Highway to Heaven (Syndicated, TV Land)

In HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN, an angel in human form and his very human companion follow orders from a higher power to help guide people through stressful times in their lives. Angelic Jonathan Smith (Michael Landon) and his friend, ex-cop Mark Gordon (Victor French), travel the country on assignment from God -- whom they call "The Boss." In each episode, they wander into the lives of men and women who need some help coping with grief, anger, or guilt. Jonathan and Mark establish relationships with their subjects (who never suspect that the duo are anything but drifters), gain their trust, and lend a hand (and a shoulder) when it's needed. Along the way, Jonathan offers some subtly divine intervention through lots of moralistic straight-talk that changes the lives of those he meets. Once they've completed their task, he and Mark head down the highway again, on their way to a new assignment.

Despite its title, Highway to Heaven's focus is on addressing moral issues rather than religious ones, so it appeals to a broad audience. References to God are uncommon (as mentioned, he's almost always called "The Boss"), and when Jonathan speaks in prayer, he rarely addresses anyone in particular, more often seeming like he's talking to the wind. The show tackles serious topics like family distress, unplanned pregnancy, the death of a loved one, and murder. Storylines are often emotionally charged, and depending on an episode's subject matter, both language and violence can escalate. For example, an episode that addressed racial bigotry and law enforcement's racial profiling included multiple degrading terms (like the n-word) and culminated in the shooting death of an African-American teen. While disturbing, the content was integral to the seriousness of the plot and the impact of the message.

Given the varying content of each installment, parents may want to at least scan episode descriptions before allowing younger kids to watch. But the show's overwhelmingly positive lessons are inescapable, and parents who watch with older tweens and teens will probably find themselves having interesting discussions about the many issues each episode raises.