Martha Williamson

Martha Williamson made US television history as the second woman to ever solely executive produce two prime-time dramas simultaneously on American networks. She is certainly the first person ever to head two such programs that both blatantly honor Almighty God.

After viewing the disastrous pilot for Touched by an Angel, no one believed that the show could be saved, but save it Martha did. Not only did she completely transform the program, her new version was the first religious drama to ever make it to top 10 in the ratings.

Martha Williamson began her career in television writing for musical variety programs for Carol Burnett, Joan Rivers, Walt Disney Television. Martha became a writer and story editor for the comedy, The Facts of Life. She produced and wrote for other comedy series such as The Family Man and Jack's Place. Later she Co-Executive Produced the drama, Under One Roof for CBS.

Martha accepted the “Angel show” project after much prayer and with the assurance that she would not be forced to compromise her beliefs. If CBS was going to capitalize on the angel phenomenon, they were going to have to take scripture in the bargain. In fact she remembers, "One of the network executives called me up and said, ‘Martha, you are a really good writer. I love that thing you wrote last week about neither height nor depth, life nor death, will separate you from the love of God.’ “(Romans 8:39)

Martha Williamson began her Hollywood career before she began her association with Jesus of Nazareth. In fact she found Christ during an Easter drama that she was asked to produce. "I was standing in the back, and the performance was going on. I couldn’t stop and fix anything. I realized suddenly I had been directing and moving people around the stage, and I never really paid attention to what they were saying. And then it hit me when they were singing ‘I Am Alive.’ I remember the moment, saying, ‘Wait a minute, you’re saying that the same person who died 2,000 years ago is alive right now?’ "

Among the many tributes bestowed upon Ms. Williamson are the Gabriel Award, the Covenant Award, the Excellence in Media Award, a Bicentennial Medal from Williams College and the Swiss American Faith and Values Award.

"The best advice I can give is to absolutely stand by your beliefs," she says. "People forgot that there are right things and wrong things in this world, and, when they are discussed, they're usually considered to be very hokey and corny...I hope that we made it OK for people to just ask themselves what is right, and what is wrong, and where does God fit into all of this."

Touched by an Angel had a glorious nine-year run. Executive producer and head writer, Martha Williamson explains its success this way: "We create a place every Sunday night where God's honored."