The Greatest American Hero (1981 - 1983)
Created by Stephen J. Cannell
Believe or not I really loved this show. As a child this and the Hulk were my two favorite shows. Sure the story line is stolen from the Green Lattern with the whole alien dying and giving a superpower item to a human. But the great thing about this show is he doesn't know how to use it. Let the laughter start now.
The show starred William Katt as our American hero who can't fly strait. As his FBI partner we have the late great Robert Culp. Playing the ever loving girlfriend is Connie Sellecca. Katt and Culp had a great chemistry and were the prototype for the great relationship in Quantum Leap.
The episodes were all the same a local bad guy and a kidnapping and Katt saves the day. But the way Katt played the hero was just the highlight of the show. He has no clue how to use the suit and Culp is there to back him up. It turned into a real detective show in the later seasons. By season three it turned into the hero fighting witches and monsters.
The one thing this show was missing was a real bad guy, like a super villain. The balance of Katt playing a teacher that also saves people is what really carried the show. The theme song is in itself is a major part of the legacy of the show. Believe it or not is one of the greatest theme songs of any show. It was sung by Joey Scarbury and was a big hit in 1981. That's right I just said 1981. The song was used in an episode of Seinfeld, when George used it for his answering machine.
A few years back I read that Disney was going to make a full length feature of the show. I think this could work as a movie. Here are my ideas for a plot. Keep it like the show with the FBI agent as his partner and have the lead lose the instruction manual and he can't fly strait. But one big change I would make is give him a evil villain who has a suit like the hero only this guy has the instruction manual.
Here is my cast for the film.
- Ralph Hinkley - Jay Barushel
- Bill Maxwell - Val Kilmer
- Pam Davidson - Zooey Deshanel
- Anti-Hero - Tom Hardy
This show was canceled why too soon in the TV world. It had a lot of promise but hopefully we get a movie to make the show live on forever. I'm gonna go buy the DVD complete show. Till next time got to run.
