TOP 10 BEST

 

1. TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL (CBS/ranked #1 last season) CBS's family drama about four angels who help mortals on Earth provides pro-family, faith-based entertainment each week. This season's episodes dealt with a wide array of difficult issues, ranging from teen drug dealers to human cloning, with sensitivity and a strong moral sense.

2. DOC (ITV/first season) Country music star Billy Ray Cyrus stars as Dr. Clint Cassidy, a country doctor who follows his love interest to New York City. After the romance unravels, he decides to keep his job at Westbury Medical, a busy HMO. There, his old-fashioned ideals frequently conflict with hospital policy, but Clint's dedication to his patients and overall optimism have earned him the respect and friendship of most of his peers, including the hospital's stern, by-the-book administrator. Episodes of Doc consistently reinforce family-friendly themes such as honesty, compassion, hope, and reconciliation, making it a perfect fit for its family-hour time slot.

3. 7th HEAVEN (WB/ranked #2 last season) After five seasons, 7th Heaven continues to be the WB's highest-rated program. In a TV landscape littered with dysfunctional families, this drama provides a refreshing portrait of American family life. The Rev. Eric Camden and his wife, Annie, have created an atmosphere conducive to honesty, which proves especially helpful as their children are confronted with difficult issues and circumstances. These parents are eager to provide wise counsel along with love and understanding. 7th Heaven also shows the consequences of reckless and irresponsible behavior. With most of the children now grown, the program has included more adult themes this season, and sexual content, though still dealt with responsibly, has increased.

4. SABRINA, THE TEENAGE WITCH (WB/ranked #4 last season) Despite having moved from ABC to the WB this season, Sabrina consistently does well with adolescent and pre-adolescent audiences. Unlike other supernatural thrillers that contain dark occult themes and feature demonic characters, Sabrina focuses on the daily struggles of a cheerful teenager who just happens to have been born a witch, as she adjusts to collegiate life and learns to balance family, new friends, and studies. Parents will appreciate the fact that although Sabrina is now in college, she has maintained strong relationships with her aunts, who offer her sound advice and assistance when appropriate. Episodes this season have emphasized the importance of fulfilling one's academic potential, loyalty in friendship, social responsibility, and "clean fun" being the most fun.

5. WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE (ABC/ranked #3 last season) Who Wants to Be a Millionaire remains one of the most family-friendly programs on television. Millionaire combines suspense, competition, and the possibility of huge rewards to draw viewers without resorting to the cheap use of foul language, sex, and violence so prevalent on other prime time shows. Millionaire also reinforces the value of education.

6. MYSTERIOUS WAYS (NBC and ITV/ first season) This intriguing family-friendly drama chronicles the investigations of Declan Dunn, an anthropology professor whose "calling" is to prove the existence of miracles. Acting as his foil is Peggy Fowler, a skeptical hospital psychiatrist. The two rely on the scientific expertise of Miranda, a gifted physics graduate student studying at the university where Declan is employed. Older children and adults alike will appreciate Mysterious Ways' cleverly constructed and uplifting plots. Every episode highlights the purposefulness of all life experiences. Even the most trivial of coincidences and the most seemingly random events are shown to be part of a greater plan.

7. DADDIO (NBC/not ranked last season) Early in the season NBC yanked from its schedule this family-friendly sitcom about a father of four who gave up his job as a top salesman to become a stay-at-home dad so that his wife could pursue a law career. Throughout the show's too-brief run, Daddio affirmed the importance of family and treated issues of faith favorably. One episode even had the father encouraging his family to say grace together before dinner -- a rare sight on TV these days.

8. TWICE IN A LIFETIME (ITV/not ranked last season) Paul Popowich stars as Mr. Smith, a celestial caretaker of souls. Mr. Smith guides the recently deceased on a journey to their past where they meet their younger selves and have a chance to correct one big mistake and thereby alter the course of their lives. Ultimately each soul is transported to the present where they discover a world full of unexpected rewards for having done the right thing.

9. MY WIFE AND KIDS (ABC/first season) ABC's hit comedy My Wife and Kids recalls the days of The Cosby Show and Family Ties. The show stars Damon Wayans as the big-hearted head of a loving family who is slightly bewildered by the challenges of being a father and a husband in modern times. He hearkens back to more traditional family values and strives only to do what he feels is right for his family. The series' predominant theme is the importance of loving and supporting parents in influencing children to make the right life choices.

10. MOESHA (UPN/ranked #6 last season) Starring teen idol and Grammy-winning singer Brandy Norwood, Moesha showcases the social life of a popular girl and her friends as they enter their first year of college. Moesha's parents continue to teach their daughter sound lessons on morality and honesty, and in seasons past, the show has depicted matters of religious faith favorably. Recently, plotlines have dealt with more adult content and sexual innuendo, although the program tends to deal with such content responsibly.