The Parents Television Council (PTC), a conservative media advocacy group, often cited 7th Heaven among the top ten most family-friendly shows.

[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] The show was praised for its positive portrayal of a cleric and for promoting honesty, respect for parental authority, and the importance of a strong family and a good education through its story-lines.

[3] The council also explained "7th Heaven manages to provide moral solutions to tough issues facing teenagers without seeming preachy or heavy-handed.

"[4] It was also noted that "While addressing topics such as premarital sex and peer pressure, these parents [Annie and Eric] are eager to provide wise counsel along with love and understanding.

Hillary Frey of Salon cited 7th Heaven as "one of the worst long-running shows on television, making Beverly Hills, 90210 look Shakespearean, while at the same time being one of the most addictive.

"[10] Reasons given include perceived heavy-handed moralizing, Christian propaganda,[11] and depiction of a caricature of a real family, that is "so clean it is obscene".

Frey describes the basic pattern followed by each episode: "(1) One of the Camden family has a problem and/or secret; (2) some sort of Three's Company-esque misunderstanding ensues as a result of that problem and/or secret; (3) a confrontation and/or intervention takes place, usually involving a short sermon delivered by one of the Camden parents; and (4) whoever stands at the center of the drama eventually figures out the 'right' thing to do.

And 'right' is always another word for 'Christian'; while the show avoids explicit discussions of Jesus and/or faith, Protestant guilt is readily employed as a plot device.

"[10] On top of this, implausible scenarios are seen to be regularly included, such as the daughter Mary's absence from the show for several seasons being scarcely explained with the character being busy, wayward or in New York.

UP CEO Charley Humbard stated, "We brought the show back because many viewers expressed they could separate allegations against one actor from the fictional series itself.