TLDR: Touched by an Angel ran on CBS from 1994 to 2003, drew over 20 million viewers weekly at its peak, and was cancelled after a disastrous time slot change moved it from Sunday to Monday nights.
Roma Downey, who played Monica, is still active in faith-based media in 2026, currently starring in The Baxters on Amazon Prime. Della Reese, who played Tess, died peacefully at her California home on November 19, 2017, at age 86.
John Dye, who played Andrew the Angel of Death, died on January 10, 2011, at age 47.
All nine seasons are currently streaming on Netflix under a deal running through July 2027.
Touched by an Angel almost did not survive its first season. CBS nearly cancelled it after low initial viewership. The network held on. By the late 1990s the show was drawing over 20 million viewers weekly and consistently placing in the top five most-watched programs on American television.
What made it work was not special effects or plot twists. It was two women in a red 1972 Cadillac convertible driving across America to help strangers in crisis, one maternal and commanding, the other warm and occasionally bewildered by humanity.
The real-life dynamic between Roma Downey and Della Reese mirrored the show almost exactly. Here is what happened to each of them.
Roma Downey (Monica): From the Troubles to Amazon Prime
Roma Downey was born on May 6, 1960, in the Bogside district of Derry, Northern Ireland, during the height of the Troubles.
She lost her mother at age ten. She attended Thornhill College, trained at Brighton College of Art and Drama Studio London, and came to America while touring with the Abbey Players, the National Theatre of Ireland.
She arrived in New York with little money and supported herself checking coats at an Upper West Side restaurant while auditioning.
She eventually broke into Broadway, earning a Helen Hayes Best Actress Award nomination in 1991. That same year she played Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the NBC miniseries A Woman Named Jackie, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries in 1992.
When she received the Touched by an Angel pilot script in 1994, she connected immediately with its spiritual core. As a devout Catholic, she felt a genuine personal alignment with the character of Monica. That authenticity translated directly on screen for nine seasons.
She married actor Leland Orser from 1987 to 1989, then Hoosiers director David Anspaugh from 1995 to 1998, with whom she has a daughter, Reilly. In April 2007 she married producer Mark Burnett.
The ceremony was officiated by her co-star Della Reese, who was an ordained minister.
After the show, Downey and Burnett founded LightWorkers Media, later acquired by MGM. She produced and starred in The Bible miniseries on the History Channel, produced A.D. The Bible Continues for NBC, The Dovekeepers for CBS, and the 2016 feature film Ben-Hur.
As of 2026, she is 65 years old and starring as Elizabeth Baxter in The Baxters, an Amazon Prime drama series she also executive produces with Burnett.
Della Reese (Tess): Gospel Singer, Ordained Minister, Earthbound Angel
Della Reese was born Delloreese Patricia Early on July 6, 1931, in Detroit, Michigan. She began singing in her church at age six. At 13, Mahalia Jackson hired her to sing with her touring gospel troupe.
In the late 1940s she formed the Meditation Singers, a pioneering group that helped bridge traditional gospel and modern R&B. By the 1950s she had a successful secular recording career in jazz, pop, and R&B.
Before Touched by an Angel she had established herself in television through Chico and the Man, The Royal Family, and her own talk show, Della.
In 1987, she was ordained as a minister by the Universal Foundation for Better Living in Chicago.
She subsequently founded her own ministry in Los Angeles, the Understanding Principles for Better Living church, which she led while filming the show in Utah.
Her relationship with Roma Downey was one of the show’s great off-screen stories. Downey had lost her own mother at age ten. She has described Reese as a mother figure brought into her life by divine providence, and the two remained close until Reese’s death.
Della Reese died peacefully at her California home on November 19, 2017, at age 86. Her family and representatives did not publicly disclose the cause of death.
Roma Downey released a statement: “She was a mother to me and I had the privilege of working with her side by side for so many years on Touched by an Angel. I know heaven has a brand new angel this day.”
John Dye (Andrew): The Angel of Death Who Became a Fan Favorite
John Carroll Dye was born on January 31, 1963, in Amory, Mississippi. He joined Touched by an Angel in Season 2 as a recurring guest, playing Andrew, the Angel of Death.
His warmth and chemistry with Downey and Reese elevated the character immediately. From Season 3 through the finale, Andrew was a main cast member.
The character was written deliberately to reframe death. Not as something to fear, but as a compassionate transition overseen by a loving guardian. Audiences experiencing grief responded to that portrayal deeply. Andrew became one of the most beloved characters in the show’s history.
John Dye died on January 10, 2011, at his home in San Francisco. He was 47 years old. An official death certificate issued in May 2011 confirmed the cause of death.
The family did not make extensive public statements. He is remembered by fans of the show with significant warmth, particularly given the nature of the character he played for eight seasons.
Valerie Bertinelli (Gloria): Not Just a Guest Star
Valerie Bertinelli, known to a generation of viewers from One Day at a Time, joined Touched by an Angel as a guest in Season 7 before becoming a main cast member for Seasons 8 and 9.
She played Gloria, an intelligent but occasionally literal and accident-prone angel created by God to understand modern human life. She appeared in 59 episodes total.
Her character brought a comedic energy to the show’s final seasons that helped sustain the narrative after nine years. The role kept her visible during a period when her film and television options had begun to narrow.
Why the Show Ended and Why It’s Back
The show did not end because audiences stopped watching. It ended because CBS moved it from Sunday nights to Monday nights. For most of its highly rated run, Touched by an Angel anchored CBS’s Sunday lineup, a timeslot naturally compatible with its family-friendly, faith-adjacent content.
The Monday move stripped away its lead-in audience and viewership fell sharply. CBS cancelled it in 2003. The final episode aired that spring.
The October 2025 surge in searches for the show’s cast is explained by what happened that summer. Netflix added all nine seasons and 211 episodes in July 2025 under a two-year licensing deal running through July 2027.
Millions of viewers spent the late summer binging the catalog, and search interest peaked in October as word spread.
The show is currently streaming on Netflix, Paramount+, Pluto TV, Hallmark+, Philo, and The Roku Channel.
Is Roma Downey still alive?
Yes. Roma Downey is alive and active in 2026 at age 65. She currently stars as Elizabeth Baxter in The Baxters, an Amazon Prime drama series she also executive produces with her husband Mark Burnett. She continues her faith-based media work through LightWorkers Media and remains one of the most prominent figures in Christian entertainment.
How did Della Reese die?
Della Reese died peacefully at her California home on November 19, 2017, at age 86. Her family and representatives did not publicly disclose the cause of death. Her co-star and close friend Roma Downey released a statement describing Reese as a mother figure and saying she knew heaven had a brand new angel.
How did John Dye die?
John Dye, who played Andrew the Angel of Death on Touched by an Angel, died on January 10, 2011, at his home in San Francisco. He was 47 years old. An official death certificate was issued in May 2011. The family did not make extensive public statements about the circumstances.
Where can I watch Touched by an Angel?
Touched by an Angel is currently available to stream on Netflix (all nine seasons, under a deal running through July 2027), Paramount+, Pluto TV, Hallmark+, Philo, and The Roku Channel. Netflix added all 211 episodes in July 2025, which drove a major surge in search interest and viewership in October 2025.
Why was Touched by an Angel cancelled?
Touched by an Angel was cancelled by CBS in 2003 after a time slot change from Sunday to Monday nights caused a steep drop in viewership. The show had drawn over 20 million viewers weekly at its peak and consistently placed in the top five most-watched programs on American television. The Monday move stripped away its lead-in audience and CBS cancelled it after the ratings decline.
Was Valerie Bertinelli on Touched by an Angel?
Yes. Valerie Bertinelli joined Touched by an Angel as a guest star in Season 7 and became a main cast member for Seasons 8 and 9, appearing in 59 episodes total. She played Gloria, an intelligent but occasionally literal and accident-prone angel created to understand modern human life.
