Highway to Heaven TV Series Remembered

cc from marianland.com

    Maybe you remember this TV series that aired from 1984-1989, with Micheal Landon and Victor French. This was a very special show with tear jerking scripts that touched on the love God has for humanity. Even though I was only 5-10 years old during this time, I can remember watching episodes with my grandma on NBC when they aired.

   This series was the third and last of the successful TV series Micheal Landon was involved with. First he was in Bonanza from 1959-1973, then in Little House on the Prairie from 1974-1983, and then Highway to Heaven. Victor French was a co-host in Little House on The Prairie with him as well. Highway to Heaven ended up being just that for the two men, as after the series ended they both died soon after from cancer.

    In 1989 Victor French died of lung cancer at only 54 years old, only a month before the last episode aired of Highway to Heaven. Micheal Landon died a couple years later on July 1, 1991 of pancreatic cancer at the same age of 54. Both cancers were diagnosed less than 5 months before they died. What a tragedy these men died so young from cancer.

   Highway to Heaven was a great show, in which Micheal Landon was an angel from God, who went about with Victor on assignments from God helping various people in life's difficult circumstances. Every episode was filmed in California where both men ended up dying. Victor was born in California, while Micheal was born in Queens, New York.

   Just recently I had the idea of watching this show from YouTube, where nearly every episode is located for free. What a treasure I've found. I had the idea after my wife and I started watching Little House on The Prairie episodes about six months ago. The Christian values and even Christian talk at times, is so very refreshing when it comes to entertainment. Compared to entertainment in modern times, these shows really stand out as wholesome and Godly. Even though at times I can see where the New Age watered down gospel crept into some of the episodes, more so what I see is great men of God who showed people watching how to truly love your fellow human.

   There are so many wonderful episodes to speak of, the quality of each episodes is apparent with original script and directing from Micheal Landon himself. He was a truly talented man, who knew how to love and had values absent in today's mainstream culture. As I watch these episodes and listen to the grand theme music at the beginning and end of the show, I mourn for America because of the degradation of it's values. Now, there are shows which are a shame to speak of, a far cry from the spark of light in our culture Micheal Landon brought.

   Watching Highway to Heaven is a glimpse into the 80's, as the show was filmed from 1984-1989. Since I was born in 1979, I still remember the eighties some and am intrigued with the sights and sounds of this time. The 80's was a time of transition for America, where the Godless wicked liberals were starting to gain the majority and the decay of our society was starting to show profound signs. The criticism of culture and government from Micheal Landon's character Johnathon Smith, and Victor French's character Mark Gordon, were poignant and hard hitting with truth. It was their generation which witnessed the drastic changes to society which took place from the 50's-to the 90's and even more so today in 2014. With the criticisms they had back then in the 80's, I wonder what they would think of our country now. I already know they would mourn, like every Christian is now seeing the wickedness prevail in every aspect of our society and culture.

cc from en.wikipedia.org

   54 years old isn't old, and these two men died way too soon, and way to suddenly. Highway to Heaven didn't end because of their deaths, but because NBC dropped the show after poor ratings from the fourth season. The fifth season was the last, as America had already lost it's appetite for goodness and love. That this wonderful and God-inspired television series ended and these two loving and Godly men died so young, is almost emblematic of the era of goodness and Godliness dying in America. As the wickedness grew to another level when Bush Sr. stepped into office in 1988, and introduced us formally to the Satanic New World Order shortly after.

   Of course there are a remnant of Christians who are still in America, living to fulfill God's will everyday of our lives. Worshiping Jesus Christ, reading and believing the Holy Bible, and mourning as we see the destruction of everything good around us. As our culture and society are being deceived and falling away from truth and love, we the remnant of believers, grow closer to Lord Jesus Christ and remove ourselves from this wicked culture and society. Christianity is no longer welcome in America, and I think the final rejection of shows like Highway to Heaven are a poignant telling sign of when this trend started taking a profound affect on our country.

   As I watch these episodes, I'm encouraged and blessed by the absolute love these men had for humanity. I can see some doctrinal error in their script, but more so I see an unabashed goodness prevailing to break through the hate and fear which can so easily beset us in this manifold wicked modern time. God bless this show and these men, and I can't wait to talk with them in Heaven, once I'm on that highway to heaven when I die.  

This is the first episode in 1984. Click to watch on YouTube and subscribe to the channel to watch all the full episodes from 84 to 89!