‘Highway to Heaven’ Boss Calls Lifetime’s Revival ‘a Giant Therapy Session’

“Bring out your tissue box!” advises Jonathan Baruch, executive producer of the planned TV movie franchise, Highway to Heaven, inspired by the 1984–89 drama series starring Michael Landon as gentle angel Jonathan.

Times have changed, but the message of kindness remains the same. “We want to show there are people who come into your life and support you in your journey.”

One such person is compassionate angel Angela Stewart (actress-singer Jill Scott), who, in the first film, is sent down to help mend the fractured relationship between a grieving father (Robert Moloney) and son (Ben Daon). “She holds the mirror up to them,” Baruch says. “She assesses, she does not judge.”

(Credit: Lifetime)

Along the way, she’ll befriend caring junior high school principal Bruce Banks (7th Heaven’s Barry Watson), who’s in understandable disbelief when she shares her identity. He too has suffered a loss — of an abandoned dream. “I joke that this movie was like a giant therapy session,” Baruch says. “For a lot of people.”

Highway to Heaven, Series Premiere, Saturday, November 6, 8/7c, Lifetime

This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s 2021 Fall Preview issue. For more inside scoop on the new fall TV season, pick up the issue, on newsstands Thursday, August 26.