The Tattle Tale Heart

The Tattle Tale Heart
Season 4, Episode 1

Air date	September 20, 1999
Written by	Brenda Hampton
Directed by	Burt Brinckerhoff
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"The Tattle Tale Heart" is the first episode of the 4th season of 7th Heaven. On its original airing, this episode scored 8.67 million viewers.

Synopsis[]

Warning: Significant plot details follow.

"The Colonel" (guest-star Peter Graves) and Grandma Ruth (guest-star Barbara Rush) are reintroduced as they return to the Camdens' lives after being out of the country for six months. Simon surprises his grandparents with his new haircut. Matt decides to move out of the house and gets his own apartment with his friend John Hamilton. Aunt Julie's new husband Hank (guest-star Ed Begley Jr.) gets Matt a job at his hospital working in the cafeteria. Mary and Lucy plan to move into Matt's old room in the attic. Also, a big surprise happens when Eric begins to suffer a mild heart attack due to the stress from his job. Eric spends a few days in the hospital with the support from his family. Within the coming weeks he must take things slow while recovering.

Notes[]

This episode is the 4th-season premiere of 7th Heaven.
Chaz Lamar Shepherd (John Hamilton) is now appearing in the opening credits as a recurring cast member during the fourth season. He gets two actor shots compared to the main cast, who gets three.
After the fourth season of 7th Heaven began, the show "7th Heaven: Beginnings" (repeat shows) also returned for its second and final season on the WB network. The show was then sold into syndication and aired five nights a week in local areas across the United States.
When the 4th season of 7th Heaven officially began the studio, Paramount became a part-owner of the show.
This episode scored a 5.8/9 household rating/share, the network's highest-rated season premiere ever at the time.

Trivia[]

This episode marks the first time a character outside of the Camden family is credited as a series regular (Chaz Lamar Shephard as John Hamilton).
After this episode originally aired at 8pm on September 20, 1999, it was followed by the debut of Brenda Hampton's (7th Heaven creator) new show, Safe Harbor on The WB at 9pm. Unfortunately the show was trashed by the critics with so-so ratings and only lasted 10 episodes. Safe Harbor ended its run in January 2000.
The line "you who thought Gotham City was a Communist Utopia and thought Betty Boop was a loose woman" was not included in the syndicated version of the episode.
The actor who plays Dr. Peterson changes in this episode. Steve Stapenhorst now has the semi-recurring role Dr. Peterson.
In this episode, Mary and Lucy sing the lyrics to the theme song of the popular CBS comedy, "The Jeffersons" multiple times. "The Jeffersons" was a spin-off from the other popular CBS comedy, "All in the Family" and lasted for 10 seasons (1975 - 1985).

Goofs & Errors[]

When Matt tells Ruthie that she shouldn't have told Julie and Hank's secret, Mary and Lucy are holding the twins by the door. Ruthie continues to confess from a different angle, and Mary and Lucy can be seen walking the twins from their room towards Ruthie's room.

Opening Credits[]

Featured in the opening credits are:

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