Product Review

Viewers who complain that every story on Touched by an Angel resolves in the exact same way--the divine intervention of angels--are missing the point. This show's fans aren't interested in psychology or clever plot twists; they want to know that rosy-cheeked angels, with caring eyes and soothing voices, will be there for them when their lives seem hopeless. Touched by an Angel gives shape to that wish in the form of beatific Roma Downey, prickly but loving Della Reese, and staunch John Dye as a trio of angels sent all over America to remind troubled souls of God's love. Though the message is consistent, the writing is not. Episodes are sometimes earnest but silly (a painfully sanitized portrait of homeless teens) or outright absurd (a farmer plagued by a drought decides to sue God). But at its best (as in an episode about HIV-positive girls at a summer camp who decide to form a suicide pact), Touched by an Angel can be thoughtful and warm. As in previous years, the fourth season pulls in guest stars of all stripes, including young stars on the rise like Thora Birch (American Beauty), Mandy Moore (A Walk to Remember), Meagan Good (Waist Deep), and Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous); actors well into their careers, like Janet Leigh (Psycho), Stephanie Zimbalist (Remington Steele), Swoosie Kurtz (Citizen Ruth), Robert Guillaume (Benson); and genuine old-hand superstars like Carol Burnett and Rita Moreno. The Fourth Season, Vol. 1 has no extras. --Bret Fetzer