7th Heaven

TV review by Common Sense Media, Common Sense Media
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Common Sense says

age 10+

This uplifting family drama keeps the faith.

CW, Syndicated Drama 1996
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Parents say

age 11+

Based on 30 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 27 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this generally wholesome family drama always offers great opportunities for families to discuss issues that affect both parents and kids, including hot-button topics like premarital sex and pregnancy. Therefore, parents might want to think twice before allowing younger kids to view the program.

Community Reviews

barberbridgette1979
barberbridgette1979 Adult
April 28, 2022
age 18+
I loved the show until it reaches season 11. I can't stand how Ruthie starts acting and what is worse is the way her parents let her get away with it. She became so Rude and disrespectful to all her family. And was never punished but instead given in to. And to tell her parents that if she can't date a guy she has no business with age wise, she will never date again??? And the mother talks her husband into giving in to it. Really??? She could have sat up there in a room stripped bare of any and all things that are a privilege, not a right to have. It also would not have hurt me or my feelings one bit if she never was to go out again with another guy all she wanted for as long as she wanted to try and play that little game. She is the one that is allowing herself to miss out. No wonder kids have become more and more out of control and disrespectful. They get pampered and rewarded for pitching tantrums. They also should have yanked her up off that dance floor and punished her for dancing like she is on a stripper pole not only that young but in a family and church setting at that.
Teadybear-o
Teadybear-o Adult
July 16, 2021
age 18+

7th heaven

well My mom said i should not watch it.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 30 parent reviews

What's the Story?

7TH HEAVEN charts the highs and lows of the large Camden clan. One of very few TV dramas designed specifically for the whole family, the long-running series proves that family programming can be highly successful. Although at times the Camdens -- Dad and mom, Reverend Eric Camden (Stephen Collins) and Annie (Catherine Hicks) and their kids Matt (Barry Watson), Simon (David Gallagher), Mary (Jessica Biel), Lucy (Beverley Mitchell), Ruthie (Mackenzie Rosman) and twins Sam and David (Lorenzo and Nikolas Brino), and countless other family members -- come across as overly skilled communicators. The show attempts to inject some reality into their interaction. Through the course of the series, the kids undergo growing pains as they mature into young adults; some marry, have kids of their own, or leave the nest. There are bouts of rebellion, sibling rivalry, and the occasional stray friend that the Camden kids bring home for advice from their preacher dad.

Is It Any Good?

The series insists on dealing with timely social issues (homelessness, hate crimes) as well as the difficult situations kids and teens encounter as they grow up (premarital sex, drinking). As a consequence, sometimes 7th Heaven feels like a morality play, and the dialogue and acting seems stiff. But viewers see how the Camden family, together with friends and spouses, work through their problems -- even those that seem insurmountable -- and ultimately find solutions.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the issues posed by each episode. Ask teens what they perceive the consequences of each character's actions to be. What would they do in similar circumstances? Do they agree with the values the show espouses? Is it more or less likely that a minister's children would get into tricky situations as teenagers?

TV Details

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