Television as a medium can be a really tough nut to crack in terms of good family entertainment. Of course, when the subject matter turns to religion, its even tougher. More often than not you’ll see religion presented on TV (or in movies) by a.) a fanatical killer who has been told by God to kill, b.) a man of the cloth who has fallen and sinned, or c.) a man of the cloth who lives in a sitcom world where everything is a joke. “Touched By an Angel”, back when it premiered in 1994, followed in the footsteps of “Highway to Heaven” as a show that followed through with a positive message about Christianity, even going to so far as to state outright that God exists. Regardless of how you might personally feel, shows like these are like a breath of fresh air in the storm of TV murders, car chases, and every other voyeuristic premise you can come up with. I’ll admit to considering myself a Christian, at least in the fact that I believe in God. I don’t get fanatical about it the way some people can and I don’t talk about it unless I’m asked (or happen to be writing about something of a religious nature).

The series itself, though some episodes were obviously tear-jerkers, carried with it a very uplifting spirit. What was so surprising was that the show could deliver its inspirational message without being overly cloying or preachy. But the best thing about it was that it was a show that I could watch with my family. Even though the subject matter of the series could be downright dark when dealing with drug abuse, AIDs or suicide, it was still safe. It didn’t shy from the ugliness of the world, and in a sense actually taught a valuable lesson about overcoming these issues, even when they weren’t overcome in a particular episode.

Like most series that ran during the mid 1990s, I unfortunately rarely caught episodes when they aired. The few that I did see I always enjoyed, and when I knew ahead of time that I was going to be able to sit down to watch I made sure to have hankies available. Most of what I knew of the series came from what I read or heard about, and it wasn’t until a few days ago that I really got the opportunity to really appreciate the series for its convictions.

Paramount Home Entertainment released the 1st season of “Touched By an Angel” on DVD last year, and having watched the episodes available in airdate order I found out that all I had heard was true. Most of the episodes I had seen before were from later seasons so I never really got to see where it all started. I absolutely loved the first few episodes where Monica (Roma Downey) and her ‘supervisor’ Tess (Della Reese) meet and get to know each other. Downey and Reese have a very strong rapport and I could easily see how it lent itself to the success of the series.

Another quality the show seemed to possess was the ability to change its tone from episode to episode. Some could be extremely sad while others delivered borderline screwball comedy. The fact that each episode was not just a carbon copy of another kept the show fresh (at least as I could tell from the first season) and entertaining to watch.

This week, the 2nd season is hitting store shelves, and though it took quite awhile to get here, is well worth the wait. While I found the 2nd season to be slightly weaker overall than the 1st, there were still several standout episodes throughout. So far, from what I’ve seen from both seasons, I can tell that “Touched By an Angel” was a terrific series that boasted an incredible array of guest stars. In the 1st season you could find the likes of Peter Scolari, Marion Ross, John Amos, Rue McClanahan, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Nancy Allen and Randy Travis. I was even shocked to see a pre-Buffy Alyson Hannigan. The 2nd season is no different in this respect.

The only disappointment I have in the 2nd season release is the complete lack of extra features. The 1st seasons set had commentaries and interviews, but here there is nothing. Granted, the show is good enough to stand alone without the bonus features, but they still go a long way to adding to the overall value for fans of the series.

Shows like this are hard to come by, so hopefully Paramount will see fit to release the entire 9 season run. (Hmmm… should I pray or just cross my fingers?)

Episodes – Season 2:
Interview with an Angel
Trust
Sympathy for the Devil
The Driver
Angels on the Air
In the Name of God
Reunion
Operation Smile
The Big Bang
Unidentified Female
The Feather
The One That Got Away
‘Til We Meet Again
Rock ‘n’ Roll Dad
The Indigo Angel
Jacob’s Ladder
Out of the Darkness
Lost and Found
Dear God
Portrait of Mrs. Campbell
The Quality of Mercy
Flesh and Blood
Birthmarks
Statute of Limitations

Starring: Roma Downey, Della Reese
Extras: None
Specifications: Full Screen, English Stereo
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 5/3/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give an Touched By an Angel: Season 2 a B.