We shouldn’t expect to see 7th Heaven become the next classic series to get a revival, and really, it’s not hard to understand why. Originally airing for eleven seasons between 1996 and 2007, 7th Heaven follows the Camden family, starring Stephen Collins as minister Eric Camden alongside Catherine Hicks as his wife, Annie. The series explores the family drama that comes with a religious family raising seven children ranging in age from babies to adults.
While 7th Heaven was popular at the time of its airing, Hicks was pretty quick to shut down the idea of doing a revival or reboot series in a new talk with TMZ. She said that there was no chance of doing a continuation, and that’s due to a few notable reasons. For one, Hicks doesn’t feel that it would be the same with all of the children now all grown up and with Collins’ 2014 scandal ensuring he wouldn’t be a part of it. Hicks also points out that she’s retired now and has switched her focus to caring for her real children instead of playing a homemaker on TV.
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“The kids grew up, and Stephen’s gone, and, no, no, you let it go,” Hicks said. “And I don’t act anymore. I don’t have the tears in me. They’re gone.”
She added, “Because I was playing a homemaker, I wasn’t there for my real daughter, but now I’m home for my real daughter. Because she never got me then when she was little. So, it’s really fulfilling.”
If 7th Heaven Gets Revived, Brenda Hampton Would Need to Be Involved
While Hicks didn’t get into the specifics, the issues with Collins may cast too much of a dark shadow over a revival for a new 7th Heaven to work, even if the actor does not return. In 2014, Collins was recorded on audio tape admitting to sexual misconduct with a minor. He later confessed to sexually abusing minors in a statement provided to People later that year, noting he “did something terribly wrong.” While the statute of limitations kept Collins out of court, the revelations obviously tanked his career, making it highly unlikely the actor will ever be cast in another notable role.
While a revival with the old cast is off the table, Hicks isn’t totally opposed to seeing a new cast reboot 7th Heaven. However, she believes that there would have to be a caveat for it to work. Brenda Hampton, as the creator of the original 7th Heaven, would have to be involved, otherwise there’d be no point at all in rebooting the show as far as Hicks sees it.
“In television, it’s all the writer-producer, the creator,” Hicks explained, commenting on what matters most. “Remember The O.C.? Josh Schwartz left and it died. Our lady, Brenda Hampton, stayed for 11 years, so it lived. So, you’d have to have Brenda Hampton to do another 7th Heaven.”
