’7th Heaven’ Canceled Again, Allegedly
Will the Second Time Around Be the (Unlucky) Charm for the Family Drama?
Prior to its merger with UPN in September 2006 to form the present fledgling CW netlet, the WB announced that 7th Heaven, then in its tenth year, would not survive to see the Fall 2006 season. This gave fans of Everwood, the network’s other popular family drama that was widely considered far superior, false hope that their series would be renewed. Of course, the WB lied, doing a complete flip-flop at the last minute when the first scheduled series finale for 7th Heaven delivered ratings on May 8, 2006, that were much higher than anticipated. Everyone else understood that the large numbers included a sizable proportion of former fans who tuned in to bid the Camdens good riddance, but the WB chose to believe that they resulted from a tidal wave of viewers eager for the show to stick around longer. The sum effect was that Heaven was renewed for an eleventh season, while Everwood—and its monumentally angry fans—got the shaft.
Imagine the extreme joy of Everwood devotees now, then, upon learning this week that the CW plans to give 7th Heaven the big heave-ho for real at the end of the current season. Can we believe CW executives this time, though? Considering how they made good on the netlet’s longstanding desire to get rid of Reba, its top comedy on any given night, just this February, the answer seems affirmative. The (second) series finale, a one-hour episode entitled “And Away We Go,” is presently scheduled for Sunday, May 13. If you want to do your part to make sure that the finale remains a finale and that 7th Heaven doesn’t sneak in again through the back door, I suggest avoiding watching it all together and waiting for the inevitable DVD version. That way, poor ratings will guarantee a true, irreversible, and long overdue death for the Camden clan’s TV adventures.
7th Heaven currently airs Sundays at 8pm EST on the CW
7th Heaven photo courtesy of the CW
