), a conservative media advocacy group, often cited 7th Heaven among the top ten most family-friendly shows. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] The show was praised for its positive portrayal of a cleric and for promoting honesty, respect for parental authority, and the importance of a strong family and a good education through its story-lines. [2] It was proclaimed the best show in 1998-1999 by the PTC. [3] The council also explained "7th Heaven manages to provide moral solutions to tough issues facing teenagers without seeming preachy or heavy-handed. Additionally, unlike most TV series, 7th Heaven shows the consequences of reckless and irresponsible behavior." [4] It was also noted that "While addressing topics such as premarital sex and peer pressure, these parents [Annie and Eric] are eager to provide wise counsel along with love and understanding." [6]
However, other critics felt quite differently about the show. Hillary Frey of Salon cited 7th Heaven as "one of the worst long-running shows on television, making Beverly Hills, 90210 look Shakespearean, while at the same time being one of the most addictive." [10] Reasons given include perceived heavy-handed moralizing, Christian propaganda, [11] and depiction of a caricature of a real family, that is "so clean it is obscene". [12]
Some criticize the predictable storytelling of 7th Heaven. Frey describes the basic pattern followed by each episode: "(1) One of the Camden family has a problem and/or secret; (2) some sort of Three's Company -esque misunderstanding ensues as a result of that problem and/or secret; (3) a confrontation and/or intervention takes place, usually involving a short sermon delivered by one of the Camden parents; and (4) whoever stands at the center of the drama eventually figures out the 'right' thing to do. And 'right' is always another word for 'Christian'; while the show avoids explicit discussions of Jesus and/or faith, Protestant guilt is readily employed as a plot device." [10] On top of this, implausible scenarios are seen to be regularly included, such as the daughter Mary's absence from the show for several seasons being scarcely explained with the character being busy, wayward or in New York. [13]
According to Frey, "the sappiness and sanctimony of the characters often made the moral lessons impossible to swallow". [10] Also, the show is claimed to show an obsession with premarital sex. [14] In this regard, the parents (and eldest son Matt) sometimes depict a sense of ownership over the sexuality of Lucy and Mary by threatening potential romantic interests or negotiating their Lucy and Mary's romantic rights. [12]
U.S. ratings
7th Heaven was one of the first major hits for the WB and would go on to become most watched TV series ever on the network. [15] While the first season had modest success with around 3 million viewers, the later seasons often averaged 5 to 7 million viewers. It holds the record for the WB's most watched hour at 12.5 million viewers, on February 8, 1999; 19 of the WB's 20 most watched hours were from 7th Heaven. On May 8, 2006, it was watched by 7.56 million viewers, the highest rating for the WB since January 2005. When the show moved to the CW, ratings dropped. Possible reasons for the decline include an aired "Countdown to Goodbye" ad campaign for the last six months of the 2005–06 season, which promoted it as the final season ever; though the CW announced the series' unexpected renewal, it didn't promote the new season strongly via billboards, bus stops, magazine or on-air promos. Lastly, the network moved 7th Heaven from its long-established Monday night slot to Sunday nights, causing ratings to drop further. The series had a season average of just 3.3 million on the new network, losing 36% of the previous year's audience. It was the third most watched scripted show on the CW. Overall, it was the seventh most watched show.
