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The Oh, God! film series consists of American comedy films, which explore Christianity in a contemporary setting. The plot, which is based on the novel of the same name by Avery Corman, centers around various characters as they encounter God and are asked to share their experiences with society, only for their sanity to be questioned by society. The movies star George Burns in the recurring role of the Supreme Being, and feature a different supporting cast in each installment.

Upon the films' release, the series overall was met with mixed reception. The original received critical acknowledgement, with its box office performance making the film a surprise hit. Its success overshadowed the performance of its sequel however, as the second film was deemed by Variety and critic Roger Ebert as inferior, while its financial gains were also lower than expected. The third installment, however, received warmer reception from critics who decided that though it wasn't as good as the first film it was better than the second, which was also reflected in its monetary performance. Phillip A. Sidons of Christianity Today found the premise of the series ranged between questioning the intentions of the product, while Read the Spirit praised the overall message for its audiences through the lens of contemporary comedy.

The Oh, God! films were later released in a Blu-ray collection through Shout! Factory's Shout Select label.

Development

The original novel, Oh, God! by Avery Corman, serves as the basic premise for the film series, and was originally published by Bantam Books on January 1, 1971. With a plot similar to the film, the story follows a struggling journalist who receives an offer in the mail to interview God. Though he initially believes this invitation to be a hoax, he pursues his curiosity and is pleasantly surprised to find the opportunity legitimate. Through a series of comedic circumstances, the value of Christianity in the modern-world is discussed, while God reveals that through various forms he is always present in mankind's lives.

Film

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Oh, God! (1977)

Jerry Landers works tirelessly as the assistant manager at a local supermarket. One day while he works, God appears to him in the form of an unsuspecting elderly man, and informs Jerry that after repeated attempts of contact the former has been chosen become a modern-day messenger in the vein of Moses from the Old Testament era of The Bible. Though initially reluctant, Jerry ultimately agrees to the assignment of telling the world about the visit from the Almighty Creator of all things. As Jerry begins to tell the people he comes into however, including his wife Bobbie, he discovers to his dismay that his sanity comes into question. Continuing to receive visits from God and asked to convey additional messages, Jerry continues to fulfill his calling as best as he can. After conducting an interview with a religious report for the Los Angeles Times, Jerry finds himself confronted with legal action and must prove himself in a court of law that he is innocent of the accusations from his accusers. Jerry prays earnestly that God will be with him throughout the trial.

Oh, God! Book II (1980)

One day while a child named Tracy Richards is at a restaurant with her parents, she meets God in the form of an elderly man. Excited by her encounter and deeply impressed by the interaction she had, Tracy determines to start an advertisement campaign with the slogan of "Think God" spread throughout her city. While her intentions are for all of society to focus on God and shift their daily focus towards spiritual influences of their religion, she is surprised to receive a negative response from adults around her who believe that as a child she is inexperienced and doesn't understand life as they do. Refusing to state that her experience was a figment of her imagination, her divorced parents Don and Paula become concerned for her mental state and take her to see a doctor. As a panel of medical experts led by the psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Newell gives their extreme diagnosis and her parents pray for her, divine intervention comes to her aid when God reenters her life.

Oh, God! You Devil (1984)

Bobby Shelton is an amateur musician, who despite every effort of his own can't attain the professional success that he and his family needs. One day after a particularly discouraging performance, he offhandedly states that he would sell his soul to be in a better situation. Later while performing at a client's wedding, Shelton is approached with a proposition by a man who introduces himself as a producer named Harry O. Tophet. Tophet states that Bobby will have seven years of fame and stardom, if he will sign a contract which sells his eternal destiny. Desperate to make ends meet Shelton signs the document, but immediately realizes his mistake as his signature transforms into something different the man reveals that he is actually the devil Satan. The devil explains that through his demonic powers Bobby Shelton is now a world renown rockstar named Billy Wayne, a celebrity he is familiar with. As he initially enjoys the success he has attained Shelton is horrified to discover that he and Wayne have traded lives when his wife, and his children do not recognize him. Learning that prior to these events, Wendy had become pregnant with a baby, Shelton calls out to a higher power through a prayer. Immediately approached by God in the form of an elderly man, Shelton is initially hesitant to find a physical resemblance of this form and the previously presented Tophet. Learning through a parable that he must be weary of those around him that may be wolves in sheep's clothing, Shelton is relieved that God has come to save his soul. As the devil reappears to keep the contract intact however, God agrees to a climatic poker game where the deceived man's eternal destiny is at stake.

Potential future

In August 2004, a remake was announced to be in development by Warner Bros. Pictures, with Ellen DeGeneres cast as God. Based on an original pitch from DeGeneres, where the titular Christian deity would take the form of a female talk show host. Jerry Weintraub said he was to return in his role as producer, while acknowledging that he had green-lit the concept, after being impressed with the story that DeGeneres conceived; while also saying that Reiner and Gelbart had given their blessing towards realizing the modern film adaptation. Weintraub had intended for DeGeneres assist with writing the film. While the studio searched for a director; principal photography was planned to start during the hiatus of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2005.

After the project was shelved following production delays, Weintraub continued to try to develop a new Oh, God! film. Deadline reported that Weintraub had pitched the film to studios, suggesting Betty White as God, alongside Paul Rudd as the mortal man. The project entered development hell. Weintraub died in July 2015.

Main cast and characters

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This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.

• An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
•   indicates a voice-only role.

Additional crew and production details

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Reception

Box office and financial performance

Critical and public response

References

1. ^ "Oh, God! (1977)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
2. ^ "Oh, God! Book II (1980)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
3. ^ "Oh, God! You Devil (1984)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
4. "The Oh, God! Collection". Shout! Factory. Shout! Studios. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
5. Maresca, Marshall Ryan (January 8, 2018). "Oh God, You Devil!: A Bad Movie I Watched Many, Many, Many Times". Marshall Ryan Maresca: Fantasy & Scifi Author. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
6. Moss, Gabriella (November 9, 2024). "5 Divinely Fun Facts About the 'Oh, God!' Films". Remind Magazine: The Home of Nostalgia. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
7. July 18, 2021. "Shout! Factory Bringing 'Oh, God!' Collection Starring George Burns to Blu-ray Aug. 24". Media Play News. Retrieved January 8, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
8. Kautzer, A.W. (September 13, 2021). "Blu-Ray Review: Shout Factory's Oh, God Collection (Shout Select)". The Movie Isle. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
9. Variety staff (December 31, 1979). "Oh, God! Book II". Variety. Retrieved July 4, 2024. Absence this time of John Denver, his chemistry with lead George Burns, and the original's solid comedy material lead to a bland, unstimulating film.
10. Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1980). "Oh, God! Book II". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved July 4, 2024. ...if the rest of the movie had been equally willing to take chances with its approach, Book II could have been worth seeing.
11. Ebert, Roger (July 3, 2024). "Roger Ebert Reviews Oh God You Devil (1984) 😈😈: A Heavenly Comedy - Movie Review". The Official Roger Ebert. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
12. Maslin, Janet (November 9, 1984). "MOVIES: BURNS IN 'OH GOD! YOU DEVIL'". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2024. The latest film in the Oh God! series is at least as commendable for what it doesn't have - John Denver - as for what it does. George Burns goes it alone in Oh God! You Devil, and it turns out that he's better off that way.
13. Siddons, Philip A. (December 30, 1977). "Refiner's Fire: 'Oh, God!' Oh, Carl Reiner!". Christianity Today. Retrieved July 4, 2024. Oh, God!, a new Carl Reiner film, has received wide publicity and is creative enough to attract a wide audience. But its theological statements leave me uneasy.
14. McNulty, Ed (June 12, 2015). "Oh, God! (1977)". Read the Spirit: Visual Parables. Retrieved July 4, 2024. Oh, God! reminds us that although 'faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen'...
15. Brussat, Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat (2006). "Oh, God!". Spirituality & Practice. Retrieved July 4, 2024. Salutes human responsibility for making the world a better place and takes justifiable pot shots at holier-than-thou hotshots.
16. Brussat, Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat (2006). "Oh, God! Book II". Spirtuality & Practice. Retrieved July 4, 2024. ...offers plenty of food for thought on the nature of God, the meaning of faith, the limits of psychiatry, and the importance of story-telling.
17. Brussat, Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat (2006). "Oh, God! Book II: A Values & Visions Guide". Spirituality & Practice. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
18. "The Oh God! Collection". Shout! Factory. Shout! Studios. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
19. "Oh, God!". GoodReads. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
20. "Oh, God!". Open Road Media. 5 February 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
21. "Oh, God! by Avery Corman". Kirkus Reviews. Simon & Schuster. October 1, 1971. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
22. Fleming, Michael (August 22, 2004). "Ellen's almighty in 'Oh, God!' redo". Variety. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
23. Fleming Jr., Mike (July 12, 2010). "Betty White For 'Oh God' Film Remake?". Deadline. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
24. Busch, Anita (July 6, 2015). "Jerry Weintraub Dies: 'Karate Kid' & 'Ocean's' Producer Was The Ultimate Storyteller And Showman". Deadline. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
25. "Oh, God! (1977)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
26. "Oh, God! (1977)". American Film Institute. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
27. "Oh, God! Book II (1980)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
28. "Oh God, You Devil! (1984)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
29. "Oh, God!". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
30. "Oh, God!". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
31. "Oh, God! Book II". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
32. "Oh, God! Book II". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
33. "Oh, God! You Devil". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
34. "Oh, God! You Devil". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 29, 2024.

• Film series introduced in 1977
• American fantasy comedy films
• Religious comedy films
• Films about Christianity
• Films about God
• Film series based on American novels
• Warner Bros. films