David Sebly on TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL (3/31/09)

[Taeylor Collins]

Tomorrow @ 11 am on the Hallmark Channel David Selby will be guest starring on a rerun of Touched By An Angel.  In the episode he potrays someone who he seems to admire, Abraham Lincoln!  I don't know if anyone watches this show or cares, however, I thought I would let you all know.  I personally believe in angels and am very versatile in the type of shows I like.  I love anything supernatural though most of the time.

Taeylor

[Taeylor Collins]

David Selby was an amazing Lincoln with an amazingly written story.  I loved it. It reminded me of what a superb actor this man is. It was very intersting that an African American child (but didn't think he could) wanted to be President and told the class he would be President # 50.  I love how art seems to foreshadow the future....  Not politics here just commenting.

[borgosi]

I saw this a couple of years ago and loved it. I have it on disc now. You right, it's way cool the way the story seems to point to the future. I need to find my copy and watch it again, just because of recent events.

[Taeylor Collins]

Did you burn it?  I didn't think Season Five was on DVD yet.  I have been burning them and saving them.....

[Pansity]

Coming in late on this, but can't resist.  It's one of my favorite Selby performances.  .  I have a tape, thanks to a kind friend who made it for me before I got the Hallmark channel, and should really watch it again.  Of course, that may be Lincoln overload, since I'm still working my way through the piles of Lincoln books that followed me home from DC. 

It's times like this I REALLY miss there being a Selby discussion group around.  Back when I first got on the DS groups there was a place where people would chat about stuff like this after a rerun.  Alas, no more. 

The whole episode was marvelous.  The writers made a real effort to make it fit the facts, and it showed.  Even aside from that, the writing was wonderful.  I lost it when Monica is encouraging Lincoln that what he did DOES matter -- totally and absolutely lost it during the part about  “an example for little boys and girls to look up to when they wondered if there was ever a time that principle mattered more than politics”.  (No, I didn't do that from memory, I cheated and copied it from the piece on my website  ). On some other topic here I told the story of my friend Kelly the Lincoln fan, who, once she saw the ep, had to keep the tape for herself.

And then there's the serendipity that caused Selby to be in this, instead of another actor.  He was telling this story at the booksigning I attended last fall, and still seemed stunned, ten years later, over the fact that, when he originally couldn't do the role (his mother had just died), they changed the schedule around so that he COULD play it. Talk about something that was meant to be.

Jeannie

[MsCriseyde]

And then there's the serendipity that caused Selby to be in this, instead of another actor.  He was telling this story at the booksigning I attended last fall, and still seemed stunned, ten years later, over the fact that, when he originally couldn't do the role (his mother had just died), they changed the schedule around so that he COULD play it. Talk about something that was meant to be.

This comes up in the recent Sunday Forum appearance at Washington National Cathedral, which can be viewed in its entirety online (link in upper right). If you want a copy of this on DVD, the Cathedral sells them here.

[Taeylor Collins]

I am just glad that you guys responded.  I felt sort of that some people may view this show as CHEESE at it's finest.  I am not your typical religious person, but Touched By An Angel has lifted me out of many dark days. During it's original run I thought that is what it was--Chesse--but the fact that no certain GOD is  brought to the forefront really resonates with me.  He is often referred to as the Creator......I personally believe and it isn't a show for everyone but nonetheless a great show and much better than a lot of stuff that pollutes the airwaves. And no matter how many times "MONICA" delivers the revelation to her charge, Roma Downey brings a freshness to each performance.  I loved her and David together.   Thanks for the insight on the episode!  David was perfect!

[borgosi]

I recorded the show with my DVR then I put it on disc. I like the series but just want a few shows on disc.

[Pansity]

I really wouldn't say cheesy so much as sentimental, or at worst corny.  Of course, I LOVE Frank Capra movies too -- which gives you an idea.

Touched by an Angel is more like a morality play, as they're not pushing any specific religious beliefs at people.  In my opinion that's why it works so well.  That of course and the ubiquitous good writing and good acting.    Of course that's qualities one could also find in DS, so I can even say this is on topic. 

Reminds me of a lot of the old religious dramas you used to find on Sunday morning tv.  A lot of familiar character actors used to do them.  There's one I remember with particular fondness (I USED to have a copy, but was never sure if I caught it again  to put on VHS after Quazar's Great Time Machine video format died, years before beta did the same).  This one was from a show called Insight, and the episode, called The Day God Diedhad a group of the regular Trek guest stars on it: Mark Lenard, Diana Muldaur, Mariette Hartley.  In addition, it had names like Carroll O'Connor, Lloyd Bochner, Beverly Garland, etc.

The episode was a particularly good one, especially in light of DS characters like Trask, not to mention their real life counterparts.   The whole theme of the piece was the "Is God Dead" discussion (the piece was shot in 1970 according to our friends at IMDB.)  It showed a grouping of people and told you somethign of their lives and how they conducted themselves.  Of all the characters shown, the ones who were NOMINAL Christians were all the ones whose real life conduct caused them to see God as dead.  The only one who did NOT see God in the Coffin was the atheist, who was the only one with ethics and morals, living life by the principles of God, thus the only one of the characters in whom God was truly represented.

Jeannie

Oh Darn, now I want to SEE this show again.

[Taeylor Collins]

Good post.  TBAA has it's moments.  Some episodes are fillers and incredibly terrible more times that not they hit home runs!!!

[Midnite]

Just a quick moderator note to say that David Selby's appearance on TBAA is what's on topic for this thread. 

[Taeylor Collins]

Thanks Midnite.  I do have a question though (and please don't think I am being a smart ass) didn't you or maybe it was MB once tell me sometimes thread's naturally grow into something that isn't quite on topic and that is okay??  How does one tell the difference??

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I think that was me. And the difference is that those other things, even if they don't completely relate to the subject of an individual topic, should still be related to DS in some way and not something unrelated to DS - meaning discussing Selby on TBAA is related to DS because Selby was on DS - but discussing TBAA in and of itself and/or other religious programs is not related to DS. 

[Taeylor Collins]

Gotcha! Thanks MB and I do think it was you.  I don't know how you all don't go scatter brained remembering all this stuff.  I guess that is why you are the moderators!

Anyhoo...back on point...David was amazing on TBAA and you can obviously tell he relates to Lincoln in some way, with the role and the book!

[Pansity]

Oops, sorry MB and Midnight -- that was probably my fault for mentioning the other show.     I thought of it watching 1897 and the wonderful doings of Gregory Trask, and thought I could tie it to that.

Taeylor -- if you snooped around his official site and MsC's site (or maybe you already have) you'll see quite a trail of Lincoln related serendipities.  As a matter of fact, the Twitter updates for the official site gave a link recently to an article mentioning many of the connections.

Jeannie