People watch television for different reasons: some like to be titillated, some like to be amused, some like to be educated, and some like to have an even-tempered, simplistic experience before venturing off to bed with a nice glass of milk. For those in the latter category, 7th Heaven is pure rapture.
The show follows the alarmingly huge Camden family as they live, laugh, and love their way through their eventful, oft-complicated lives. The family’s patriarch is the Reverend Eric Camden (Stephen Collins). He is, of course, the senior minister at Glen Oak Community Church. Eric’s wife Annie (Catherine Hicks) helps hold it down on the home front.
The immeasurable children can be difficult to sort through, depending on when you happen to enter Planet Camden. The eldest son is Dr. Matt Camden (Barry Watson) and the eldest daughter is Mary Camden Rivera, played by Jessica Biel before she famously departed the family-friendly program via layout in Gear magazine. Lucy Camden Kinkirk (Beverley Mitchell) is the third child, Simon Camden (David Gallagher) is the fourth, Ruthie Camden (Mackenzie Rosman) is the fifth, and twins Sam and David Camdem (Lorenzo and Nikolas Brino, for the most part) round out the horde.
If keeping track of the Camden Clan isn’t bad enough, the show also rolls through a slew of guest stars that comprise the family’s friends and significant others. Lucy’s husband Kevin (George Stults) is a cop, for instance. Ashlee Simpson was also on the show from 2002-2004 as Cecilia Smith.
7th Heaven: The Eighth Season picks up with the Camden family in difficult times after a serious car accident involving Simon threatens to upset the apple cart. Their fourth child is also planning to leave for college, which is upsetting the natural order of things. Each family member brings his or her own dynamics to the table, including Ruthie who learns what it’s like to have a boyfriend for the first time.
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