"The Greatest American Hero" (1981) TV series 1981-1983

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Creator:

Stephen J. Cannell

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | unknown

Release Date:

18 March 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Family | Sci-Fi | Comedy

Plot:

A teacher is asked to be a superhero using a special alien suit with powers he can barely understand or control.

Plot Keywords:

Suit | Teacher | Alien | Superhero | California

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

William Katt	...	Ralph Hinkley / ... (44 episodes, 1981-1986)
Robert Culp	...	Bill Maxwell (44 episodes, 1981-1986)
Connie Sellecca	...	Pam Davidson / ... (40 episodes, 1981-1986)
Don Cervantes	...	Paco Rodriguez (23 episodes, 1981-1983)
Faye Grant	...	Rhonda Blake (22 episodes, 1981-1982)

Runtime:

60 min | USA:30 min (43 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company:

Stephen J. Cannell Productions

Trivia:

Ralph's surname was changed near the end of the first season from Hinkley to Hanley because of the name's negative connection with 'John Hinckley' (the man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981). Ralph's last name was changed back to Hinkley in the first episode of Season 2 ('The Two Hundred Mile an Hour Fastball'), after the furor over his name subsided. Interestingly enough, the unaired 1986 "Greatest American Heroine" pilot includes a scene in which Ralph Hinkley meets the President of the United States (who was still Ronald Reagan in real-life 1986).

Quotes:

Pam Davidson: You go in there and you know what's going to happen? You're going to be sent away for so long, when you get out this suit's going to actually be in style.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Pumaman (#10.3)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Believe It or Not

Good idea...series not pretentious......some spoilage.....don't cry.

THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO is the story of a average guy who gets handed the responsibility of being a superhero when his life is falling apart; he's getting a divorce, he doesn't have enough time to spend with his son, he's having girlfriend problems, he has problems on the job, and he has a FBI agent who wants to use his new found powers to fight commies. This is a great premise and actually, the pilot was not that bad. ROBERT CULP is Bill Maxwell, a tough as nails, "so patriotic he can't see straight" FBI agent who sets out to avenge his partners death. WILLIAM KATT is a school teacher who takes a wrong turn in the desert and both he and Maxwell stumble onto these aliens and Maxwell's dead partner who give him a alien supersuit to fight crime. The problem is the teacher looses the instruction book in the desert and can't figure out the suit's basic functions. (ie. he keeps slamming into buildings as he trys to fly.) The series was a semi spoof on SUPERMAN, with a down to earth twist. The show never took itself too seriously and was for the most part well done up until the last season.....things lagged on that one. The series was the brainchild of STEPHEN J. CANNELL...a LA tv tychoon who suffers from dyslexia, yet, has managed to be a force to be reckoned with in hollywood. I hear his pitch sessions are incredible.