@Charles78
I used to watch Highway to Heaven with my grandmother. When she passed many years later I discovered that she was an atheist. I was devastated that she had never shared this with me (also an atheist and the youngest of the family). During the pandemic I found this show on streaming and realized that it was the message (and quality) she liked and wanted to share with me. ❤
@kat021171
I was in preschool from 1974-76, so 50 years ago. The preschool was run by the church my family attended, and my dad was even on the board of trustees for the preschool. My teachers didn't teach a bit of Christianity, and while the church was Congregationalist, but my classmates were Lutheran, Catholic, Jewish, Russian Orthodox and so on, as well as Congregationalist. The preschool was seen as a community good, for the community, run by one of the oldest churches in the community for the benefit of all of the residents. It is what America was at the time, when communities were communities and not multiple isolated cells of people who cannot stand difference within their cell. And it seemed to shift to the latter when the strain of evangelical Christianity that came to the forefront even as Landon was wrapping Little House on the Prairie and then making Highway to Heaven. And with their isolation in their megachurches, those folks seemed to decide that unless they didn't eliminate all other thought then they were losing God's Holy War. It's a message antithetical to the message in "The Silent Bell", and I think someone very much like Michael Landon would be appalled to see what's become of our discourse, and our loss of sense of community, in the last 30 years.
@sailordaigurren8225
I still remember a line where he responds to someone saying dogs are man's best friend with "you'd think Man's best friend would be Man." I don't remember much of the show, but that has sat with me for over 30 years.
@app103
"I believe in God, I believe in family, I believe in truth between people, I believe in the power of love, I believe that we really are created in God’s image, that there is God in all of us." --Michael Landon
@guygrist4436
As someone who grew up in a Christian school and had a chaplain whom was incredibly open minded about different faiths and ethical values, he had copies of Richard Dawkins books on his shelves. I was kind of shocked when I left that school how intolerant people where.
@cbruce78
My wife was talking about "Touched By an Angel", and she mentioned that it was basically the same as "Highway to Heaven", and I said, "Which was basically the same as 'The Incredible Hulk'". A dude wandering the land, meeting and helping new people each week, and convincing the bad guys of the error of their ways via glowing-Michael-Landon/green-Lou-Ferigno. Pretty much the same show.
@JimiB2112
My mother (literally militant Christian) was a fan of "Highway to Heaven". So much so that she bought a VCR so she could watch it even if she wasn't home when it was broadcast. I was married and, as we were living close enough to be expected at Sunday dinner, I was employed to set up the recording. Also changing the clock on the TV and VCR twice every year my responsibility 😊 The only thing my father ever asked me to record was the funeral of Princess Diana. Being Scottish, that speaks volumes about how Diana was seen by the world 🌎 beyond Westminster. Tioraidh an-drasta 🏴
@anitarichmond8930
HERE,HERE!! What ever happened to love thy neighbor? The truths I was raised on still stand,there is goodness in your fellow man.✌🏼
@WendyWinchester
Wow...... that was so perfect, so poignant. I am in awe. This video should be shared everywhere.
@Cookie_85
They say you couldn't make "Blazing Saddles" today when in reality you couldn't make this show today anymore.
@jasonschneider7224
I remember watching this show with my best friend when we were growing up. His mother was Hindi, his father was an Atheist, and by then we were already leaning in that direction ourselves. To this day, when we talk about what's happened to the country, he'll bring up the version of god in Highway to Heaven. We wonder what happened to him - because despite ourselves, despite the cheese and the melodrama, that was one of the few versions of god we wished we could believe in.
@Sam_on_YouTube
Only watched the show a few times, but Michael Landon was also the show runner for Little House on the Prarie, which was also woke as hell. As a young Jewish kid, I remember the anti-antisemitism episode in particular. The term "show runner" wasn't a thing yet, but he starred in, wrote, directed, and executive produced both shows after getting some chops from writing and directing some episodes of Bonanza.
@EugeneGM1
As an Atheist, if Steve talks positively about a Christian TV show, I sit up, shut up, and listen.
@timmylean
There's a hoidy toidy Catholic high school in the Southeast that was founded and run by a Jesuit priest who preached welcoming all and a high quality education. After the priest retired, the rich donor parents took over and religious bullying became rampant, the library suddenly had no books, and the drama department went downhill big time.
@FireElement7
I used to watch Highway to Heaven with my Grandma when I was a kid. It was a fantastic show! Thank you for the reminder!
@subtlegong2817
A few years back the right had a talking point about returning to Mayberry. I don’t think too many of them actually watched the Andy Griffith Show because that shows views on guns, feminism, activism, unions, actual personal responsibility and very secular point of view they would consider it toxic to their message. The Andy Griffith Show is one of the most “woke” shows of its time, and I love it
@lisam5744
I remember this show. I grew up a big Michael Landon fan. I grew up on reruns of Bonanza, watched all the Little House of the Prairie shows and then Highway to Heaven. It was shortly after the show ended that Michael Landon died. I did cry. But the one thing about the two characters on Little House and Highway that he played was they both fought for what was fair and what was right. That has stuck with me and I can still remember episodes of both shows that helped with my formation as a person who tries to fight for what is fair and what is right. Thanks for the nice memory, Steve.
@BintyMcFrazzles
We used to watch this show in the late 80s/early 90s as a family. It was a lovely show, gentle, kind and inclusive. I rewatched a few episodes last year, and pleasantly surprised how good it was. Johnathan and Mark were what Christians are supposed to strive to be: Kind, compassionate and inclusive. Not narrow-minded and intolerant. I'm also atheist.
@Gmanrushfan
So was the original Macgyver and even Walker Texas Ranger. I watch these old shows from my childhood frequently… anti-racism messages, environmental concerns and Mac hated guns. But when we were growing up, no one was calling it Woke… it was clear who the good guys were and who the bad guys were…. Nowadays, people are trying to pass the villains off as heroes.
@lauriebrown7285