TV Family Night is back!
How cool!
I encourage you to tune in to NBC for tonight’s “Secrets of the Mountain,” a made-for-TV movie that is really part of what I hope will be a new version of an old trend in television. Learn more about it here from Beliefnet’s Movie Mom or watch the trailer.
I am one of those old enough to remember gathering in the living room (back when people actually used their living rooms) with my parents, my sister and my brothers to watch a family movie. It was one of the things we could all enjoy together, a fun and comfortable time to do something as a family.
“The Wonderful World of Disney” was what we would mostly gather for back then. At times it would be the “Movie of the Week” or the “NBC Mystery Movie” which would often be “Columbo,” “Banacek,” “McLoud” or “McMillan and Wife.”
Starting tonight, Wal-Mart and Procter and Gamble have replaced Disney, Friday night has replaced Sunday and the producers come from an interesting background, but the idea is the same: family entertainment with a message of inspiration, encouragement and hope.

I had the privilege several years ago to meet with Brian Wells, Executive Producer of the show, as he was making a career move to spend more time making a positive impact on the American entertainment industry. He had recently returned from a Missions trip to South Africa, and was talking about how he actually got a heart for transforming the American entertainment industry while traveling overseas. He told more of his story this week on the Focus on the Family radio show. You can hear the whole interview here or get a behind-the-scenes look here.
If you watch tonight you’ll discover an event that’s about inspiration, positivity and hope. And you’ll be helping launch a movement that may well fulfill Brian and his team’s original vision of transforming the kind of material we see on TV, and maybe even the health and growth families that will gather together to watch it.