Lentorama 2009: Great(?) Moments in Catholics on Television

September 18, 1997: Nothing Sacred premiers on ABC

If Robert Blake was an inappropriately violent priest and McLean Stevenson an inappropriately comic priest, then Kevin Anderson would be the inappropriately sexy priest. Anderson, known best for playing Julia Roberts' non-abusive love interest in Sleeping With the Enemy, starred in Nothing Sacred as Father Ray, the new head of St. Thomas parish in an unnamed urban area. He was joined by fellow clerics Father Leo, an older priest who could offer wise counsel, and Father Eric, newly-ordained and not yet wise to the workings of a parish. There was also Sister Maureen, who would later flirt with defecting to the Episcopals so she could become a minister, Sidney, who kept the parish books, and J.A., the youth pastor.

The show was geared to demonstrate the difficulties in running a modern parish, from lack of money to the conflict between the church's teaching and popular opinion on a wide range of social issues. In several cases this involved Father Ray's personal life and his struggles to remain relevant and, on occasion, celibate.

When ratings didn't materialize, two new characters were added. Father Martin was sent by the diocese to keep an eye on everyone due to complaints about the parish's lack of orthodoxy, while Justine Judd was the recently graduated divinity student brought on to run the religious education program. Justine was played by Jennifer Beals, which suggested some further temptation for Father Ray closer to the rectory.

While the show won both a Peabody Award and a Humanitas Prize for its exploration of modern faith, it drew a fair amount of ire from traditional Catholics, who didn't like the equivocation on issues like abortion. Above all, though, the show never drew enough viewers (airing opposite Friends didn't help), and it was cancelled before completing a full season.