Back when I was just a kid in the 90’s and early 2000’s, my mother and I didn’t watch too many programs together, as I mostly just watched animated programs, or whatever my dad was viewing. Because of this, the 90’s Drama/Fantasy series “Touched by an Angel” has always stuck with me as that rare program that my mother and I bonded over while watching together.
The series revolved around a group of angels who take on human form, and visit individual people on Earth, who are going through very human trials and hardships, which frequently puts their faith into question. Roma Downey stared as a younger Irish angle named Monica, who studied under an older mentor angle named Tess, played by the late Della Reese.
Later, the two were
joined by a third member named Andrew, also known as “The Angle of Death”,
played by the late John Dye. Naturally, with a premise revolving around these
three Angles visiting people in need, it made the show ideal for annual
Christmas centered episodes. For its nine-season run, there wasn’t a single
year without a special Christmas offering from this series, and for this post, I’m
going to go through each one in order of release and see just how well they
hold-up all these years later.
“Fear Not!” (Season 1: Ep. 9)
For the very first Christmas outing of this show, we see Monica and Tess helping at a small-town church, who are putting on a Christmas pageant. One little girl named Serena wants to be the pageant angel more than anything, but tragically, a viral heart condition is taking its toll on her. This development is especially alarming to her best friend named Joey, who’s pathologically afraid of the dark, and doesn’t know how to face his fears without her. Joey’s older brother Wayne, played by Randy Travis, is emotionally distant from his brother, and has been struggling with his faith sense the passing of his parents.
However, with Serena’s immanent passing, and some words of encouragement from Monica, Wayne needs to find his faith, and be the guiding light for his little brother Joey, as he faces his fears of losing someone he loves once again. Everything comes together in a beautiful finale on Christmas Eve, and subsequently one of the most memorable moments of the show’s holiday offerings. As the little girl Serena quietly passes away, everyone in attendance at the pageant receives a special Christmas gift.
Monica reveals her angelic presence to everyone in a vision, the manger scene comes to life, and everyone is filled with the hope and good tidings that come with the holiday. All around, this was a solid first Christmas instalment for this series, with a thoughtful message, uplifting sequence, and some of the most memorable guest appearances in the show. This actually marked the first of three Christmas outings to feature Randy Travis as the older brother Wayne, and naturally, he provided some music for the show too.
“The Feather” (Season 2: Ep. 11)
An immediate follow-up to the previous Christmas Episode, we see Randy Travis character Wayne, and his little Brother Joey have been changed by their experience. The rest of the community has no clue how to feel about their special shared vision, and their joined confusion devolves into mass concern. This gets the attention of a crooked preacher named Charles (played by William R. Moses), who also doubles as a con man, and after snatching a dove’s feather left behind from the night, he begins to manipulate the locals, and gradually takes over the church.
Our guest lead Wayne recognizes him for the con artist he is, as the two used to run scams together, but exposing him will also reveal his past sins, hence his conflict … oh, and of course they’re both long lost brothers too. This would have been enough for one instalment, but unfortunately, things get even more complicated for this episode’s own good.
Little brother Joey discovers an abandoned baby, who’s also a crack-baby, and Joey appoints himself soul guardian, no matter what anyone else says. While everything comes together in another decent moment of Monica revealing herself to the whole community, it’s still not as strong as in the previous episode. Certainly not a bad follow-up, but there’s just a little too much to be focusing on, to the point where a well-intended message gets lost in the shuffle.
“The Violin Lesson” (Season 3: Ep. 13)
The son of a violin maker comes home to spend Christmas with his family, but unfortunately … it’ll be his last, as he’s tragically dying of AIDS. Now our visiting Angels help the elder violin player, and his family accept the devastating revelation. Peter Michael Goetz and Millie Perkins gust star in this episode, and the performances all around are very good. The dramatic moments earn their poignant effects, there’s a great message about acceptance, and everything closes on a strong note. All around, a perfectly good episode of the show, but probably the Christmas episode I like the least. The holiday is more of a backdrop, and isn’t woven into the story as nicely as their other Christmas outings.
There are moments set in a Christmas tree lot or
by a Snow Man, but the events of the episode could have easily played out at
any given time of the year. That, and it also covers similar ground as previous
installments, including a family member accepting someone for who they are, and
someone’s imminent death landing on the holiday, just like in the previously
mentioned “Fear Not!”. Still, not a bad episode at all … I’d say it’s just
the least best in feeling like Christmas.
“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” (Season 4: Ep.
12)
Randy Travis returns as Wayne, who along with his brother Joey, are about to receive another Heavenly visit for the holiday season. When Wayne goes out for a little late-night shopping, he suddenly disappears in a massive snowstorm. Meanwhile, back at home, Monica visits Joey, who’s falling into despair at the thought of his brother never coming home for Christmas. Amidst a power outage, and other visitors, Monica recalls an experience from the early 1900’s, in which she first met famed author Mark Twain, and how he too faced the loss of loved one during the holiday season. Whether it be “Star Trek: The Next Generation” or “The Rifleman”, I feel the best classic shows need to include Mark Twain in some form.
For this outing, John Cullum portrays the legendary author, and is fantastic all around. Everything from his home life, to how he laments loved ones lost, to how he views his faith are all just as engaging as any contemporary story from this show, if not more so. Setting this outing mostly in the 1900’s certainly gives this episode a unique identity and feel, and the ensemble cast is my favorite by far. It’s great to get one last holiday outing with Randy Travis, and the returning cast from the episode "Fear Not!".
John Cullum’s Mark Twain speaks for himself, but the
last big guest star to highlight is the late great Paul Winfield, who made
everything better by his presence. While his appearance in this episode as a
visiting angel is brief, he still manages to leave an impression. Personally,
this is my favorite of what I like to call “the Randy Travis collection”, and
it’s one of my favorites of the shows Christmas offerings by far.
“An Angle on the Roof” (Season 5: Ep. 11)
Set in a small Texas town, near the border line of Mexico, we see a special Christmas Eve, in which the angels visit individuals who feel they have nothing to live for, including a bitter old motel owner on the brink of suicide, and three lonely truck drivers who feel like they’ve seen it all. Meanwhile, a young Mexican couple have illegally crossed the border, and seek refuge before the wife delivers her new baby.
As all these players converge on the old man’s inn, it becomes very clear they all represent characters from the Christmas Pageant. As such, this episode probably has the strongest ties to the holiday over any other episode of the show. Everything about this episode is bathed in a warm Christmas atmosphere, from the lit-up decorations, to the mysterious weather, and of course all the memorable imagery on display … Monica illuminated on the roof being the most obvious. While it’s admittedly corny and on the nose at times with its Pageant presentation, it’s still thoughtful, and is also a clever idea for a Christmas themed outing for this series.
Guest star Alexis Cruz gives this outing its dramatic backbone, while also providing the right amount of good cheer. It’s all around another one of my absolute favorites of the shows Christmas offerings, and is simply the most comforting to get me in the spirit of the season.
“The Christmas Gift” (Season 6: Ep. 10)
Following after an episode set entirely on Christmas Eve, the next holiday instalment takes place over a passage of time, beginning on Thanksgiving, and concluding on Christmas. A small-town trumpet player named Robert is sadly killed during a carjacking, leaving his wife LaBelle strained for money, and only one logical option left … move in with her mother-in-law. We see how grading the new living situation is for both woman, as they hadn’t always seen eye to eye, but now, both blame each other for Roberts death.
Naturally, our Angels are on hand to help them come together through the hardships and learn to forgive one another. All through the episode, we’ve seen these characters in the company of a homeless man named Gabe, who at the end reveals himself to be the Archangel Gabriel, and announces on Christmas Eve that LaBelle is with child. The episode closes with Gabe playing “Away in a Manger” on Robert's rescued trumpet, and while this sequence can be viewed as corny, I’m a sucker for sentimental, holiday moments like this.
Personally, I would have liked more
from our main Angels in this episode, but they have their moments, and guest
stars Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee certainly help carry this outing. Along with the
trumpet, there’s some decent musical moments in this episode. Aside from Gabriel’s
appearance at the end, this admittedly isn’t one of the show’s most memorable
Christmas offerings, but it’s certainly a good watch, with a decent message to
be shared.
“An Angel on my Tree” (Season 7: Ep. 10)
Just like a Christmas morning … there’s a lot to unpack with this episode, but I mean that in the best way, unlike with my earlier mentioned episode “The Feather”. The best place to start is the backstory. One year ago on Christmas Eve, a broken Tree topper sets off a chain of events, culminating in an enraged father named Joe unleashing his anger on a local boy, who was teasing his son Cody, on account of his Tourette Syndrome. The local boy tragically dies in the event, and the son Cody blames himself for the whole incident, and worse … his father blames him for it too. Leading-up to the one-year Eve of the event, which happens to be Christmas Eve, Joe is serving time in prison, and Cody views himself as a mistake who should have never been born.
Thus, our visiting Angels try to bring this shattered family back together, and a special Christmas gift exchange might just be the thing to heal these broken hearts. While this show naturally deals with dramatic events, even during the holiday season … this is the one that most brought out the tears in me. Something about family ties, facing unforgivable events, and accepting oneself as a great individual, even with a handicap, are all themes and content that resonate with me.
Guest star
Christopher Marquette delivers an emotionally shattering performance in the
role of the older son Cody. There’s also original holiday music by Kenny
Rogers. All around, this isn’t the easiest Christmas episode to watch, but it absolutely
delivers in hitting an emotional home run.
“A Winter Carol” (Season 8: Ep. 11)
Hear we go, of all the memorable Christmas outings from this show, none left a bigger impact on me then this episode, which aired on December 2001 … a mere three months after 911. The episode begins with a boy lamenting the disappearance of his drum teacher on September 11, 2001. The boy's mother is the mayor of the town, and she refuses to grieve, as she has too many responsibilities. The boy's elder brother has all but lost his Christmas spirit, and decides to enlist in the army to beat back as many terrorists as possible. In short, this episode is all about coping with a tragedy, and finding some humane way to move on with your life.
I was only a young 4th grader during the events of 911, but I still remember what it was like, with this empty feeling hanging over everyone’s head … and hearts … which carried over into Christmas for many of us. This episode was a much-needed reminder of why it’s important to grieve, except the reality of a horrible disaster, and try to rekindle the joy one would associate with the Christmas season. It was a much-needed cleanser after a global changing event, and it was just the message we needed to make Christmas joyful again.
On a side note, this marked the first Christmas episode
to feature a new lead angle character named Gloria, who was played by Valerie
Bertinelli. She’s a little clumsier and more childlike than the others, and in
this episode has a bad habit of announcing “it’s her first Christmas”. Special guest
stars for this episode include Blair Brown as the Mayor, Steven Curtis Chapman
as the elder son, and the episode closes with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
performing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”,
which is definitely a highlight. While this episode was late into the show,
it’s still personally my favorite of this series Christmas themed episodes.
“The Christmas Watch” (Season 9: Ep. 10)
For the very last Christmas themed episode of the show, we get something wholesome and very simple in both presentation and narrative. 18 months after 911, a local New York clock shop faces permanent closure on Christmas Eve, leaving the staff on the unemployment line. Thanks to our visiting angles, a busted watch is brought to them, which belonged to a fellow employe, who sadly passed away during the tragedy of September 11th.
Thus, for one final task, the store members elect to construct a new watch for his family, to both honor the memory of their lost friend, and to give the shop one last task before it closes. This episode did a number of things different from the show’s formula, and while not one of the absolute best, it’s certainly one of the most unique. Everything is set in this one location, and it’s all spent with these characters reflecting on their time, and where they might go from here. The clock shop is a very warm and comforting setting, and the members give it some personality.
Also, while morals are conveyed, our team of Angels never reveal themselves as such to any of the human characters, which is another rarity for this series. The guest stars this time around include Austin Pendleton, Matt Malloy, Eddie Mills, Christie Lynn Smith, Jodi Thelen, and Jose Zuniga. While it doesn’t reach the same emotional highs of the previously mentioned “Winter Carol”, it still succeeded as a warm and cozy little Christmas episode to close out their nine-year holiday run.
That
concludes my run-down through all the Christmas themed episodes of “Touched by
An Angle”, and if I was to quickly rank them on my own personal scale of most
favorite to least favorite, it would go like this …
1. “A Winter Carol”
2. “An Angle on the Roof”
3. “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”
4. “An Angel on my Tree”
5. “Fear Not!”
6. “The Christmas Watch”
7. “The Feather”
8. “The Christmas Gift”
9. “The Violin Lesson”
It's certainly been a welcome trip down 90’s memory lane, and for anyone who also watched this series back in the day, I hope it was special to look back on it. If you’re someone just looking for any random Christmas special to watch, maybe this list will give you something pleasant to view for this Holiday season.
Thanks for reading my episode run-down … and continue to enjoy the shows you love.
