Winging It

Winging It/"Touched by an Angel" defies skeptics and becomes CBS' top-rated drama.

by Rick Sherwood



Touched by an Angel" is not your average, run-of-the-mill, feel-good family show. In fact, there is nothing average about the immensely popular drama, which arguably has more heart and undeniably more soul than any other series in primetime television. This backdoor hit was originally conceived as a tongue-in-cheek spoof but has since been transformed into one of the most successful and highly respected dramas in recent history. But the ascent of "Touched by an Angel" was gradual and required a great deal of work, attesting to the fact that nothing worth having comes easy -- one of the show's most salient themes.

"We had quite an adventure putting this on television," says Andy Hill, then president of CBS Entertainment Productions and now head of Channel One Network. "It's fair to say there has never been a show in the history of network television to go on with lower expectations than 'Touched by an Angel.' I think they were predicting that it wasn't even going to finish its run. We had a tough time getting directors to do assignments because they thought if they did the fifth episode, they would never get residuals because it never would air. It was the last show to get put in the schedule -- twice!"

In the beginning, the show's spiritual bent served as somewhat of a red flag to executives, and it seemed destined for the vaults until writer-producer Martha Williamson became involved. Williamson felt connected to the concept, stuck with her vision and ultimately appealed to a cynical group of CBS power brokers who held out little hope for the show's ability to survive. But, Williamson recalls, "I knew that, given the chance, this show would succeed. I never had a doubt. I knew there were people out there who wanted it."

Despite her initial belief in the show, Williamson admits she could never have envisioned its phenomenal success -- both on its own and as a lynchpin for the network's most-watched night of television. Nor could she have predicted its ability to help lead CBS out of its longtime ratings tunnel. Currently in its fifth season, "Touched by an Angel" is the network's top-rated drama and the second most-watched drama on television. This Sunday it celebrates its 100th episode, which will feature the acting debut of Wynonna Judd -- a big fan of the series -- as well as an original recording, to be released on a special new CD "Touched by an Angel -- The Album."

"Its importance to us is unbelievable," says Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Television, who moved the show to Sundays after taking over the job. "Our best night of the week is Sunday-night. Outside of NBC's Thursday, our Sunday is by far the most powerful night of television, week after week, with '60 Minutes' into 'Touched' into our Sunday-night movie. '60 Minutes' certainly has something to do with it, but 'Touched by an Angel' is clearly an important part of the lineup and integral to holding the audience for our movie. In that way, it has impacted four hours of television."

The series stars Roma Downey, Della Reese and John Dye as angels dispatched to Earth to lend guidance to people in need -- whether they know they need it or not. Focusing on issues of good and evil and right and wrong, "Touched by an Angel" relies heavily on a belief in God in its approach. The show has been recognized by a surprisingly wide variety of organizations, in addition to its five Emmy nominations, which include the prestigious President's Award. Its unfathomed popularity, in fact, paved the way for "Promised Land" three seasons ago, a show that Williamson continues to oversee.

Some people would argue that "Touched by an Angel" has succeeded because it brought God back to life on primetime television; others would say it succeeded despite that fact. But one truth that remains indisputable is that "Touched by an Angel" has touched a chord with the viewing public. Despite the odds, despite the naysayers, it has proven itself one of the most uniquely charming dramas on television. It's already enjoying its initial syndication run on the new PAX TV and has gradually become a worldwide sensation. The show receives more than 5,000 letters each week from appreciative fans, a testimonial to the program's popularity and the dedication of its fans.

Ironically, the original concept for an angel series was far from what made the air. It featured cigar-chomping, foul-mouthed angels who didn't always like their bosses -- or their jobs. "I think frankly that (original executive producer) John Masius made a fair and obvious choice, which was to try to play with the idea tongue-in-cheek," says Williamson. "The mistake in my mind was that you can't expect an audience who believes in angels to watch angels be treated that way."

Williamson saw to it that the show was tailored to a disenfranchised audience who already believed in angels. "The way this show had to work," she says, "was to establish a core of believers ... You have to start with the people who believe in angels and not offend them. Then, the word would get out that for once, there was something on television in which people of faith are not treated as jokes. As it turned out, they trusted us, and we realized it was our responsibility to keep faith with them. As long as we didn't mess with the franchise -- that God is consistent and angels stayed on the straight and narrow -- then they would keep coming back."

Williamson credits the success of the show, which is shot on location in Utah, with its unwavering vision and respect for all things spiritual. She believes it has succeeded precisely because it has maintained a certain integrity and never faltered from its course. It found its center by treating fantasy as reality. From there, it strictly followed the established rules of TV programming in terms of characters and story. That's not easy, Williamson laughs, when your lead character never appears on-screen. "What we had to do is take a very strong stand on who God is and who he is not -- and by deciding who God was, that would determine who the angels were," says Williamson. "I think the biggest challenge was to observe the most fundamental of rules -- defining who your characters are -- because they all were based on the one character we would never see."

Williamson, who has been involved in the industry for nearly 15 years, thinks that both timing and presentation were right. "We have never compromised the message of the show and never compromised with the network, and, to its credit, the network never asked us to compromise. CBS never tried to get rid of us or failed to support us. They just didn't know what to do with us." After an initial run on Wednesday nights and a move to Saturday nights the following season, "Touched by an Angel" was moved to its current Sunday slot at 8 p.m. -- and that's when things really started to take off.

"It's the kind of show on a Sunday evening that makes for a great way to start your week -- you want to sit down and watch," says Moonves. "It is a consummate family show. It's the consummate feel-good show. It has the appropriate message. It's a real quality program that appeals to our core audience and touches them as well."



The series launched with 12 installments in the 1994-95 season opposite "Roseanne," and despite being preempted often, managed to hold its own in that difficult time slot. The next season it moved to Saturdays, where it established more of an identity and broadened its viewer base as a companion series to the network's other traditional family series, "Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman." But the series didn't become a breakout hit until its third year, when it moved to Sundays. It proved such a workhorse that the network asked for and received 27 original episodes last season. Moonves, who inherited the series in its second season and came up with the idea for the scheduling change, says it just made sense.

"It was a show that clearly had religious overtones, that clearly was a family show and that clearly could benefit from '60 Minutes' leading in. The first time we tried it on Sunday night it was very promising, and I realized it was a perfect show for that night. We had been fooling around with comedies at 8 o'clock on Sundays, but they weren't working there, and we saw the potential," explains Moonves. "Part of our strategy was that our movie of the week was primarily female-oriented, so I said 'Let's try it.' I believe we tried it with a Hallmark Hall of Fame production, and it went through the roof. It was just what we were looking for."

But it hasn't always been smooth sailing for the "Touched" crew. There were several staff changes early on, and the series was in danger of cancellation after its first season. Then there was the infamous salary dispute that nearly shut down production when Della Reese discovered that co-star Roma Downey was making considerably more money than she. Clearly, however, the wrinkles have been ironed out, and Williamson thinks it is a matter of a crystallized vision, solid production values and an unbending moral clarity that coalesce to make this package click. People were ready for someone to challenge them spiritually," says Williamson, a deeply religious person. "When you think about it, that's what 'Touched by an Angel' does. Its job is not to educate spiritually, but to touch spiritually. It does so by drawing a line in the sand, and the challenge is that you don't have to cross it -- but you do have to decide where your line is."

That a show with such a theme could thrive in the 1990s still surprises many, but not Williamson. "I knew the people were out there, and I knew that if we had a clear vision and followed the rules of television, then the show would succeed," she says.

"I think people like it, and come back, because it also is true to the audience. The secret of 'Touched by an Angel' is that every week the messages manage to reach through the screen and into the living room. You cannot watch 'Touched by an Angel' and not be affected. You may be affected adversely, but you will become emotionally involved."

Jonathan Levin, then head of drama development at CBS and currently president of Spelling Television Inc., also believed that audiences would respond favorably to such a show. Levin, who worked closely with Hill at the network, explains, "I had always been a huge fan of 'Highway to Heaven,' and thought there was a great spiritual awakening going on in this country and that it was an opportune moment, especially for CBS. I absolutely believed that there was a huge audience that was underserved and that this show and shows like it -- shows with heart, a morality tale to tell -- were ripe."

Williamson argues with those who consider the show overly precious or silly, and speaks boldly about some of the more gut-wrenching and emotionally realistic moments. She disagrees when critics dismiss it as "supersweet," insisting that a major priority is to keep the situations, characters and emotions as real as possible. "The one thing is that our shows are very honest," Williamson says. "Some stories don't seem believable as true stories, but they are. A lot of it comes from my experiences or those of others. I insist on that. You may not like our show, but you have to admit that it is absolutely sincere."

CBS's Moonves thinks there's more to it. "Martha Williamson is the hero of the whole thing," he insists. "A lot of people have tried these kinds of shows before, but they are very hard to pull off. She has the right sensibility because she is both a great storyteller and a deeply spiritual human being. When she is writing, she is writing from her heart, and when she is producing it is the real deal. It's not just 'What does the public want?' but 'This is what I believe in,' and it comes at the right time and place and with the right purpose. I guarantee you that without Martha Williamson this show could not have happened. She's the real McCoy."

Levin agrees, stating that "It was Martha who made it a hit by making a show that was truly engaging on so many levels, one with heart and soul and humor and smarts."

Williamson, grateful to CBS for its support, returns the compliment. "All along the way, this show could have died, and I can point to someone at every stage and say, 'If not for him ... ' I believe this is one of those rare examples where the better angels of the network's nature took over. Show business is a business, and television series rise and fall based on economics and good solid business practices -- except in the case of 'Touched by an Angel.' Somebody's heart got in the way over at the network," she says with a smile, "and for us, that made all the difference in the world."