It wasn't long ago that "The Simpsons" was the most religious show on prime-time network television.
As odd as that sounds, a strong case can be made for that assertion. In an arena where religion was rarely, if ever, mentioned, the animated Simpsons were the only TV family that regularly attended church.But then along came a couple of angels, and the networks' attitudes toward religion - or at least spirituality - began to change.
When "Touched by an Angel" premiered in the fall of 1995, it was expected to be canceled. Quickly. It did indeed take a while to catch on with the audience, becoming a solid ratings performer in its second season and a top 10 hit last season.
In television, nothing breeds imitation like success - which is why a total of eight shows that deal directly with religion are on the broadcast networks' fall schedules. And that's not counting the increasing frequency of religious themes and story lines in other shows as well.
Catalyst is `made in Utah'
The real catalyst for this mini-movement, everyone agrees, is the made-in-Utah "Touched by an Angel." The show features guardian angels who bring a singular message and help people through tough times in their lives.
"We're a show on in prime time, and we're not afraid to mention God," said star Roma Downey. "And we're not afraid to tell the world that `God loves you.' "
Quite a departure for network television, which seemingly went out of its way to avoid the subject of religion. But no longer.
This fall's TV schedule includes an ABC sitcom that is, to some extent, a direct descendent of "Touched."; "Teen Angel" is a comedic look at a guardian angel.
"It was actually just the success of `Touched by an Angel' that opened up the market for it," said executive producer Mike Reiss. "That made people say, `Oh, this isn't a bad idea.' "
At the other end of the spectrum, ABC has also scheduled an hourlong drama about a Catholic priest titled "Nothing Sacred." And the creators and producers of that show feel "Touched" as well.
"It has changed our lives," said executive producer David Manson. " `Touched by an Angel' opened the door for dramas about spiritual matters. I don't think there's any question about it. . . . Even though I think we're a very different show than `Touched by an Angel,' I think that they proved that there is an audience for drama that explores this kind of territory."
Finding a new audience
And network executives are listening. ABC, CBS, UPN and the WB all have at least one show that prominently features religion on their schedules.
"Obviously . . . it really touched a chord out there," CBS President Leslie Moonves said of "Touched by an Angel." "It certainly caused us to put `Promised Land' on the air. It cause us to put `Early Edition' on the air - the realization that the public really is craving these kinds of shows."
"Promised Land," another made-in-Utah show and a spinoff of "Touched," deals with similar themes of hope and trust - and features occasional guest appearances by the angels. "Early Edition" may or may not be religious. It's about a man who receives tomorrow's news today and sets out to prevent tragedies and help those in need. The question of whether he's being directed by God is left open to the viewers' interpretation.
"We're thrilled we have a show where religion's part of people's lives, as it is for so many Americans," said UPN Entertainment President Michael Sullivan, whose network is launching "Good News," a sitcom that centers on a minister, later this month.
It's not that shows with religious themes have never appeared on network television before. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen's "Life is Worth Living" was a staple during the 1950s, and there have been occasional shows like "Father Murphy" and "Amen."
But there's never been a time when four different shows centering on clerics have populated the airwaves all at once, as with the returning "7th Heaven" on the WB and "Soul Man" on ABC as well as the forthcoming "Nothing Sacred" and "Good News."
The question of whether these are religious shows in a traditional sense is open to debate. Even when it comes to "Touched by an Angel."
Are the shows `religious'?
"People often ask me, `Is this a religious show?' " Downey said. "And I say, `No, it's not. It's a spiritual show.' . . . I, for one, would never want to be part of something that came down on the side of a Christian God or a Jewish God or whatever other kind of God there might be. This is the one God, the God of all, the God of love."
And, as a matter of fact, there's very little identifiable religious doctrine on television. Whether it's the Rev. Eric Camden (Stephen Collins) on "7th Heaven," the Rev. David Randolph (David Ramsey) on "Good News" or the Rev. Mike Weber (Dan Aykroyd) on "Soul Man," there's nary an identifiable credo or theology to be found. They're all sort of generic protestants of some sort with much emphasis on being good people and little mention of Jesus Christ.
The one exception is the priest in "Nothing Sacred" - a show in which the cleric "talks about Jesus a lot," according to its producers. The central character, Father Ray (Kevin Anderson), is a young man who sometimes questions his own faith. And the show is already drawing criticism from some Catholic groups and praise from others.
"This show is about trying to find its own `one-arm man.' And the `one-arm man' of this show is God," said executive producer Richard Kramer, comparing the program to "The Fugitive." "That is what everyone is looking for. That is the question that every character is asking . . . which is: `Where is God today, and how can I find Him?'
"I think that in reality God doesn't always show up on time. He's not on call. He doesn't have a pager number. And I think, differently than some of the other series that deal with spirituality and faith, there are going to be times when, in fact, God does not show up. And I think that that's going to be deeply distressing to (Father Ray)."
Not all `feel good'
"Nothing Sacred" stands alone amidst the "religious" programs in prime time in that it doesn't fall into the "feel good" category. It won't be as uplifting as, say, "Touched by an Angel" or "Promised Land" or "Early Edition," and it's not a comedy.
Which is not to say it will be the only show on television to deal with religious and/or spiritual themes in a dramatic fashion. Story lines like those have been showing up with increasing frequency, whether it's the doctors of "Chicago Hope" forced to confront the possibility that maybe miracles really do happen or even "NYPD Blue" detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) going through a crisis of faith when his son is senselessly murdered - a crisis that includes his own return to spirituality and religion.
Of course, religion is not always treated seriously by television. "Soul Man" and "Good News" both have ministers as their lead characters, but they're pretty much run-of-the-mill family sitcoms.
"Good News" executive producer Samm-Art Williams maintains that he has "a cadre of ministers that we consult if we're talking John, Matthew, Galatians, whatever." But he emphasized that the show is indeed a sitcom.
"Within the framework of these things, we will have sermons," Williams said. "We will refer to the Bible. We will refer to teachings that apply to these things. But we can't have a sermon every week."
And "Teen Angel" is pure comedy.
"I think that angels are probably as popular as they've ever been," said executive producer Al Jean. "And when you have something that popular, our instinct is always to try to take a satirical look at it."
The premise for the show is that a teenager (Mike Damus) chokes to death on a hamburger and returns to Earth as the guardian angel of his best friend (Utahn Corbin Allred). The teen angel in question reports to a disembodied head, played by John Amos.
"He's God's cousin, Rod," said Jean. "I think that kind of shows you how we'll be dealing with it. We are sensitive to people not wanting to find anything offensive in the show. . . . But I also think you have to be a little light."
However it's handled, religion does have an increasing presence in prime time. And the so-called "feel good" shows are still on the upward side of the trend.
And as far as "Touched by an Angel's" executive producer Martha Williamson is concerned, there's plenty of room for more.
"I don't mind the copycats. I think it's great," she said. "The problem is you can't copy sincerity. So, if you're going to try to copy the show, then your heart better be in it."