Touched by an Angel (season 8)

The eighth season of the American dramatic television series Touched by an Angel aired CBS from September 29, 2001 through May 11, 2002, spanning 22 episodes. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series chronicled the cases of two angels, Monica (Roma Downey) and her supervisor Tess (Della Reese), who bring messages from God to various people to help them as they reach a crossroads in their lives. They are frequently joined by Andrew (John Dye), the angel of death. In this penultimate season, a new trainee angel, Gloria (Valerie Bertinelli) is also added to the cast.

The episodes use the song "Walk With You", performed by Reese, as their opening theme.

Episodes

No. in series	No. in series	Title	Director	Writer(s)	Original airdate
168	01	"Holy of Holies"	Bethany Rooney	Martha Williamson, Burt Pearl, Luke Schelhaas	September 29, 2001
While the angels begin training their newest member, a college professor attempts to find the Ark of the Covenant. After revealing, the widowed 88-year-old lady settles his promise to take it to the post office and deliver to Paul, who's out of school, where Tess, Monica and Gloria are floating around Paul's campus eager to work on the next assignment. Guest stars: Roy Dotrice, Julianna McCarthy, Shareen Mitchell, R.D. Robb and William Russ
169	02	"The Perfect Game"	Frank E. Johnson	Glenn Berenbeim	October 6, 2001
A pathetic liar who blames his son for all the outstanding performances, including a two-hit shut out, is about to reconcile with his son. Permitting Ben to release all the anger, Monica comes on down as the new team's trainee to support him. His father prevents Ben from seeing his grandfather, who was also a great baseball player in his time. While Ben's game is perfect on his own, the angels take Ben and Norm into grandfather's memory to reconcile the debate surrounding "the perfect game," Tess shows them how the game began, how Ben's grandfather pitched, how the Babe was defeated, and how anger and pride led a promising pitcher to a life as a baseball clown. With the memory played out, sons forgive fathers, fathers embrace sons, and Ben’s perfect game resumes as though he never left it. Guest stars: Micheal McQueen, Hinton Battle, Jeremy Elliott, Bradford English and Omar Gooding
170	03	"The Birthday Present"	Peter H. Hunt	R.J. Colleary	October 13, 2001
A boy hides his younger sister from their drunk and abusive father, while a shy mailman hesitates to get involved, who meets the grandmother's new nurse, Monica, who leads her into the room, who's surprised to find Andrew and Gloria waiting. Andrew takes Grams home. Across town, Gary is drunk again, so Robby rushes Sarah back into the bomb shelter, where she encounters Tess. Guest stars: Kirk Cameron, James MacDonald, Michael Welch, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Benito Martinez and Gloria Stuart
171	04	"Manhunt"	Victor Lobl	Danna Doyle	October 20, 2001
A lonely woman struggles to cope with a recent breakup, while a delivery man who secretly pines for her tries to find the courage to approach her. Guest stars: Debbie Reynolds, Sarah Paulson and Jennifer Leigh Warren
172	05	"Chutzpah"	Frank E. Johnson	Allen Estrin, Joseph Telushkin	October 27, 2001
An editorial cartoonist conflicts with her Jewish father after her popularity soars for writing "edgy" cartoons that portray Jews in an unflattering light. Guest stars: David Margulies, Meredith Scott Lynn and Carol Locatell
173	06	"Famous Last Words"	Peter H. Hunt	Brian Bird	November 3, 2001
The angels try to help a convicted killer on death row reconcile with his estranged mother before his sentence is carried out. Guest stars: Sean Patrick Flanery, Veronica Cartwright, and Mark Rolston
174	07	"Most Likely to Succeed"	Stuart Margolin	Burt Pearl	November 10, 2001
A young, successful billionaire attends his high school reunion seeking revenge on the football player who tormented him. Guest star: Toby Keith
175	08	"Heaven's Portal"	Bethany Rooney	Glenn Berenbeim	November 24, 2001
Gloria is enlisted to babysit a troubled teen who decides to attend a rave party. Guest star: Stephanie Zimbalist
176	09	"When Sunny Gets Blue"	Frank E. Johnson	Jason Jersey	December 1, 2001
A young man tries to discover the truth about his absent father, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Guest stars: Zachary Quinto and John Savage
177	10	"Angels Anonymous"	Larry Peerce	R.J. Colleary	December 15, 2001
Guest stars: Alexis Cruz, and Hal Linden
178	11	"A Winter Carol"	Victor Lobl	Martha Williamson, Burt Pearl	December 16, 2001
A man who is a drumming teacher to a boy goes missing on September 11, 2001 whose wallet is later discovered at ground zero. The boy's mother is the mayor of the town and refuses to grieve because she has too many responsibilities. The boy's elder brother has lost his Christmas spirit after his younger brother's heart is broken and decides to enlist in the army to kill as many terrorists as possible. The mother has not laughed in ages and refuses to go to a doctor's appointment in Manhattan. The mother and two brothers find out that the drumming teacher's present to the boy was a drum and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to sing Battle Hymn of the Republic at the Christmas pageant. Guest stars: Steven Curtis Chapman and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
179	12	"The Last Chapter"	Ricardo Mendez Matta	Martha Williamson	January 12, 2002
Elizabeth Jessup is visited by Monica to help her write her memoirs. However, Elizabeth doesn't want to finish it and her granddaughter, now a teenager doesn't know that she was saved out of the fire by Monica. She collapses after being delivered her new car, a Lincoln. When admitted to hospital, it is found she has a brain tumour. Gloria is brought in to type the last chapter. Guest star: Phylicia Rashad
180	13	"Ship-in-a-Bottle"	Armand Mastroianni	Rita Russell	January 26, 2002
Tevis Lockwood is a successful widowed father with 2 daughters, one of whom has sickle cell anaemia. Going into work one day, he fires his receptionist for being late and unreliable. When one of his daughters gets sick and takes her to the doctor, and the doctor, Dr. Josephs is too busy to help him. After taking her home, and she gets sick again, he takes her to the sickle sell amaemia clinic 40 miles away. When she dies on the way, Tevis is furious and wants to sue the doctor for malpractice. Guest stars: Mykelti Williamson, Aysia Polk, Arreale Davis and Lee Garlington
181	14	"The Blue Angel"	Larry Peerce	Glenn Berenbeim	February 2, 2002
Max and Elmer are 50-year-old friends who work together on a TV station. Max is a chain smoker who refuses to listen to Elmer and stop smoking. Max has also had 3 angels; Tess, Monica and Andrew speak to him, but refuses to listen to them also. Gloria is his last chance. Max nearly dies when he collapses due to emphysema. When the "Blue angel", a strip show is in jeopardy, due to the usual girl having a cold, Gloria offers to help, not knowing what she is in for. When Elmer finds out Gloria is doing the Blue Angel, he quits. As Gloria starts to take her clothes off, she also reveals herself as an angel. He had a dream that was lost, but Monica present the notebook to him with his list. ''Guest stars: Ernest Borgnine and Tom Bosley
182	15	"Secrets and Lies"	Armand Mastroianni	Brian Bird	March 2, 2002
A man who has divorced his wife and remarried has a daughter who gets leukemia. when he goes to his former wife he finds he has a son, who is compatible with his sister. However his former wife tells him to get out and never come back. Guest stars: Jeanette Brox, John Heard, Sherri Hursey, Patricia Kalember, and Trever O'Brien
183	16	"The Princeless Bride"	Kevin Dowling	Luke Schelhaas	March 9, 2002
Liz and Jonas are a couple about to get married in Washington, DC, on their wedding day. However, due to the fact that the weather cancels all flight and therefore all guests arriving, as well as Jonas being annoyed that she is so selfish. The reception is held and street people are invited to eat with Liz. Andrew drives Jonas to Washington, DC, instead of New York as he requested. Jonas is mugged, his wallet, ring and shoes stolen and is left for dead to freeze to death on the street. Guest star: Neil Patrick Harris
184	17	"Hello, I Love You"	Frank E. Johnson	R.J. Colleary	April 6, 2002
A little girl wants to find her father for the upcoming school father-daughter dance, but when her mother is in an accident, the search becomes even more desperate and with Monica, she goes looking for 4 separate Jacksons plus a handyman who is unlisted in the phone book. The person she is looking for is tracked down by Tess when officer Jackson pulls Tess over for speeding and is then brought to the hospital.
185	18	"Minute by Minute"	Robert J. Visciglia, Jr.	Rosanne Welch	April 13, 2002
Three teens plot to bomb their catholic high school as the angels try to help a nun with a checkered past stop them. Guest star: Mary McDonnell
186	19	"The Bells of St. Peters"	Robert J. Visciglia, Jr.	Glenn Berenbeim	May 4, 2002
Maggie di Santo and her husband Brian who is a neurologist are a husband and wife doctor team at a hospital. Maggie's mother, Rose also works at the hospital and wants to go to Rome but her health is not up to it, as she is feeling tired. Maggie wants her to go with someone so Maggie and Brian were to go with her. Rose believes in doing the best you can and after that is Que Sera Sera. She also believes in luck and crossing her fingers. Maggie believes in science but not in God or faith. When Monica replaces Rose temporarily due to her tiredness, she is permanently on staff when Maggie gets angry with Rose after losing a mother in the delivery room and the baby survives. It turns out later that Roe's white blood count is through the roof is the reason for her tiredness, and she needs surgery. After the surgery, Tess comes to Maggie to tell she needs a break. During this, Rose tries to leave for Rome, but her health won't allow it. Guest star: Doris Roberts
187	20	"The Impossible Dream"	Peter H. Hunt	Brian Bird	May 4, 2002
A matriarch, Aunt Charlotte Hunter, who is a teacher at a local school has decided to retire. However all of her family's dreams are coming true except for one-Reggie Hunter. The family want to have a concert for Charlotte retirement and want Reggie to sing but he doesn't want to. Andrew asks Reggie about why he quit and finds that when he auditioned he only sang once and was rejected. The family's situation changes when Martin Hunter, the loan officer at a bank is arrested and jailed for being associated with fraud. Monica hires Gloria as Martin's lawyer. They need $50,000 bail money but do not have the money. Reggie finds out that he could have been a big success. Tess comes to find out what Reggie will be singing at the concert. Reggie at first says that they need money but Tess says they have to focus on what they do have. When Reggie tries to sell his mother's piano for $40,000, Charlotte refuses and then tells Reggie that Barry Gordie did call back. unknown to Reggie and Martin took the call and said his folks had died. when Reggie tries to look for the seriel number to sell the piano, Andrew and Tess show up and Tess asks him why he didn't fight for his dream. Tess then reveals what his mother has written in her letter. Meanwhile, Monica is speaking to Martin about praying about the loans he was giving out. Martin is later released and Reggie sings The Impossible Dream with Tess at the farewell concert. Guest stars: Luther Vandross, Richard Biggs, Lee Chamberlin, Joe Morton
188	21	"For All The Tea in China"	Stuart Margolin	Martha Williamson, Luke Schelhaas	May 5, 2002
At a Chinese orphanage, Gloria takes care of an orphaned baby in the middle of a freezing winter night. Monica is a maid for a wealthy woman, Lady Berrington. Her only living relative is her grandson James and his wife Sarah who live with her. James reveals terrible news to his grandmother, he and his wife are infertile. They show their intent to adopt a baby girl from China. Lady Berrington first disapproves, but later reluctantly agrees to the transracial adoption as that is the only way to continue the family. God had decided that the couple are to adopt the baby. But Andrew comes to Gloria and says there's been a complication. After Lady Berrington reveals her past to Monica (she is an orphan and not a noblewoman as marketed in her tea company), the three go to China to adopt the baby. Lady Berrington finds her long lost friend Li Na from 1937 when she lost her parents, then happily welcomes her new great-granddaughter, whom Sarah and James have named Rose. Guest stars: Angela Lansbury and Brian McNamara
189	22	"Forever Young"	Victor Lobl	R.J. Colleary	May 11, 2002
Don Costello is a motivational speaker but is better at telling others what to do than doing it himself. Monica is assigned to evaluate his performance. he uses his daughter Kimmie in his speeches and points, but the problem is that she is dead and the family is falling apart. Gloria is assigned to talk to Justin who fights at school and blames himself for Kimmie's death. Stacey, Don's wife goes to the park all the time and sees Kimmie and is finding it harder and harder to leave. Guest stars: Donna Bullock, Myles Jeffrey, Bethany Richards, Mike Erwin, and Gregory Harrison

References

External links

• Official website
• Touched by an Angel at the Internet Movie Database
• Touched by an Angel at TV.com
• Touched by an Angel at epguides.com