I should admit that I was not part of the demographic that watched this series during its original airing, so I don't have the same experience as many reviewers.
Taking a look at popular culture from the past gives us a different perspective on history: it's a commentary from the creators for an audience living in that time. Experiencing any old book or show is likely the most connected you'll ever be to that era. The best kinds of stories transcend time. They will never so heavily dated that the inherent meaning is no longer understood. But how relevant The Greatest American Hero is still came as a surprise.
Superheroes are a dominant cultural force, leaping from the page to television, and movies. I feel like they're especially prevalent in the MCU era, and many content providers are throwing their hat in the ring to cash in on the craze. Of course, parodies exist. Even without internet culture, there are plenty of shows that poke fun of those tropes. Conceptually, just on the surface level, this show could exist today and fit right in, but few of these kinds of parodies are considered "good".
I consider this show "good", at the very least. Not for the contemporary premise, but for the quality content within it. Despite having tonnes of humour suitable for most ages, the majority of which still is still funny decades later, it's not just joke after joke. For how silly it can get, there is a sense that it's grounded in some reality, occasionally becoming dramatic, suspenseful, and complex. There are no big bombastic supervillains: you have character centred stories, or otherwise high stakes political thrillers that were common during the Cold War. Even the most predictable plots are engaging, and have something worth sticking around for. You get continuity, it isn't just a reset after every episode.
The casting choices are excellent, and they bring a lot of humanity to the show. You do grow to care about everyone you meet. The cast also is surprisingly diverse for the time that it was made: not only representing different people, but giving them important roles, and consistent characterization. The chemistry between the core cast is fantastic, and the show wouldn't be the same without it. Dialogue is pretty snappy, nothing feels out of place or that there are scenes that overstay their welcome.
Music isn't bad either: they write a new song for each episode. Sometimes it fits, sometimes it's a little distracting. The most distracting and overplayed joke is flight, though people seem to remember that fondly, so make of that what you will.
Believe it or not, you'll likely know whether or not this is your cup of tea by the first episode, but it's worth it to continue watching. There's a reason why people remember this show with such fondness, how their eyes will light up at the mention of the title. There are good morals here without being too preachy, the whole atmosphere of the show is uplifting.
If you have the time, this is something worth checking out.
Taking a look at popular culture from the past gives us a different perspective on history: it's a commentary from the creators for an audience living in that time. Experiencing any old book or show is likely the most connected you'll ever be to that era. The best kinds of stories transcend time. They will never so heavily dated that the inherent meaning is no longer understood. But how relevant The Greatest American Hero is still came as a surprise.
Superheroes are a dominant cultural force, leaping from the page to television, and movies. I feel like they're especially prevalent in the MCU era, and many content providers are throwing their hat in the ring to cash in on the craze. Of course, parodies exist. Even without internet culture, there are plenty of shows that poke fun of those tropes. Conceptually, just on the surface level, this show could exist today and fit right in, but few of these kinds of parodies are considered "good".
I consider this show "good", at the very least. Not for the contemporary premise, but for the quality content within it. Despite having tonnes of humour suitable for most ages, the majority of which still is still funny decades later, it's not just joke after joke. For how silly it can get, there is a sense that it's grounded in some reality, occasionally becoming dramatic, suspenseful, and complex. There are no big bombastic supervillains: you have character centred stories, or otherwise high stakes political thrillers that were common during the Cold War. Even the most predictable plots are engaging, and have something worth sticking around for. You get continuity, it isn't just a reset after every episode.
The casting choices are excellent, and they bring a lot of humanity to the show. You do grow to care about everyone you meet. The cast also is surprisingly diverse for the time that it was made: not only representing different people, but giving them important roles, and consistent characterization. The chemistry between the core cast is fantastic, and the show wouldn't be the same without it. Dialogue is pretty snappy, nothing feels out of place or that there are scenes that overstay their welcome.
Music isn't bad either: they write a new song for each episode. Sometimes it fits, sometimes it's a little distracting. The most distracting and overplayed joke is flight, though people seem to remember that fondly, so make of that what you will.
Believe it or not, you'll likely know whether or not this is your cup of tea by the first episode, but it's worth it to continue watching. There's a reason why people remember this show with such fondness, how their eyes will light up at the mention of the title. There are good morals here without being too preachy, the whole atmosphere of the show is uplifting.
If you have the time, this is something worth checking out.