This is a wonderful drama that never had the chance to be able to grow into a long term series. Robert Blake did a wonderful job of showing a rough, hard nose, tough love exterior while taking us to tender heartfelt moments that revealed a sensitive and caring Priest.
This is not a typical "church" drama. It deals with hard life issues such as; rape, terminal illness, gang violence, domestic abuse, child abuse, and abandonment...and it deals with them in a "get your hands dirty" kind of way. Father Noah "Hardstep" Rivers, who grew up living in an orphanage, abandoned as an infant, is not afraid to go where the people of his church are and face their problems with them day after day.
Most of the rest of the cast did a good job and with time would have melted together in a wonderful, hard hitting series. While trying to find its stride the one and only season of "Helltown" and the original pilot movie "The Father of Helltown" are well worth watching.
