Showing posts with label 7th heaven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 7th heaven. Show all posts

7th Heaven - The Sixth Season Review

7th Heaven - The Sixth Season
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With the release of this 6th season quickly approaching, that means that more than half of the series is already out, so being able to collect Seasons 1-11 seems more attainable than ever! Sadly, it appears that the poorly edited episodes and all-too-typical music changes probably won't be addressed, but if you're a big "7th Heaven" fan, you can't deny that it's better than not having them on DVD at all.
Like many others, I grew up with this show. I was a fifth grader when it all began, and by the time its last episode aired, I was almost done with college. I think this show will always hold up as one that was brave enough to deal with contemporary issues in a tasteful way, all while portraying a loving American family that managed to stick together, even though they were far from perfect. With each passing year, the social issues presented got deeper without steering away from their classic "family friendly" ways. I have to admit that Seasons 1-5 were probably the best, and the first two years were my all-time favorites, when the original Camden kids were young, and before the storylines started getting more complex to accommodate the classic "growing pains." It was around Season 6 that I started seeing the show weaken a little bit, but of course, at this point, they were only midway through the series as a whole, and as the kids grew up and new characters were introduced, there was plenty more of a story that the writers wanted to tell.
Season 6 finds oldest child Matt getting into med school at last and receiving his first glimpse at the girl he will eventually marry, whose Jewish roots create a serious clash between the two families. Former "fallen angel" Mary, who is trying to deal with her mistakes and has shaped up quite a bit in the past year (despite having a shameless lapse of good judgment every now and then) trains to be an airplane pilot, struggles to rebuild her relationship with her family, and has two men eager to marry her. Good girl Lucy, who convinced her parents to let her get engaged right out of high school at the end of last year, returns home after a summer with her fiance, and chooses to mope around and cry instead of explaining why the ring is suddenly off her finger. Teenager Simon enters a more rebellious world of alcohol, dating, and driving, while sassy young Ruthie--who is probably the most intelligent of the Camden bunch--corresponds by letter with a soldier in the Marine Corps and comes face-to-face with an emotionally damaging teacher from her past. Youngest Camden offpsring Sam and David are only about three now, so there isn't much to say about them (although I can't say there really ever was much to say about them, to be honest). Also present in this season is the infamous "bad boy" Robbie Palmer, who begins building a better reputation for himself and serves as both a son and an older brother to the Camden family. Then, of course, there's Eric, who continues dealing with the various trials and tribulations of being a Reverend (which includes coming to terms with his oldest son's desire to convert to Judaism) and Annie, who takes a teaching job at Ruthie's school and finds herself in the middle of a student's domestic problems.
Guest stars include singer Joy Enriquez, the memorable Andrew Keegan as Mary's former boyfriend Wilson, and a first look at the infamous Kevin Kinkirk, who may have what it takes to piece Lucy's broken heart back together. In short, it's not the very best season of the series, but it's still a pretty good one with some very nice moments, most notably (in my opinion) the episode "Suspicion," where 10-year-old Ruthie meets a serious challenge in her young life when she chooses to defend her friendship with a Muslim classmate. If you're a "7th Heaven" enthusiast, you'll want to add this one to your DVD collection. Is Season 7 on its way, too? I am confident that it is!
Additional Note: After picking up my Season 6 DVD today (June 10), I noticed that the six individual discs are now grey and do not have the art that the previous 5 season sets had, with the pictures of the Camden family members. There is also a note on the DVD box that they edited some scenes out, and boy, did they ever! The bad thing is that they take a random line or two of dialogue out right in the middle of a scene, so even if you've never seen the episode in your life, there's a really good chance you'll be able to tell, anyway. For instance, Eric's classic "Popeye the Sailor Man" joke to Annie in the season opener is removed, which means that Annie's little rant before that is very abruptly cut off, and in the September 11-centered episode, 11-year-old Ruthie is supposed to sing and dance to Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" in the first and last scenes, but because obtaining music rights is such a hassle, they opted to omit the scenes altogether, which is a real bummer, because those two scenes were a pretty big part of the episode. Sadly, they are putting these sets together more and more carelessly with each season, but just the same, I look forward to watching the episodes tonight. If we want these sets on DVD, this is the kind of stuff we must deal with. The good news is that because there are no special features or anything extra, the price is pretty low if you buy it at the right place (Target, Walmart, etc...)


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From leading television producer Aaron Spelling comes 7th Heaven, a critically acclaimed family drama about a minister, his wife and their seven children. The WB's highest-rated series, 7th Heaven has captured the hearts of television audiences with its witty, charming and heartwarming storytelling and has been praised for providing high-quality entertainment for all ages.

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7th Heaven - The Complete Third Season (1996) Review

7th Heaven - The Complete Third Season (1996)
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With no announcement for 7th Heaven's third season after the February 2005 release of season two (unless you count the temporary, roughly estimated release date that was quickly cancelled due to poor sales from the original two boxed sets), many longtime fans of this historical television series resorted themselves to the thought that no DVD treatment would be given to the several remaining seasons. Now, a year and a half later, we have been pleasantly surprised to find that the next season will be out on DVD in November--just in time for the holidays, too!
The gradual progression and success of 7th Heaven has, in tune with its title, been something of a modern-day miracle. Eternally repetitive plot threads and weak writing have characterized the show's most recent years, but think of how this particular series stacks up against contemporary classics like "The Waltons" and "Little House on the Prairie." The timeless themes of family, Christian values, and survival against life's turmoils were at the heart of those two TV shows, and now they have also transformed 7th Heaven into a unique viewing experience that legions of fans clearly still love to watch. The decision to resurrect the show after the highly publicized and allegedly "final" 10th season is truly a miraculous feat, and while that choice has been quite a controversial one, anyone who grew up watching 7th Heaven can't help but be curious about the seemingly interesting and dramatic ideas that are being planned for Season 11.
7th Heaven has undoubtedly aged over time, but I give this particular Season 3 five stars for its fresh, vibrant, and youthful spirit. Many can argue that this is where the series officially took off, with the five original Camden kids beginning to grow into more independent, fleshed-out characters. The news of Annie's pregnancy in the season opener and the birth of their twin boys on Valentine's Day (that makes seven kids total for lovebirds Eric and Annie!) are the most obvious highlights from this year, but there are many other unique, well-written episodes that chronicle the daily events in the lives of a growing, changing American family. Oldest son Matt has a great relationship going with his girlfriend until an old flame re-enters his life, while the ever-famous high school junior Mary thrives with basketball and academics (savor this season, folks: it is the one where Mary is at the top of her game, before she begins her gradual downhill spiral and before viewers witness the shattering of both her confidence and her future in Season 4). Sweet, insecure sophomore Lucy develops new friendships with some girls at school (including a classmate who is a cutter) and foolishly dives into a relationship with an older guy in order to have a rare edge over her superachieving older sister. Middle schooler Simon is the same levelheaded, inquisitive child who suddenly finds himself threatened by a gun-holding classmate, and brassy little second grader Ruthie--who is no longer the baby of the family--revolts against the extensive attention being given to her new brothers. The strong and incredibly sweet chemistry between Eric and Annie reigns supreme, through good times and bad. Catherine Hicks' work on this show has always been somewhat up-and-down, but in my opinion this third season was her finest hour. She really delivered head-on as a patient, loving and emotional middle-aged woman, mothering five children of varying ages and pregnant with two more. I absolutely loved the season premiere, where she was screaming at Eric about the chicken. Hicks really had an opportunity to show her comedic flair here, and at the same time she did an outstanding job at portraying a mother struggling to take care of her large family. Furthermore, the types of people whom Reverend Eric Camden counsels and supports through his work remain very interesting and are fueled by his kind, consistent guidance with alcoholic husbands, 12-year-old kids with guns, self-destructive teenagers, and (a popular favorite with the writers) young pregnant women. All of these ingredients make for a successful season that is arguably one of 7th Heaven's very best, and it should not be missed.
Season 3 holds up quite nicely with a positive message and youthful energy that fans will love revisiting. It is certainly worth the purchase if you're a fan, and it's a good idea to show your support if you want to see future seasons on DVD. There's a generous number of seasons still to be released, and whether or not we will see them all on DVD is about as much unknown as the official conclusion of the series itself (hopefully they will bow out for good after the impending Season 11, but you just never know). Purchasing all those seasons on DVD would be quite an investment, but worth every penny if this is a show you love.
Also, as indicated on the cover art picture, the packaging is a bit different from the first 2 sets, which may disappoint those who really liked the individual jewel cases for each disc. This time around, it is one single jewel case with all six discs inside. The episode guide/synopses are displayed very nicely, too, so fans shouldn't be too disappointed with the change.
Perhaps the best news of all, though, is that only mere weeks after the release of this season, the Season 4 set was announced for March 2007! It is excellent news to see that they appear to be picking up the pace with the many more sets they still have to put out, although I still don't understand why it is so difficult for them to come up with some extras. For a show that has remained on the air for 11 seasons (and counting) and is hailed as the longest-running drama series in history, you can't tell me that there is no interesting behind-the-scenes footage for them to add to the DVD's. A show running that long absolutely has to have a unique story about how they reached that point and what it has meant for the actors who have stuck with them. I just have a hard time believing that, at the very least, they couldn't scounge up a couple of interviews, ESPECIALLY for a series that is still on the air. I'm sure Stephen Collins and Beverley Mitchell, in particular (the only two cast members to appear in every episode to date and, arguably, the most passionate actors on the show) wouldn't have a problem with doing a few commentaries, either, so why haven't we seen them? Granted, I buy these DVD's primarily for the episodes and will continue to buy any and all seasons that they choose to release, but for a $34.99 (approximately) charge per season, a little something extra would be nice.

Click Here to see more reviews about: 7th Heaven - The Complete Third Season (1996)

From leading television producer Aaron Spelling comes 7th Heaven, a critically acclaimed family drama about a minister, his wife and their seven children. The WB's highest-rated series, 7th Heaven has captured the hearts of television audiences with its witty, charming and heartwarming storytelling and has been praised for providing high-quality entertainment for all ages.

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7th Heaven: The Ninth Season Review

7th Heaven: The Ninth Season
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Unfortunately, I didn't watch much TV when 7th Heaven was originally airing so I am discovering it in reruns and am now trying to collect all the DVDs. Every season is great family entertainment and there is almost none of that on now with all the stupid reality shows on TV. It really makes me long for the good old days of early TV (50s and 60s and anything through the 90s is better than what is on today). I highly recommend this for any family looking for something they can watch together.

Click Here to see more reviews about: 7th Heaven: The Ninth Season

From leading television producer Aaron Spelling comes 7th Heaven, a critically acclaimed family drama about a minister, his wife and their seven children. The WB's highest-rated series, 7th Heaven has captured the hearts of television audiences with its witty, charming and heartwarming storytelling and has been praised for providing high-quality entertainment for all ages.

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7th Heaven: The Eighth Season Review

7th Heaven: The Eighth Season
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Wow! I can't believe I finally have Season 8. It was tragic to see how much Simon really suffered after he hit that kid on the bike. And it was a shock that even though it was obvious Mary got married, she was pregnant AND she got married just after Lucy and Kevin did. And it is easy to see how the writers have faded out Mary in the last episode when she didn't even appear after the birth of her son. Even though I have seen some of the episodes from this season when they first aired, I've been able to follow the storyline for the season by watching the whole season. My family and I sat down and watched the whole season in only four nights! I hope Season 9 becomes available soon.

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Item Name: 7th Heaven: The Eighth Season; Studio:Paramount

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7th Heaven - The Complete Fifth Season (1996) Review

7th Heaven - The Complete Fifth Season (1996)
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I always said that if the DVD manufacturers didn't get around to releasing all 11 seasons of 7th Heaven, I would be satisfied if they could just give us the first five. Well, not only is the series' (arguably) strongest and most credible season hitting stores in early December 2007 (just in time to stick it on your Christmas list if this is one of your favorites), but now that the show's run has finally been completed after 11 historical seasons, there's a good chance that the remaining 6 sets will find their way to DVD in time--and that is great news for the fans who have been loyally tuning in for all these years.
Although I continued watching this show to the very end, when the final episode officially aired in May 2007, it's the first five years that probably had the biggest impact. While Seasons 1-3 focused mainly on the young, fresh, and vibrant Camden family that we came to know and love, Season 4 started suggesting that their lives might be headed in a direction that wasn't yet pronounced in the lives of these tight-knit, generally sunny and optimistic characters. Sure, the 7th Heaven-style drama was never in short supply, but it's this fifth round that really got it down just right, creating pain and heartbreak for Eric, Annie and their 7-children brood without making it too off-the-wall (which started to happen in the show's later years, when plot ideas were scarce and repetition was forced to keep the story alive). I vividly remember this season airing on television, and being a high school sophomore at the time, it was plain to see that they had truly hit their stride, creating real-life emotion and depicting the lives of people who were good and loving Christians, yet vulnerable characters who did not always have all the answers.
The year opened in September 2001 with recent high school graduate Mary's decision to put college on hold for the time being, bumming around her parents' house and (occasionally) working for any employer who is patient enough to keep her around. "Get used to it, because I'm not going to college until I figure out what I'm going to college for," the headstrong 18-year-old tells her mother and father--and when she gets really foolish by purchasing a lavish sports car and ignoring the monthly payment bills, things get just a little bit messier. Loving mother Annie thinks it is best to coddle her through this difficult time and hope that she will eventually come to her senses, but good old Dad knows that it is not quite that simple, and as husband and wife's arguments over the situation grow more frequent, it becomes apparent that Mary's current lease on life might not be in the best interest of the entire family. As for the remainder of the Camden offspring, college student Matt may be reaching an unsettling break in his relationship with Heather, and as his current roommate moves on in his own life, he is forced to move back home. Type-A goody-goody Lucy (you just can't deny it) starts off her senior year with a Homecoming Queen nomination and a relationship with a formerly suicidal young man, but by the year's end, she makes a very un-Lucy-like decision that leaves her parents concerned. High school freshman Simon struggles to fit into his new surroundings, and fifth grader Ruthie (brassy as ever, but also quite a smart little cookie) becomes the first in her family to gain admittance to an elite private school, and now that she's growing up, she's eager to start piling on the make-up. Oh, the joys of becoming a tweenager.
Two-year-old twin boys Sam and David are also growing quickly and keeping the family on their toes, as toddlers tend to do, and Eric and Annie try their hardest to keep it all under control, but in the end, this entire season belongs to actress Jessica Biel, whose character undergoes a whole new metamorphosis after being arrested the previous year. Originally determined to work through these troubles and reinvent herself, Mary does what many a teenager in her exact position has done: she grows discouraged, gets stubborn, and risks losing herself to a world of laziness, deception, selfishness, and shockingly, even theft from her baby brothers' savings accounts. Oh yes, and this is also the year that we meet her new friends Frankie and Johnny, two teenage delinquents who work with Mary at the local pizza place, have a baby daughter that they can't seem to take care of, and threaten to pull once-innocent Mary into their own little land of alcohol and drugs. Eric and Annie must make one of the toughest mutual decisions of their lives when they finally take action with their troubled daughter, and although she does start to get her act together, bit by bit, the consequences of her past choices come back to haunt her as she must live with the reality of being perceived as the "fallen angel" of the Camden bunch.
The emotional power of this season is one that I could write about forever, but in short, if you enjoy this show and want to see it at its absolute best, then I would strongly recommend that you pick up this DVD. The characters are still as solid and loving as ever, but as a dramatic twist hits the plot, you get a glimpse of a real American family with real problems and intense reality to deal with on a regular basis. In addition, among this season's special guest stars are "Growing Pains" alum Alan Thicke in a somewhat dark role, and "Full House" prodigies Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who were about 15 at the time and appeared in one episode as the rebellious love interests of Simon and one of his buddies. As teenage girls on the brink of adding more spice to their careers and showing the public that they weren't little kids anymore, the Olsens appeared to have a great time playing two girls who steal from local convenience stores, run out on a restaurant check, and convince innocent Simon Camden to sneak into a nearby movie theater. In retrospect, this wasn't Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen at their cutest or most likable, but regardless of that, it's fun to revisit them when they were a little younger.
All in all, it's a season that should not be missed, and although the clean and faith-centered quality of 7th Heaven held up during all those 11 years, this right here is the Camdens in all their glory--with all the drama and success that they strived for, before Ms. Biel exited the show (at least as a regular cast member), and way before a slew of new characters clouded the plot. Also included in this collection is the show's landmark 100th episode, which chronicles Eric's birthday celebration and includes some special surprises for the birthday boy from two of his cherished daughters. It's a genuinely sweet episode and a pleasure to watch--certainly a highlight from Season 5, and perhaps one of the best in the entire series.
As for the DVD's themselves......the packaging is sturdy, but it's clear as day that these DVD's have been thrown together faster than it takes to get through a one-hour episode. There are no special features, and some music has been changed, but that is becoming the norm. The thing that really needs to be addressed is the condensation of the episodes themselves, which have been done with Seasons 4 and 5. Nobody wants scenes edited out of the DVD's, especially when they are expected to shell out $40 for something that doesn't even have a couple interviews or featurettes tossed in. You're here to tell me they can't come up with a single bonus feature for an 11-season show, the longest-running drama in television history? Come on, folks, we're not dumb here. Unfortunately, if you enjoy the show and want them on DVD, this is what the public is receiving. Maybe they will at least make a few changes with Seasons 6-11, if we even see them all on DVD.
Well, the good news is that after a few months, most stores mark the sets down to about $19.99, and sometimes even less, so if you don't want to pay the original $35 or $40 list price, you can wait a while and get it for less. I was shocked when I saw Season 3 on the shelf of my local Target for $17! Sounds about right, though, since it just includes 20-some edited episodes and nothing else.
My opinion is that the show's downhill descent threw out its first couple of hints in Season 6, but just the same, it remained wholesome television that isn't very prevalent in today's world, and for that, let's hope that the DVD's for the last 6 seasons are not too far behind!


Click Here to see more reviews about: 7th Heaven - The Complete Fifth Season (1996)

From leading television producer Aaron Spelling comes 7th Heaven, a critically acclaimed family drama about a minister, his wife and their seven children. The WB's highest-rated series, 7th Heaven has captured the hearts of television audiences with its witty, charming and heartwarming storytelling and has been praised for providing high-quality entertainment for all ages.

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