Highway to Heaven: In this, the pilot movie for the series, we meet Jonathan Smith walking slowly down a lonely road toward an unknown destination. He flags down a passing truck and asks for a ride from the old man driving. The man refuses and drives on, only to have his truck engine blow before he gets more than a few yards down the road. Jonathan obligingly does a little quick mechanic work on the vehicle and tells him to have a nice day. The man hastily changes his mind and offers a ride. With this scene, the theme of the entire series is set into motion. Stangers help strangers, people do good for one another, the forgotten and lonely are given a new purpose in life, and the world becomes just a little bit better place. In this case, Jonathan's destination is a retirement home called Havencrest, where he takes on the recently vacated job of handyman. It seems no one wants the job because the home is on the verge of being sold out from under the residents, leaving most of them nowhere to go. Life at Havencrest is best described as dreary. People rarely speak to each other or do anything enjoyable and the place seems devoid of any cheer. Jonathan sets out to restore the quality of life for the residents. He brings dozens of cheerful flowering plants, tools, and lots of enthusiasm, recruiting the old people to help with the gardening, giving them not only some needed diversion but also a chance to spend some time and get to know each other as friends. One particularly tough case is Estelle (Helen Hayes), who refuses all attempts to bring her into the life around her. Between Jonathan, who gives her a puppy to take care of, and Sidney, a fellow resident who gives her a lecture on her own selfishness and the offer of his own loving heart, she eventually starts to live again.

Starring:

Michael Landon, Victor French

Genre:

Drama, Family, Fantasy