30 Years Ago Today: The WB Premiered A Family Drama That Outlived The Network
The '90s family drama "7th Heaven," which featured Jessica Biel in her breakout role as California teen Mary Camden, turns 30 today.
On this day 30 years ago, The WB premiered the iconic family drama series, 7th Heaven. The show, which ran for 10 seasons, chronicled the life of a Protestant minister and his wife raising seven children in suburban California. The cast included Stephen Collins as Eric Camden, Catherine Hicks as Annie Camden, and Barry Watson, David Gallagher, Beverley Mitchell, Mackenzie Rosman, Nikolas and Lorenzo Brino as their children, with Jessica Biel making her breakthrough role as Mary Camden.
Produced by Aaron Spelling, 7th Heaven was the longest-running show on The WB and its most-watched series. After its conclusion on The WB in 2006, the show continued for one more season on The CW, the newly formed network after the merger of The WB and UPN. While other shows like Supernatural, Smallville, One Tree Hill, and Gilmore Girls also transitioned to The CW, none did so in the 1990s.
The show's Christian values and focus on moral issues set it apart, earning praise from the Parents Television Council. Jessica Biel, who played Mary Camden, was catapulted to stardom by her role in the series, leading to major movie roles in Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Blade: Trinity. A 7th Heaven reboot series is currently in development with Biel as an executive producer.
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