The Greatest American Hero (1981–1983) User Reviews

A feel good TV series from the early 1980's

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 29 October 2016]

This show did a great deal of changing over it's three year run. Starting as a spring replacement show, it starred relative newcomer William Katt as the tragically named Ralph Hinckley (I'll get to the tragedy in a minute), a high school teacher with lots of troubled kids in his class. Hinckley is in the middle of a custody suit with his exwife, and is falling in love with his lawyer, Pam Davidson (Connie Sellecca).

Things are looking OK for Hinckley until one night, in the California desert, he encounters aliens who give him a suit that endows upon him superpowers when he wears it. Then he loses the instruction manual. Nothing can throw a monkey wrench into your divorce/custody/employment plans like running around in what looks like red footie pajamas with a cape claiming you are saving the day. Ralph is instructed by the aliens to work with FBI agent Bill Maxwell (Robert Kulp), and this part is easy because Maxwell is there when the aliens give them the suit in the person of his recently deceased partner, who is going with the aliens but gives Bill the "live long and prosper" hand movement through the car glass window a full year before "The Wrath of Khan". Hmmmmmmm.

Thus Bill and Ralph form this sort of good cop/bad cop duo, except Ralph is no cop. Bill is the formal law and order type. Ralph is the give peace a chance type. For all of his super powers, Ralph didn't seem to notice that his son, who brought him and Pam together in the first place, disappears after four episodes, never to be mentioned again. Maybe this invisibility was inherited from the ex-wife, because we never see or hear about her again either.

The tragic naming of our protagonist that I mentioned? Well 12 days after this show debuted President Reagan was shot by John Hinckley. In a typical case of overreacting, the show had Ralph renamed "Hanley" or "Mr. H" for the rest of the first season, as though just being named Hinckley somehow made you an untouchable. Then, he magically went back to Ralph "Hinckley" at the beginning of the second season.

As for the "bad kids" in Ralph's class, among them there was Michael Pare in his first role, and apparently a role that got him noticed because he was making movies at a pretty frenetic pace for the rest of the 1980's, though he stuck with the show for the rest of its run. There was also Faye Grant as Rhonda, who is supposed to be a troublemaking rather loose girl. Hey, it was 35 years ago and double standards still applied.

The first season was a delight, as was part of the second season, but then the network suits wanted to advertise it more as children's fare over producer Steven J. Cannell's objections, and it never could escape that pigeon-holing. Overall though, I remember it fondly.

Watchede it again after 40 years

[mymeister · 8/10 · 17 March 2023]

I watched this the first time when i was 12 or 13 and loved it. I remember being disappointed when it was cancelled and also not understanding why it was cancelled since so many of us loved it.

Watching it again, I am enjoying it all over again. It has strong 80s style and reminds me of Magnum. They both had reluctant heroes. Kick ass theme songs. This one used music a great deal at least in the first 2 seasons. The heroes both had chums/buddies/entourage that would give them a hard time but then be there for them, in the end. They both had cartoonish 80s villains. Both had plenty of Russian villains, Nazis I believe and of course Japanese. Remember that WW2 only ended 25 years before this show and part of that time USA was an occupying force in Germany and Japan.

Magnum did more with the character back story and had more seasons to develop Magnum as a character which I enjoyed. They also returned to some plot lines. They didn't do that in this case and I wonder if that was the fatal flaw.

When i started watching it again I knew it was only on for3 seasons and was expecting a short watch. But boy was I surprised to see 44 episodes listed. That was plenty long enough when you aren't working on a character development back story. So I think I can se why it was cancelled although it may have come from the actors? Would be interested in the story on that.

Both shows were of course sexist and showed plenty of cultural stereotypes. I don't think shows should be banned or not watched because of those things. While the shows reflect the Hollywood/advertisers view of USA society, that view was backed up by a sizeable part of the population. Lets not look back on the past with rose colored glasses, show it like it was - certainly there were no good ol' days for the majority of USA society. And don't ban racist and sexist shows but show the reality or a glimpse of the past.

Finally, this show had the gentle tone that is missing in most shows these days. So I enjoyed watching it. Oh one thing, I preferred the earlier shows with the high school kids. They were missing later on. They had Pam more involved in the 3rd season which was okay. I thought it was hilarious how they had separate bedrooms on their beach vacation.

A Classic Full of Wit, Charm, and Heart

[emmammurphy-77540 · 8/10 · 17 June 2020]

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.

The TV gods had it in for this show

[POKOLAUQ2004 · 9 September 2004]

The Greatest American Hero was an excellent action-comedy series from the early 1980s that unfortunately seemed to be a victim of bad timing and fate.

I'd say about 70-80% of the story lines were good to excellent, and even the mediocre or few bad episodes were carried by the strength of the charming lead actors. William Katt played a high school teacher named Ralph Hinkley who was given red power suit by peaceful aliens only to be teamed up with a neurotic FBI agent named Bill Maxwell played by Robert Culp. Connie Sellecca offered the human touch as Ralph's girlfriend Pam Davidson. Katt's character lost the instruction book to the power suit in the pilot episode, leading to a very original and hilarious version of the ever familiar superhero story. But right from the start this series was plagued with problems such as a silly lawsuit from DC comics, who asserted that Stephen J. Cannell stole their Superman character. Cannell won the landmark case, but many potential merchandising companies were scared off by DC and Warner Bros. studios who still held a grudge against GAH. Then mere weeks into the show's 1981 debut, President Ronald Reagan was shot by a would be killer named John Hinckley...it just so happened that the main character's name on GAH was Ralph Hinkley. The ABC network even went so far as to dub over "Hinkley" with "Hanley" in a couple of early episodes. Speaking of ABC, they were probably Cannell/GAH's worst enemies. The network gave the show late starts in all 3 seasons, while other shows began their season rightfully in September, GAH would be forced to debut as late as October or November. ABC also consistently pre-empted GAH with other events (like major league baseball) during the 2nd season.

ABC then put GAH in a hole that could never be dug out of, the network drilled into the publics mind that GAH was nothing but a campy children's series that wasn't worth bothering with. The network nearly always promoted the series with shots of series star William Katt being silly and crashing into walls. GAH did have moments of camp and silliness, but it was written on an adult level and played straight so it was by no means an Adam West type camp series. There was more to this series then Ralph simply being an inept Superman. Sometimes ABC wasn't even close in it's promo ads to the plot of an episode, billing it all as Saturday morning kiddie fare. The series never recovered from this type of grossly unfair advertisement. It seemed like a lot of people just never understood the concept behind GAH, and no matter how many times you valiantly explained the premise of this show to people, it simply didn't matter. The damage was done. This was seen as simply an idiot children's series by way too many folks out there. Unfortunately that was the nail in the coffin. No TV show was going to survive being up against such odds. After 3 very short seasons and 44 episodes, The Greatest American Hero was cancelled by ABC in the spring of 1983...only to be replaced with two flimsy sitcoms that received even lower ratings and ultimately bombed. GAH has earned a "cult classic TV" status over the years, which is quite an accomplishment for a show that has barely been rerun in the continental United States since the 80s. Yet GAH could have been even more then that had the playing field been not so ridiculously lopsided against the show. There's a much anticipated DVD release coming around the corner, hopefully it will finally give this series justice and the fair handshake it never got.

The "Katt" was Cool!

[happipuppi13 · 10/10 · 22 July 2005]

I'll keep the review simple,10 stars! Loved it! Have nothing bad to say about this show! (Heck,I still have the 45rpm record of the theme song with the original picture sleeve and Joey Scarbury's album!)

I wasn't too crazy about the fact (at the time) that I had to watch the debut at a local hospital(visiting my grandmother ). I was still 12 when the show debuted and had looked forward to it's premiere and I certainly wasn't disappointed!

William Katt,a dramatic actor who got no respect from critics in the forgotten yet wonderful 1978 dramatic/surfing film "Big Wednesday",didn't get much more respect here but..to all of us who watched this show,he was cool and the "greatest". I'm sure he was just glad to be working...and with "I Spy" vet Robet Culp yet! Not to mention Connie Selleca. (Ralph must've used some smooth line to land her!)

Even though the "green screen" effects are obvious,it doesn't take away from the action one bit. I'll never forget watching Ralph stop a nuclear missile from being launched by simply holding it down with his hands! Pretty darn great effect for that time,not to mention just for TV! It makes me glad to see this come out on DVD,despite the fact there's no conclusion to the series.

I agree,it was unfair to call this kiddie-TV. This is a kind of satirical look at what would really happen if someone on earth got to be a hero. Wheather they asked to be or not. Not surprisingly,choose an earthling....lose the instruction manual! Get the DVD,you wont be sorry (unless you have no sense of humor.)

"Some Men Are Born Great (SUPERMAN), some have to Acquire Greatness (BATMAN, Ron Popeil) and some have Greatness thrust upon them (CAPTAIN MARVEL, Ralph Hinkley!)

[redryan64 · 7/10 · 24 January 2009]

LAMPOONING a successful story, picture or genre of Film has been a time proved tradition in Hollywood. We can see even in the earliest days parody being reflected in the work of names such as Will Rogers (UNCENSORED MOVIES-Douglas Fairbanks as ROBIN HOOD and others), Stan Laurel (MUD & SAND Valentino's BLOOD & SAND-bullfighting), Ben Turpin SMALL TOWN IDOL (The Western) and Buster Keaton (THE FROZEN NORTH-Western-but William S. Hart in particular). The practice of spoofing serious movie types and their stars has made much of the stuff that was the one and two-reel comedies from such names as SENNETT-KEYSTONE, ROACH and EDUCATIONAL/Christie.

THE emergence of the Super Hero as the important cultural contribution from the emerging and growing Comic Book publishing business was met with an almost instantaneous induction into the world of the Parody with the coming of Paul Terry's MIGHTY MOUSE Cartoons starting in the World War II period, 1943 to be exact.* OF course the trend continued thru to the Television Age with characters such as UNDERDOG and COURAGEOUS CAT; but hit the primetime TV when the world was given the BATMAN Television Series (Greenway/20th Century-Fox/ABC, 1966-68); which is arguably a parody in itself.

BUT in the ensuing season, both CBS and NBC came up with their own Super Hero send-ups in MR. TERRIFIC (Universal/CBS, 1967) and CAPTAIN NICE (NBC Television/Paramount Studios, 1967). The two had many more similarities than differences. They were easily confused with each other; being much like the earlier situation involving THE ADDAMS FAMILY and THE MUNSTERS, only more so. Needless to say, neither one made it into a second season.

TIME, it is said, heals not only all wounds, but also any and all bad ideas for TV series; so long about a decade and a half later we tuned into THE GREATEST American HERO (Stephen J. Cannell Productions/ABC Television Network, 1981-83). This time the parody would succeed, lasting into three distinct and different seasons.

WHILE it was definitely a member of the Parody genre, it came from a different Branch of the Family Tree than did previous entries. GREATEST HERO started out with what could be perceived as a straight drama-action story; that being the reception of a Super Power laden costume-suit from Alien Beings while being alone in the dessert. What a great thing! Who wouldn't want such a thing to happen to them! BUT now hold on now, Schultz! With such powers and marvelous threads to go along, there would certainly be some special problems inherent. For example, how to control the suit's flying power? How to measure one's take-offs and landings? What to do about your proclivity toward motion sickness? ALL of these, along with some other common human deficiencies, are what puts the humor in what would easily a straight Drama. The story lines and characters may be slightly more exaggerated at various junctures, but by and large, they are played straight.

THE Series co-stars William Katt as Ralph Hinkley, the somewhat unwilling recipient of the Super Suit and Robert Culp as the most straight-laced F.B.I. Agent Bill Maxwell. The two worked well, playing off of each other's character idiosyncrasies like a well honed team.

THE combination of on-screen talent and the mixture of genres worked out very well for the series, which sailed through 3 seasons. The ability to follow the story on two levels; about in the same manner had the BATMAN Series in late '60s wound up being an advantage to building-up its loyal followers.

NOTE: * In one of those stranger than fiction occurrences, when the first Terrytoon cartoon about a super-powered rodent came out it was titled: SUPER MOUSE RIDES AGAIN with the title character being called "Super", not "Mighty". However, a Comic Book entitled SUPER MOUSE hit the news stands at about the same time as the cartoons release. The whole thing was no one's fault; so no hurt, no foul. Producer Paul Terry unilaterally rechristened his little cheeser the more familiar, Mighty Mouse.

POODLE SCHNITZ!!

Early 1980's Comedy With A Crash

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 24 December 2006]

William Katt proved in this series he could act. His adventures with the suits are a group of mishaps & plot twists without equal in super hero history. This show is definitely a time piece that is not for the younger kiddies now.

Robert Culp is amazing as Bill Maxwell. We know from his days opposite Bill Cosby in I Spy that he could do comedy, but his character here is an even funnier off-shoot of his FBI agent routine. He is always looking for help from those green guys.

Connie Selleca, even though she was pregnant during this shows filming, was eye candy & easy to fall for. She always seemed to help set the mood for the shows she had a major role in.

The kids in the cast were just that, the kids. William Katts mom, Barbara Hale does a couple of guest shots along with June Lockhart. Some other notables guest starred too.

The best episode is called You Don't Mess Around With Jim. The plot is not only well thought out, a sort of Howard Hughes clone who dies under mysterious circumstances, but the show has a couple of great special effects stunts that make you wonder, how did they do that? This is by far the best episode. Sometimes, the writing on this show lacked sound logic. You didn't mind if you like the cast, which a lot of us did.

Some of the other shows are pretty good too. Tung-in-cheek humor, Ralph Hinkley style.

I really Like this show

[minerals · 10/10 · 14 July 2006]

Since I was too young to remember this show when it originally aired all I had seen of it before the DVDs came out was the pilot episode my dad had purchased over the years on a VHS tape. One thing I can say is since the DVDs have came out and I have watched the first two seasons I do believe that those people of DC comics and Warner Brothers had some screws loose in their heads trying to accuse Stephen Cannell of copyright infringement on superman. The main thing that shows the difference between the two is Superman is an allien who looks like a human from another planet. This show has a normal High School teacher who is approached by an alien spaceship and is given a special suit with unearthly powers. Plus with the good it shows in the episodes of where the stop some crooks and how on one of the first season episodes it shows Ralph Hinkley using the suit to clear the name of one of his students. Then on the second season it shows how he has to deal with how some men are trying to hold Bill and his students hostage over a gold mine.

One thing myself I think it was dishonest of ABC to put it on at a time when people could not watch it. Compared to the garbage that ABC is airing on TV now in my area I think I would much rather see reruns of this show on instead of those stupid reality shows or all those courtroom shows that air between 7 P.M. and 10 P.M. eastern time. I would much rather have some of today's teenagers watching Ralph crashing while trying to fly around as to have them watching these bad shows that have some people only wearing minimum coverage clothing while trying to win money. It is bad shows like those reality shows like that survivor, fear factor and that big brother that are causing some of today's children to grow up being so disobident because of how they see grown ups acting so foolish with each other just over some money. When I grew up we had from 7 P.M. to 10 P.M. eastern time some good shows like this one and other good shows like Bill Cosby, Family Matters, Full House, and other action comedy shows like the original Dukes of Hazzard, Airwolf, and The A Team on instead of the garbage they are passing along as TV shows now. I say this show deserves to reair on TV so that people who can not afford the costs of the DVD players and Disk sets can watch the show again. Also this can prove that the younger generations might like this show better because i have noticed that children who are under 10 years old are liking shows their Grandparents grew up with in the 1950's better than the shows that are on TV now.

great premise, catchy song, episodic rescue shows

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 7 September 2015]

Progressive high school teacher Ralph Hinkley (William Katt) is given a class of delinquents including Rhonda Blake (Faye Grant) and Tony Villicana (Michael Paré). He falls in love with his divorce lawyer Pam Davidson (Connie Sellecca). He takes the kids on a field trip to the desert. The bus breaks down and he goes off to find help. He runs into hard-nosed FBI agent Bill Maxwell (Robert Culp) who is investigating his partner's killing. The odd couple has a close encounter with a UFO. The aliens give Ralph a powerful superhero suit. Ralph struggles to make it work (especially flying) after losing the instruction book.

It has a great premise for a superhero show when the superhero genre just got a leg up after Superman (1978). It's riding the first wave of superhero in the real world. The problem is that it doesn't follow through. It turns into an action procedural that Stephen J. Cannell would be famous for all throughout the 80s. Instead of digging into the ramifications and the personal lives, it becomes one rescue idea for each episode. There's a problem and the duo solves it after 60 minutes. In fact, the show doesn't even give Pam that much to do most of the time. Nine times out of ten, she's simply the girlfriend character despite being the third character to know Ralph's superpowers. The show eventually makes her a third wheel while they get rid of the students. Even Ralph's son fades into the background. The characters don't grow and the show becomes episodic in nature.

The most memorable episode is when the duo encounters two old men who had a suit back in the day. However the silly episodic stories mount up. There is a ghost in one episode. They're digging for gold in another. With voodoo, Bermuda Triangle and everything else, the second season simply has too many stupid episodes and the show never recovered.

An enjoyable action-comedy show.

[DarkVulcan29 · 10/10 · 17 February 2005]

You think Ralph Hinkley couldn't have enough problems in his life, He is a High School teacher trying to teach a bunch of misfits(similar to the SweetHogs from Welcome Back Kotter). He is divorced, going through a bitter custody battle for his young son Kevin. But these things are gonna seem minor. When he is lured out in the desert, then suddenly disgruntled F.B.I. Bill Maxwell drives up to him, and can not remember how he got there. Then the two see a flying saucer, and both become scared. But the aliens tell Ralph and Bill they must work together to make the world a better place. They also give Ralph a suit to wear, that possess amazing superpowers when Ralph wears it. But when Ralph unwittingly losses the instructions, he is left to figure out to work the suit. His Legal Eagle girlfriend Pam Davidson comes along for the ride.

William Katt is very funny as Ralph, an ordinary everyday kinda guy who is drawn in an Unordinary situations, at times he had a Peter Parker like complex, Ralph didn't really want to be a superhero, but then realized that with great power, came great responsibility.

Robert Culp and Connie Sellica were also great has Bill Maxwell and Pam Davidson.

I'm amazed on how the effects were so great, they didn't look cheap one bit. This show had great action and great humor. I believe it will live on forever.

Corny, silly and mostly good.

[Java_Joe · 7/10 · 17 August 2019]

How's this for an action / comedy series? A teacher receives a red super suit from a bunch of aliens and is paired up with an FBI agent to help people and solve crimes. The problem is he lost the instruction manual and doesn't know what he's doing or how to make the damn thing work. Well that's "The Greatest American Hero" in a nutshell. And it has a very catchy theme song.

William Katt plays teacher Ralph Hinkley, an unfortunate name as around that time as a similarly named John Hinckley had recently shot President Reagan. So for the rest of the season he was simply known as "Ralph" or "Mr. H" by his students. Accompanying him is tightly wound FBI agent Bill Maxwell and Ralph's girlfriend Pam Davidson.

And since he lost the instructions he had trouble flying, every week when he'd take to the air he'd fly erratically, sometimes hitting things or falling to the ground. Of course this being the 80's and shot on video there was some pretty bad, and obvious, blue screen effects. Ralph never quite looked like he was "there" when flying but that's a limitation of the technology of the time. Other skills that weren't so hard to use were the fact that the suit was bullet proof, although he did have to cover his face with his arms, he was super strong, eventually learned how to turn invisible and once was able to carry an incredibly large electrical charge that would have killed him otherwise.

But not every show is without it's faults. There were gimmicky episodes or ones that honestly didn't make much sense. Like how once they went to Newfoundland in Canada. And yet everybody there spoke with an American accent. If you've heard a Newfoundlander, or Newfie as they're also known, then you know it doesn't sound anything like how they were portrayed, And for some reason Bill's FBI badge worked up there. Had he actually been there he would have been working through the RCMP and they would have been the ones to take point on this. But this isn't about reality even if it can take you out of the show.

Had they continued they would have met up eventually with their Russian counterparts who had the working suit complete with instructions. Again it was the 80's and the Russians were always the go to villains also considering how patriotic and gung ho Bill Maxwell was, it would have made for an interesting fish out of water story. But the show was cancelled possibly due to it being bounced around the dial.

All in all it's an enjoyable little time capsule with some good performances that offset the 80's cheese and bad special effects.

heartwarming

[hamm3961 · 10 April 2004]

I can still recall, quite fondly, watching the pilot episode of The Greatest American Hero. It can be corny and silly at times... but it was also humorous, warm, and uplifting. A group of people suddenly thrown into a situation where they have to "save the world". And working together (more or less :) ) they do it. From saving little kids, freezing in the wilderness to "baggin' bad guys" on the streets of L.A. My life is pretty dull and uneventful... oh but what I wouldn't do if suddenly >I< had a super suit. And while I'm old and getting gray now... I still dream, every now and again, of flying around in the sky... (and over the years I've gotten better at landing on my feet). Ralph wasn't the best... but he always gave it the old team try. You gotta love him for that!

Could have should have been a hit, but was cursed

[bgaiv · 7/10 · 18 November 2021]

The three leads are absolutely pitch perfect, and there was the theme song that became a hit on its own accord. But this show was absolutely cursed.

There was the insane lawsuit that it was a Superman clone. There was the assassination attempt on President Reagan a couple weeks after this premiered and Ralph shared the surname of the crazy would be assassin.

7 for Season 1

[jokerjosh-61814 · 7/10 · 27 January 2020]

Okay.. season 1 was pretty entertaining. This was made way before my time, but I was able to overlook the bad special effects. Surprisingly I really liked the first season, but after starting the second I grew to get irritated with it. He never learns how to fly or use his powers and the episodes were getting stranger and stranger. I tried but decided to stop and just remember it by the first season.

Simply one of the Greatest

[Pachilles · 10/10 · 16 May 2001]

I looked forward to this show every week! It was fun, funny, and action filled... there was even some romance! It was slightly spoiled when John Hinckley shot at the president, because the mid-stream name change was dubbed in badly. The company that made this decision was wrong. I wish I could watch the series all over again.

Groovy man

[rolee-1 · 6/10 · 11 August 2016]

It's official: the sixties ended in 1983 when "The Greatest American Hero" went off the air. At times it's not clear whether creator Stephen Cannell is skewering or celebrating the foolish idealism of the 60s. A lot of the groovy-speak and idealistic rants of the characters, usually but not always, Hinkley, is so over the top that it seems it's a satire. But the protest music from the 60s and the lessons learned at the end often point to a true belief in at least the ideal of the ideals--helping our fellow human beings--if not some of the more specific forms that those ideals often take, for instance non-violence in the face of extreme violence.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Bill Maxwell embodies the narrower and usually less thoughtful version ideals of law and order. Maxwell's character is so grating that it's obvious Cannell doesn't think much of his personality or his tactics. But Maxwell does seem to have his heart in the right place--helping our fellow man--and his willingness to risk his life despite being without the protection of a special suit. He is presented as a slightly skewed version of our notions of justice and humanity that has always existed as a counterpoint to the naïve idealism that Hinkley represents.

What was it that brought this show into being? A reaction to the mercenary idealism of the Reagan years? Perhaps. Whatever the reason, it's interesting that Cannell trots out the naïve, goofy idealism that represented the counter-culture of a decade earlier. Perhaps it was such an iconic and easily identified (and spoofed) pattern that it was just easy pickin's. Overall the show is enjoyable but occasionally heavy-handed with the idealistic romps.

Good Premise & Excellent Cast. Ten Stars For Seasons 1 & 2. Four Stars For Season 3 (Maybe Five).

[bradscott-73069 · 9/10 · 29 March 2023]

Terrific premise and outstanding cast (Robert Culp, William Katt, and Connie Sellecca).

The true message of the series - as emphasized by the "aliens" - is not just to stop "bad guys", but to prevent humans from destroying the Earth, an objective that's not furthered - or even referenced - in most of the episodes. Nonetheless, the first 2 seasons provide very good entertainment. In season 3 - other than its 1st and 13th (final) episodes - the quality of the storylines plummets (with no offense intended to the writers of those scripts).

All things considered, humans could use a lot more like this if they want to save the planet from themselves.

Could have been a contender

[safenoe · 7/10 · 6 January 2022]

The Greatest American Hero was fun viewing for sure. There was a sense of excitement and goofiness about this series, and William Katt was born to play the role of the fledgling superhero.

One of the highlights of this series was Joey Scarbury's opening theme "Believe it or not". Definitely a track worthy in its own right.

It's a shame it didn't last longer. Only 2 seasons sadly. I wish this series can be rebooted. If so, I nominate acclaimed British actor Danny Dyer to play the superhero.

Believe it or Not

[maregolden · 10/10 · 19 December 2023]

I loved this show. Is was so cute and clever. Plus I give it 10/10 for having one of the best theme songs ever. I didn't think it was necessary to change his name because of the attempted assassination of President Reagan. Most people wouldn't have even noticed or cared.

Look at what's happened to me I can't believe it myself Suddenly I'm up on top of the world It should have been somebody else Believe it or not, I'm walkin' on air I never thought I could feel so free Flyin' away on a wing and a prayer Who could it be?

Believe it or not it's just me

It was even parodied on an episode of Seinfeld when George rewrote the lyrics a bit for his answering machine greeting. (Believe it or not George isn't at home)

The Great American Hero is Satisfactory at Best!

[Sylviastel · 7/10 · 25 November 2006]

Just think of this premise for a television show, a teacher becomes a superhero with a silly red costume reminiscent of Superman with powers and abilities that he doesn't understand at all. He has help with supporting players like Robert Culp and Connie Sellecca. The show only last 30 episodes with William Katt playing the starring role. Somehow the show became a cult favorite in syndication when some shows that did not last as long appeared weekly like this show. Anyway it's catchy theme song is worth watching for anyway. The show missed but it was a hit in the sense that it maintained a cult following. Who cares if it never made a 100 episodes? It's now on DVD for all of us to enjoy.

Zero the Hero

[Johnny_West · 1/10 · 22 June 2019]

Robert Culp had a very unpleasant personality. He was the co-star of The Greatest American Hero, and every couple of minutes his punchline is to tell William Katt that he lost the instructions to the magic superhero suit he wears. I have tried to like this show for 40 years. Everyone thinks it is so funny. I have never been able to watch more than five minutes of any episode.

William Katt flying into walls, while his creepy uncle character Robert Culp fights with him over who is in charge. William Katt does a good job in his limited role as a goofball who found a magic costume. There is not much in terms of the stories, plot, or anything else. Greatest American Zero reminds me of The Monkees, if there were only one Monkee. Robert Culp reminds me of Lurch from the Addams Family TV series. Put the two of them together, and you have a very lame TV series.

So much potential wasted with one of the greatest American theme songs EVER

[14jade · 7 February 2002]

`The Greatest American Hero' is a textbook case of a television show being a victim of `the powers that be.' I was in grade school during the time of its run, but I remember most of the behind the scenes drama. Though its initial debut was well received, it wasn't long before the show met an ill-fated course. First, it was an unfortunate victim of the 1981 Reagan assassination attempt, resulting in the horrific `Hinkley/Hanley' overdub. This event, followed by constant time changes, late season debuts, pre-empts, and the never-ending lawsuit with Warner Brothers and DC comics over its supposed `Superman-like' premise, kept it from reaching its full potential with viewers. Then, like those aliens in the desert, the show disappeared without a trace.

There are several theories as to why this show never reached its full potential. I personally think Warner Brothers and DC Comics made ABC executives nervous, hence the delays and time changes. While I can certainly understand their motives (the Superman movies were popular at the time) I considered each character to be a separate entity. I never thought William Katt was an exact clone of Christopher (or George, for that matter) Reeve's famous role. Superman (I thought) was a strong, supernatural hero from another planet who masqueraded as a human being. The Greatest American Hero was just an ordinary guy who stumbled upon good fortune and tried to utilize it in the best way he could to help mankind. It could have been anyone that night instead of Ralph Hinkley, for all we know (the lyrics of the theme song attempted to explain this). Katt simply provided a handsome, lovable example of the `imperfect hero.'

My mother and sister absolutely loved this show. I was the youngest, so I watched it mostly because they did! `The Greatest American Hero' did grow on me, though…so I, too, have fond memories. I was in love with the theme song, however, from the debut! Even if you didn't like the show, you have to admit that the theme song, `Believe It Or Not,' sung by Joey Scarbury, is one of the greatest of all time. The earlier comments were correct. `Believe It Or Not' is awesome.

Absolutely awesome!

Not the greatest achievement in television but has its moments

[inkblot11 · 6/10 · 14 May 2012]

Ralph Hinkley (William Katt) is a novice teacher (and father to a young boy) in Arizona. His high school students are, mostly, uninterested in learning and give him a hard time. To try to break through and change their attitudes, Mr. Hinkley tells them they are going to take a field trip to the desert. Somehow, they end up broken down on the highway coming back to their building and dark has set in. Telling his students he will return as soon as he can fetch gasoline, Mr. Hinkley sets out and meets another driver who just happens to work for the FBI (Robert Culp). As they go back to the bus, aliens land near them and explain that they are giving Mr. Hinkley a space suit that will give him special powers. Wow, oh what a night! Soon after, Ralph puts on the suit and learns how to fly and also gains the ability to see through walls and doors. Ralph's lawyer friend Pam (Connie Selleca) knows something is up but is not certain what it is. But, as Ralph starts to rescue folks trapped in bad situations, will he confide in those closest to him? This television series from the early eighties has a slow start but then picks up energy as it goes along. Yes, the concepts are good and Katt, Selleca, and Culp make a great trio. Also, some of the student actors, like Michael Pare, went on to bigger fame as well. But, examining the show through modern eyes, the effects are probably not that great and the dated look of the shoot has no razzle-dazzle. Therefore, if you were once a fan of the series, by all means, try to find this DVD of the best of beginning episodes. New viewers may be underwhelmed, however.

Great show but treated unjustly by the network...

[ppamjo2 · 10/10 · 11 September 2004]

I thought that this was a wonderful show about Ralph Hinkley, a high school teacher. He is wandering the desert looking for help after the school van breaks down. Soon Bill Maxwell nearly hits Ralph and are approached by a space craft that gives Ralph a suit complete with cape...

I thought that this was a great show... It would show how a person might deal with that type of situation. ABC put this on in midseason in 1981 and ran until 1983. With the assassination attempt on the president by a guy that shared the last name as the hero, prompted the change to Hanley for a short time. But soon schedule changes made ratings drop even more.

Early in 1983 ABC Canceled the series not airing 4 or more episodes. NBC tried to revive the show with a woman as the new owner of the costume but the Pilot never sold but was seen in syndication as part of the original series.

Soon the show will be on DVD and I will watch it with pride.. Though the series wasn't on for long, it is still a very special part of my childhood...

I have a homemade suit and Hope that the DVDs will come soon.. I would love to take 3 steps and fly off in the sky... Great memories!

A genuine show cut down too soon

[wingthwong · 10/10 · 11 August 2020]

Even as a mid life crisis adult, this is as good as it was when it first aired. Unlike several shows of that time that have lost their luster, this one never took it self serious and never wanted the audience to see it as serious. It was genuine. Katt and Sellicca played so well, you wanted them to be together. Culp, while the straight man, downplayed his seriousness from I Spy and made for an enjoyable backbone of the cast. Even the silliness of the special ed students led by Michael Paré made for some interesting episodes. And then there was the theme song sung by a virtual nobody, Joey Scarbury. I liked that song so much, that on a visit to a local radio station a year after it came out, I was able to get the album from the station director as the one album I wish I could get. Still have it almost 40 years later. Anyway, this is television that has stood the test of time. Cult status or not, a normal guy, given the power of a superman, having to use it with moral fortitude, yet he doesn't seem to want to use it wrong, because deep down, with all his human frailties, the aliens knew, he was the one that would always take the high road, a modern day Roy Rogers. Even Superman and all the other superheroes of the time failed where Ralph stayed true. I wish a modern day version of this could come out, a show that could be a ray of hope among all the uncertainty in this current day and age. But then again, with the corruption that exists now, a show like this could not be made with the genuine humor, wonder, cleaness, and moral fortitude this show was all about. So, I watch this in rerun status over and over again. There is no negativity or overly dramatic nonsense to make you feel down. It is fun for children and adults alike.