TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL: SECOND SEASON

Details

• Release Year: 1994
• Genre: Drama
• Plot: Touched by an Angel swiftly amassed a devout following, drawn to the TV series' clear Christian values and the warm performances of Roma Downey (she of the creamy complexion and lush pre-Raphaelite hair) and Della Reese as Monica and Tess, two angels sent to help troubled human beings. The first season had the additional virtue of exploring the ordinary yet complex emotional problems of troubled marriages, rebellious teens, and coping with the death of a loved one, in stories that were (with a few exceptions) cleanly written and down-to-earth--though, of course, everything was resolved by divine intervention. The second season, regrettably, dives into melodrama: A pregnant woman is trapped in a bank vault after her husband tries to rob the bank; a lawyer meets up with an old girlfriend, not knowing that her wicked ambitions caused his best friend to commit suicide; a postal worker sends atheistic replies to children's letters to God--and it turns out that he's an Auschwitz survivor. Even episodes grappling with what could be compelling material, like a stripper who feels responsible for her daughter's birth defect, get pushed over the top when Tess saves the day by creating a hot air balloon out of thin air. Certainly, God can accomplish miracles, but the second season of Touched by an Angel loses sight of his subtlety and mysterious ways. Nonetheless, fans will continue to take comfort in the show's message about divine love.

  Episodes feature a wide range of guest stars: Movie actors like Elliott Gould (M*A*S*H) and Stacy Keach (Fat City); old television hands like Hal Linden (Barney Miller) and Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley); non-actors like poet Maya Angelou and singer Natalie Cole; and such, well, lesser celebrities as Kathie Lee Gifford (Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.) John Dye joins the series in this season as Andrew, a handsome angel of death. --Bret Fetzer

• Cast: Roma Downey, Della Reese, John Dye, Valerie Bertinelli, Alexis Cruz, Paul Winfield, Charles Rocket, Scott Wilkinson, Randy Travis, Dennis Saylor, Wendy Phillips, Gerald McRaney, Deborah Frazier, Paul Wittenburg, Eddie Karr, Austin O'Brien, Keb' Mo', Tim Threlfall, Christopher Robin Miller, Marion Ross, Frank Gerrish, Mika Boorem, Ossie Davis, Celeste Holm, Sarah Schaub, Cloris Leachman, J. Scott Bronson, Christy Summerhays, Steve O'Neill, Bruce Newbold, JJ Neward, Lindsay Pulsipher, Star LaPoint, Rue McClanahan, Monique Ridge, Gregory Harrison, John Schneider, Steve Vinovich, Jasmine Guy, Delta Burke, Kim Landry, Scott Ditty, Bonnie Bartlett, Vince Melocchi, Steve Anderson, Joyce Cohen, Melinda Haynes, Cristie Briggs, Jyothi Mani, Patty Duke, Wynonna Judd, Marcia Dangerfield, Curley Green, Micaela Nelligan, Alan C. Peterson, Jesse Bennett, Neblis Francois, Danny Hansen, Austin Archer, Susan Dolan, Nora Paradiso, Brian Howe, Jeff Olson, Sam Yeo, Erik King, Joey Lopez, Michael Ruud, Hal Linden, Donna Bullock, Erica Gimpel, Phylicia Rashad, Jonathan Hernandez, Peter Scolari, Susan Ruttan, Kareem Ferguson, Pete Pastore, Stacy Keach, William R. Moses, Michael Flynn, Brian Patrick Clarke, Greg Evigan, Lisa Jane Persky, Alanna Ubach, Dick Van Patten, Kelsi Copier, Bruce Altman, William Daniels, Joe Morton, Harold Gould, Matthew Grace, Ross Malinger, Kelsey Mulrooney, Robert Ri'chard, Kathie Lee Gifford, James Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Valerie Harper, Jim Metzler, John Ritter, Gary Sivertsen, Helaine Head, Peter Hunt
• Director: Helaine Head
• Runtime: 17:08
• Company: CBS Productions, Paramount Home Video
• Media Format: Series