Angel from Hell

Lore & Background

The series centers on Amy Cass, a mysterious woman who claims to be an angel and acts as a guardian for Allison Fuller, a perfectionist dermatologist. Amy makes unbelievable predictions that come true, leading Allison to believe her. The main cast includes Jane Lynch as Amy, Maggie Lawson as Allison, Kyle Bornheimer as Brad Fuller (Allison's brother-in-law, her husband's brother), and Kevin Pollak as Marv Fuller (Allison's father-in-law). Recurring characters include Ginger Gonzaga as Kelly, Constance Marie as Linda, David Denman as Evan, and Diora Baird as Brandi.

Reader's Guide

Angel from Hell received average reviews from critics. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 55/100 based on 18 reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series score is 41% based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The critics' consensus described it as having 'commonplace sitcom triteness and obnoxious use of an iconic comedic lead.' The show also sparked controversy when One Million Moms, a website of the American Family Association, claimed it 'disrespects Christianity' and suggested a list of sponsors to pull advertisements. The show's main graphic alludes to a figure in Raphael's Sistine Madonna.

Did You Know?

• The series was cancelled by CBS on February 8, 2016, after only five episodes had aired.
• Eight produced episodes remained unaired until they were released on Amazon Prime Video on July 15, 2016.
• One Million Moms claimed the show 'disrespects Christianity' and suggested a list of sponsors to pull advertisements.
• The show's main graphic alludes to a figure in Raphael's Sistine Madonna.

The Guardian and the Dermatologist

At its heart, Angel from Hell is a story about an improbable bond between a celestial being and a very grounded human woman. The series, created by Tad Quill, follows Amy, an angel who has been quietly watching over Allison since childhood. When Amy finally reveals her true nature, Allison—a meticulous, multitasking dermatologist who demands perfection in every aspect of her life—initially dismisses the stranger as completely out of her mind. That skepticism crumbles, however, once Amy demonstrates an uncanny ability to predict events with startling accuracy and to recite intimate details of Allison's past that no ordinary person could know. The supporting ensemble deepens the family dynamic: Allison's younger brother Brad, who occupies the space above her garage, and their father Marv, a dermatologist who happens to be Allison's own boss, round out the household. Recurring characters like a former best friend, a cheating boyfriend, and Marv's new romantic interest add layers of everyday drama to the supernatural premise.

A Brief Run on CBS

Angel from Hell enjoyed a remarkably short window on American television. CBS greenlit the single-camera fantasy sitcom to order on May 8, 2015, signaling confidence in the project before a single frame had been shot. The series premiered on January 7, 2016, but the network's patience proved fleeting. On February 8, 2016—just one month after the first broadcast—CBS pulled the show from its schedule and officially cancelled it. By that point, only five episodes had reached viewers, while eight additional episodes sat in the can, produced but never broadcast. The decision left a small but devoted audience without closure on the storylines that had been set in motion. CBS eventually found a second life for the remaining material, with the unaired episodes beginning to air on July 2, 2016, months after the cancellation announcement. The entire run, from greenlight to final broadcast, spanned barely fourteen months, making Angel from Hell one of the more ephemeral entries in the network's lineup.

Mixed Reviews and Religious Backlash

Critics offered Angel from Hell a decidedly lukewarm reception. On Metacritic, the series settled at a score of 55 out of 100, drawn from eighteen individual reviews. Rotten Tomatoes painted a somewhat bleaker picture, with the show earning a 41 percent approval rating across twenty-nine reviews and an average score of five out of ten. The site's critical consensus was particularly pointed, describing the program as guilty of commonplace sitcom triteness and an obnoxious use of an iconic comedic lead, essentially arguing that the show failed to justify its premise or make the most of its star power. Beyond the professional reviews, the series attracted a notable wave of public controversy. One Million Moms, a website affiliated with the American Family Association, publicly accused the show of disrespecting Christianity. The group went further, circulating a list of sponsors and urging them to withdraw their advertising from the program. This combination of underwhelming critical scores and organized religious backlash gave the show a complicated public profile during its brief broadcast life.

Artistic Identity and Visual Homage

Though its run was brief, Angel from Hell carried a deliberate artistic identity that reached beyond the typical sitcom aesthetic. The show's main on-screen graphic drew a direct visual allusion to a figure in Raphael's Sistine Madonna, one of the most recognized religious paintings in Western art history. This choice of imagery was a pointed nod to the show's central conceit—an angel navigating the modern world—and positioned the series within a long tradition of art depicting celestial beings. The decision to anchor its visual branding in a Renaissance masterpiece suggested an ambition to elevate the fantasy sitcom format, even as the show's single-camera structure kept it firmly in the grounded, character-driven comedy lane. Created by Tad Quill and produced as an American network series, Angel from Hell occupied a specific niche: a fantasy premise filtered through the intimate, domestic lens of a family sitcom, with an angel's presence treated less as spectacle and more as an unusual roommate situation. The Sistine Madonna reference, in particular, underscored that the creators were aware of the cultural weight their subject matter carried.