WTF Happened to The Greatest American Hero (1981-1983)?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ม.ค. 2023
- The Greatest American Hero is a show that’s much beloved by folks of a certain generation. If you grew up in the seventies or eighties, the theme song is instantly iconic. In fact, the track “Believe it or Not” by Joey Scarbury actually made it all the way to the number 2 spot on the Billboard Charts. It was actually a bigger hit than the show itself, which only ran for two and a half seasons before being cancelled with five unaired episodes in early 1983. Yet, it remains part of the pop culture, with talk of rebooting it every now and then.
A reboot would definitely make sense given how obsessed people are with superheroes, with the red and black suit the hero wears iconic in its own way. The show starred cult horror icon William Katt (House) as Ralph Hanley, a teacher who’s endowed with superhuman abilities by aliens, who give him the red and black suit, which he never really figures out how to use. The show was a solid mixture of adventure and fantasy, with heavy doses of comedy, with Hanley a reluctant hero who hates to fly. He’s aided by an FBI agent played by TV vet Robert Culp (I Spy), and the show hailed from Stephen J. Cannell, the man behind The Rockford Files, The A-Team and many more.
In this episode of Gone But Not Forgotten, which is written by Jessica Dwyer, edited by Cesar Gabriel, and narrated by Travis Hopson, we dig into this classic show. We examine how the show was conceived, how it was an initial hit, and why it was abruptly cancelled. We also dig into failed reboots and sequels, such as the Greatest American Heroine, and how the show also introduced us to the great Michael Paré before Eddie & the Cruisers and Streets of Fire made him a heartthrob.
Do you have fond memories of The Greatest American Hero? Let us know in the comments!
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#GreatestAmericanHero #WilliamKatt #gonebutnotforgotten - บันเทิง
Hey guys!
This episode of GBNF was made from suggestions from fans who emailed us demanding this show be covered on this series. If you want to make suggestions for future episodes of GBNF then e-mail GBNFSeries@gmail.com and maybe we’ll cover your show!
Please add that FilmRise Television Productions (TH-cam channel) has ALL 3 seasons of The Greatest American Hero free to view and thanks Travis for this retrospective episode!
Such a classic. There will never be a time like the 1980's again. Glad to be a Generation X'er.
I hated the 1990s when they rolled around as it was not the same as the 80s. It didn't have the feeling of wonder.
I'm so glad that our generation got to be normal kids . Playing outside , riding our bikes , hide and seek games with the whole block playing till it was dark. Not having a phone to be called inside but rather knowing when the street lights came on it was time to head home. Oh and being a kid without worrying about getting shot by another kid. The last generation before it all went to sh**. 76'
we had the best of everything. we were still a free nation too
Word! 🤣
Maybe it was because I never wanted to grow up, that I felt differently, but no, everything became blander and less adventurous to my mind.
Even watching this as a kid I realized that, by having Ralph lose the instruction book, the writers could pretty much give him any power he needed for any situation. I thought it was really clever.
In a sense, this makes it fit even more with the Green Lantern parallel. GL can do pretty much anything he/she can think of... at least over the years that was the case. Now they are much more limited, but in the old days GLs could do pretty much anything.
Also, added a sense of discovery.
"You mean I can do that"-sense of wonder.
Remember, 70's Superman was god-like.
While Ralph was an everyman, an underdog.
Losing the instruction book was pure genius.
And he lost it twice. "I just set it on that boulder right there..."
Yes...and they used it in different times during the 3 seasons. There were the superman flight, super strength, invulnerability, x-ray vision then he discovered also he could be invisible...then..telekinesis, pyrokinesis and in the first episode of the third season he shrinked like ant-man because aliens gave him the second manual that he loses again.
Yeah losing the instruction book was a genius move, as Ralph could discover new powers/abilities of the suit. Plus, since he didn't have the instruction book, and didn't have mastery of his powers and it also limited his powers, so he never became all powerful like Superman and too "boring".
William Katt, what a legend, not only this show, the horror movie "House" is by far one of my favorites too!
Meow🤗😻😸😺😿🦧
We own House & House II:The Second Story films--Katt was great as well as in the OG Carrie playing Tommy Ross! 🎥
oh there's an actual movie named "House", I thought they were calling out that one time he appeared on House MD as the teen preacher's dad.
Those were the days of Connie Selleca, Linda Carter, Erin Grey. Wow, just WOW!
3 absolutely stunning women. Agree 👍.
I was absolutely in love with Connie and close friend with Erin.
I actually have the DVD box set. It is in a metal case and came with a cape, alien instruction manual, and a book about the show.
I hope you didn't lose the book! 😆
I think that’s the only set that ever had the finale included.
That's a boxed set I would buy.
Do you still have the instruction manual?
You've got quite the relic there. Never let it go!
Next to the "A-Team", this show had by far the absolute best "Theme Song".
As I was only in 3rd Grade, we where taught this song, and I will never forget the lyrics!
Yeah, to the point where people have completely forgotten about the show, how, bizarre.
Street Hawk was another cool show with the motorcycle. And because i'm in IT i gave away a picture with the A-Team in cuz they are a team and they work as a team. Team team team.
Hardcastle and MccCormick is in the mix with "Drive"
WKRP in Cincinnati
"A-Team"?!? wwwwAT?!? U've been SMOKIN'?! PFFFFT! BLEH! 1. Not a lyrical theme, so not in the same league, but nevertheless, I would name TGAH theme "Best in (TV) Show" period, lyrical or not. 2. Even for instrumentals, A-Team theme is a nonstarter. It can't even *imagine* the league that Hill Street Blues theme is in or even, just for military-style tv instrumental themes, the JAG theme!
Always loved this show! Especially the song 🎵 every time I hear the song it takes me back to growing up as a child in the 80's
Yeah, too bad that series, was, Too Good To Last, miserably nasty.
@@matthewdaley746to. To last. (Said in disapproving southern accent)
“I SAY, Now I say son, Did none of ya’ll get taught proper grammar?”
Believe it or not, George isn't at home
Please leave a message at the beep
I must be out, or I'd pick up the phone
Where could I be? Believe it or not, I'm not home
@@jnnxFixed, disgust are over.
@@raymondcanessa7208Soundtrack to a generation.
Robert Culp was one of the greatest television actors of his day, and a personal favorite of mine. I'm glad he didn't live to see what was revealed about his friend and I Spy co-star Bill Cosby.
The Beast in the Black actually had some really good, creepy moments in it and is one of my favorite episodes.
Revealed? Imma say he knew well before we did.
@learnercass yup. Code of silence I'm sure...
Cosby’s dalliances were a well kept industry secret. . .
That theme song touched everyone. In an episode of My Name is Earl, Earl and his brother Randy fall through the roof of an empty water tower were they trapped inside suspended by ropes. After waking up to find themselves still hanging in the air, with seemingly all hope lost, the two brother's start to sing, "Believe it or Not". 😂
Loved my name is earl
Yes. That was another great show.
Culp was so good. He added so much.
There were two things I heard I loved. He always made sure to check the gun he had. In one scene even one Bill knew wasn't loaded. So it was just instinct to check it to be safe.
The other was that he had written some notes about what Bill's apartment should look like and noted Bill would have a murphy bed. Set designers saw the notes and replicated it exactly.
Shame Alec Baldwin didn't do that.
Just here to say nice surname.
one of the most underrated tv shows out there.. this and misfits of science. they both deserved so much more, and especially for misfits a longer series.
OOh. Misfits of Science with little Courtney Cox.
Yes. And the misfits kept the iceman's truck.😁
Loved Johnny's special effects.
Great show.
Ohhh you made my morning. I didn't think anyone remembered the Misfits of Science
I have a VHS of the first episode or two.
#GoodnightBunnies
#ClassDismissed!
#KevinPeterHall
most of the episodes of misfits are actually on youtube.. 14 episodes. for some reason looks like no episode 4 or 5, but they do have the unaired episode 16. channel name is "series" they are unfortunately only in 360p
I love this show. I was born in the early 2000s and me and my mom were at a rummage sale when I was a kid and they had the first 2 seasons on dvd and they literally just gave them to us because no one else bought them. My mom remembered the show and thought I would like it. Needless to say I'm a huge fan and have been since I was in like 2nd grade lol. After watching this show I decided to create my own superhero as a kid and I still plan to write stories with the character I made.
Nurture and love that dream. All the best in your endeavors.
This was one of my favorite shows of all time, as a young teenager! I even had the theme song on 45. I wore the crap out of that record.
Absolutely love this show. I recently did a rewatch and it actually holds up far better than most 80s shows. The effects are obviously dated, but the dialogue and banter between the characters is still just as sharp and funny as ever.
Remakes!!!✌
@@hackman669 The show does not need a remake,
it needs to be preserved.
A remake today will just turn it into trash.
What abut a continuation with the original theme. Leave out politics and focus on character issues instead.
It was effortless to suspend disbelief when watching this show. I think the loss of the Instruction Book multiplied this effect for many of us.
Agreed. I caught a few episodes one day when MeTV was running a marathon. It was fun watching it again for the first time since it originally aired.
So much to love!
As a Robert Culp fan, I, too, loved Bill the most. And, like most, crushed hard on Connie Selleca.
Finally, 1 year, 1 of my students was the granddaughter of the theme’s writer. No shock, her classmates didn’t care, but I was blown away! 😅
While Hero was airing new episodes, reruns of I Spy was being shown on retro cable channels.
The theme song blend perfectly with the show along genuine nostalgia I wish I could experience those moments again.
I have four favourite shows from the 80s. Magnum P.I, Hardcastle and McCormick, Quantum Leap, and Greatest American Hero. And the thing that drew me to them then, and continues to make them rewatchable, is the great and very genuine feeling buddy teamups between the principle characters.
Knight rider is not on your list that was good and hunter and fallguy that was great show
@@valentinrobert1192 Watched Knight Rider as a kid, and loved it of course. I've not seen it as an adult, but I'm not sure it would hold up. I have some very faint memories of The Fall Guy, but not enough to make any comments on it.
@@gelfie2208 To think David Hasselhof did better in Baywatch, then as a singer in Germany for many, many years afterwards is interesting to me, he didn't do too bad after the show cancellation
Child of the 80's I loved this show and the theme song
I, did, too, speaking of which, Bionic Six, Dinosaucers, and, Peter Pan, And, The, Pirates, all, did the worst, possible, thing a cartoon can do, they wasted a great opening.
Greatest Amerucan Heroine haha
@@hackman669 Great, joke, just, unquestionably.
Cannell had a truly magic typewriter. Hit after hit. Genius casting. The best theme songs.
I was amazed to hear Katt in an interview say that Cannell had a tragic lost during TGAH. Still he carried on to make The A-Team..
I remember this show from the 80's, as kids we had some really amazing shows that I look back fondly from today & I bet if you dressed up as this hero & went to any comic based convention, you'd be recoginised at once.
I remember watching Greatest American Hero as a child and just loved it! I would laugh at all the crashes lol it was just a great show that will always be in my heart. I still remember the theme and sing it all the time.
The best was went George used it as his voice message. Loved it!!! It was a wonderful surprise.
I will have to try and put it on for my son to see if he would like it but we will see.
I recently bought a magnet of the show for my fridge. I just smile when I look at it.
This show will never be forgotten ❤
I most definitely remember watching this show back in the day and then all of us kids talking about his crazy flying style the next day.
In 1982 my mom sewed me a Greatest American Hero costume. It looked just like the one in the show. She bought me a blonde, curly wig and that year for Halloween it was my costume. I was in second grade. Not only did I win 1st place in the costume contest at school, but she actually sent a picture of me in costume to ABC in care of William Katt. Fast forward 2 months, and I got a picture of Katt in the mail autographed by him. He actually took the time to write a brief inscription on the picture saying how he loved the picture and how we looked just alike.
Loved the "horror" episodes best:
The alien that stowed aboard a shuttle returning to earth, only to escape underground and feed on electricity. The evil ghost, haunting a soon-to-be-demolished house, and desperate to escape from her dimension to live again, and finally, the sea monster (a plesiosaur-like beast) terrorising vacationers (and pirates) on the high seas in the Caribbean. A shame more episodes in this style weren't produced.
The series was repeated in the morning weekdays, back in the '90s. Unfortunately, the episodes were edited for commercial breaks, sometimes losing whole scenes. Discovered this for myself when I bought the complete show on DVD.
Great show (and theme)!
This was my all time favorite show. Thank God for the digital age where I can sing along with the theme every chance I get.
One of my FAVORITE shows of all time ! I was 7 yo when this show came out and I watched it every week....I LOVED the fact that Ralph was horrible at the flying and landing, it cracked me up 🤣😆 I've actually went back and watched the series in 2015, it might be time again to have another rewatch ! ❤
One of the best TV memories of my childhood was watching this show with my dad, singing along with the theme song.
At my high school in New Zealand, at the time, we had a female teacher who looked EXACTLY like Connie Selleca. I swear some guys went insane when she took over the Harriers running club.
Loved this show as a kid. The theme still holds up as a classic tune full of optimism, which matched the show. I'm glad you brought up Green Lantern because after watching that train wreck, I thought, "Why don't they just use the TGAH feel?", with Hal Jordan not knowing how the suit really worked, what his abilities were, where it actually came from, why it was given to him, etc... At least just for the first movie. Keep the stakes low and his power low as well. Then second movie you take him off planet to fill in the GL Corps and training and back to Earth to fight some bigger dangers. The third movie you could have had him join the Corp in fighting the biggest bad, Parallax (a being not a cloud) and be among many of the other GL that sacrificed their lives to end it. At the end the ring flies off back to Earth... roll credits.
Your account icon/thumbnail is a heap of awesomesauce. Live long and prosper.🖖
@@garicrewsen1128 Thank you! When visiting Vasquez Rocks you have to do it right.
I truly don't know where the hate comes from for the Green Lantern movie. I thought it was pretty good. The only thing I really didn't like was the enemy being so big in relation to the Green Lantern. was it as good as Batman Begins? No. Was it entertaining ? Yes. Did I want to see a sequel when it was over? yes.
@@spartanx169x I'm a comic guy so maybe I felt the storytelling could have been a lot better in building it up. Plus, I really didn't care for the suit. It looked like slabs of green muscle was all over him. I just really wish they paced it out better because after beating a galactic threat, where do you go for a sequel?
I will always remember the episode shot in Saint Croix. It was at my dads house who was a radio engineer on the island. He called to tell me that they filmed an episode there. It took over a year for that episode to air. I waited and watched every single week for it to come out!
The most exciting episode ever!
Well I always love the show and growing up in the 80s!
I so loved this show as a kid. And still love the theme song (It is on one of my 70's playlists on Spotify). They are always bringing back shows. They could do so on this one too.
Fun trivia. All of those guest stars that came on the show were not just because is Robert Culp or Stephen J Canell connection. William Katt is the son of actors Barbara Hale and Bill Williams. His mom was Della Street on Perry Mason and his dad was the star of The Adventures of Kit Carson. William Katt later starred with his mother in the Perry Mason movies as her son.
He played the son of William Hopper's character, a, PI.
His mom also made a guest appearance as Ralph's mother in one episode. I do wonder which way it went - did they make an episode showing Ralph's mother so she could be on or did they write the episode then ask Katt to see if his mother would do it.
@@HariSeldon913 An interesting performing circumstance.
@@matthewdaley746 Paul Drake, Jr. Was William Katy’s character. Paul and Della got married producing Paul Drake, Jr. I should have given the entire character story. Sorry, I didn’t give the entire character backstory.
@@HariSeldon913 I bet it was a bit of both. Someone probably said it would be nice to have her on the show. Then they wrote an episode with his mom and asked if she might be willing to do it.
This show's theme song brings tears to my eyes within the first few bars every time I hear it. The nostalgia of a more wholesome and pure existence in my neighborhood, and our communities, cities, states, country and world. Times haven't simply changed since then, they've moved dimensionally to an existence I never expected nor foresaw. It physically and emotionally hurts to remember where we all once were when this show began to shape the ideas and ideals of who many of us then, young and old, aspired to be. Sadly, maybe even inevitably, much of that dream was swept away during the near and distant past, which was, back then, our near and distant future. I think and feel that's why this theme song so easily brings a tear because it equally reminds us what could have been and what was lost. (oops, my feelies fell out!)
Thanks for covering this JoBlo!! You're my Greatest American Hero❕
Time can’t change “dimensionally”, it can only move one direction, Forwards. And you are drunk, take off those nostalgia googles.
Believe it or not, George isn't at home
Please leave a message at the beep
I must be out, or I'd pick up the phone
Where could I be? Believe it or not, I'm not home
A few years ago my wife got me the box set of this show. It came with a cape , an iron on patch of his emblem and the best part is it came with the instruction book All packed in a nice black box (that was supposed to be the case his suit came in). Always loved the show as a kid. Never forgot the episode where he went into the 4th dimension.
This has always been one of my favorite shows of all time. Katt may have hated that he never learned to fly well, but the losing the instruction manual gimmick was genius. Not only could they make up powers to fit the plot, but even as a kid I understood the idea of "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely".
Since Ralph couldn't control his powers he could never rely on them. For example, I thought it was amusing that he was bullet proof, but he always shielded his head. His head was exposed, so he couldn't assume it was protected, and it was too dangerous to shoot himself in the head just to see.
I love that show! I was going through with a divorce and I would sing that song all day! My husband hated it so much he broke my record!
Yep, I was obsessed as a 13 year-old in the 80’s watching this unfold weekly on TV. Even made my own silent superhero film (yes- on actual film!) on dad’s Super-8 camera (VHS cameras were still $$$$) -and the theme song was the first complex thing I ever learned on piano. Still have the sheet music in my archive ha ha. Killed me to miss a single episode because you never knew if you’d ever get another chance to see it again. No way to record it yet- it passed through the airwaves and either you caught it on your antenna at the precise moment… or it was gone into space forever (fly Ralph, fly!) Never could have predicted current media tech… but I doubt that waiting another 30 years to catch an episode I’d missed would have been very comforting at the time anyhow ha ha.
The fact that he was a teacher, still makes my heart happy.
Finally! It's because of this show, that people think teachers are heroes. Now it all makes sense.
Jamie Sommers was a teacher and would keep them in line by tearing an Ojai phone book in half. Oh yeah, and she used her bionics to help out the government too.
@@billkeithchannel Hey, Kevin. Try to get a grasp on sarcasm. You'll enjoy the joke and the social commentary more, instead of walking around with a stick up your @$$.
Awesome show. I was in 6th grade band and my Dad bought me the sheet music for the theme song to play on my saxophone.
I absolutely loved that theme song from the series premiere. When they started playing it on the radio, I was elated lol. I still know the lyrics lol.
I'm still waiting for a good remake of this show. Loved it as a kid and the theme song of course is iconic. I just hope that if we eventually get a remake, that it doesnt suck and that the creators respect the source material.
Hope is a dangerous thing, everything worked out perfectly, once, we shouldn't expect it to happen again, Ghostbusters, is, The, Poster Child, for, this.
With Netflix no longer producing Marvel superheroes may properties like this one will become interesting. They could public domain heroes, and maybe sprinkle in Ralph, Automan maybe characters from the Shadow Hunters for a super team. There was a precursor to Spider-Man that was called the Spider, it was sort of another company's version of "The Shadow".
Never happen. It'll be like the Knight Rider reboot. That one went from a fun campy romp that knew it was schlock and leaned into it to a dark show that was so badly written it should have been on MST3k but was completely unaware of how not-epic it was, and where the bad guy of the week was ALWAYS a terrorist. If they bring back GAH, it'll be the same thing as the Batman reboots. Progressively more "edgy" and "gritty" and with none of the fun of the original.
I loved this show in 81 when i was a kid but i guess i missed most of it because when i bought the series on DVD in 2005 i watched every episode and only remembered a few shows. Now i know every episode and can watch them again and again!
Used to watch this show
back in the 80s.
The theme song and Ralph's flying
never leaves your head :)
This show had me in front of the TV religiously. I always wondered how the FBI guy would get hurt. Every episode!!!! I never knew about the Heroine show. Wow. Ty. This was a trip down memory road for me. 👊
My dad and I used to love watching this show back when it originally aired. Ralph's haphazard flying/landing was probably our favorite aspect of the show, (it was mine at least.) Also, whenever the theme song came on the radio it always got our full attention, even in the years after the show was cancelled.
-Just a quick bit of trivia to mention about the Robert Culp show, "I Spy;" the TV-show ("I Spy") was the first (U.S.) nationally broadcast television show to feature a black actor (Bill Cosby) in a leading role, and was executive produced by Sheldon Leonard, a former Hollywood-Golden-Age character (typically gangster) actor turned TV exec-producer who exec-produced such shows as, "I Love Lucy," "The Andy Griffith Show," and the first recognized spin-off show, "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C."
* correction * (oops)
-Sheldon Leonard- Sidney Sheldon and I Dream Of Genie must always be said within the same breath.
@@billkeithchannel wow! Really? That was one I did not know about. Thank you for that great bit of info. Also, nice to communicate with someone who as well understands the greatness of, and I believe to be underacknowledged, Sheldon Leonard.
@@skyden24195 Oh crap! I am getting old. Sidney Sheldon was I Dream Of Genie.
@@billkeithchannel lol, okay, that explains why I hadn't heard/known of Sheldon Leanard being a part of I Dream of Genie.
I showed my eight year old this show he loves it. We got all three seasons, and bugs to watch it every week lol. Such a great show, hokie for sure but, a sweet show for sure.
Criminally underrated show!!
Good classic and the song for the show is awesome love it,love the 80s forever ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Greatest American Hero was my first experience with Robert Culp. What a great actor. Loved that show as a kid. And if you missed an episode for some odd reason then tuff luck.
I used the theme song at my wedding n plan 2 use it at my funeral. Love it
I remember this show always gave me a laugh and a warm feeling. It really cheered me up.
as a kid, I used to love this show, I used to always dream I was him and I would fall many times while flying, flying is tough ;)
Still my favorite Superhero show
Loved the show, loved the theme song! So much so I would sing it everywhere I went. It got to the point where I would be called upon to perform it at family gatherings. I mean, at 6 years old, I wasn't great...but I was great in a living room. ;-) Plus, I had the 45 and wore - it - out! Very much sad at its sudden discontinuation. Had no idea about the four episode follow up or the "Heroine" pilot. Nor did I truly realize Culps prowess as writer/director of a few eps. Outstanding. I loved this show so much, when my son was just a toddler, he had blonde, curly hair, like Katt. I had my mother make him a GAH suit for Halloween. ;-D
Holy crap! You're Jason Marsden! I've been a fan since THE MUNSTERS TODAY! You were great as Burt Ward in BACK TO THE BATCAVE. I had no idea you had a YTchannel. And certainly no idea you were a GAH fan. It's a pleasure to "meet" you.
I loved that show so much as a kid. And, yes. I did tape record the theme song.
I loved that show growing up. I have shown it to my kids...and they love it as well
House is one of my favorite movies of all time! William Katt is so underrated it’s criminal.
This is the first show I bumped into culp and was happy he was in it cause it led me to a lot of other stuff and everytime I'd see him I'd be oh Robert culp and he was just one of the best
I loved this show! I have a DVD set that came with an instruction manual and cape. I added a t-shirt to the set.
Loved this show. One of my Dad's favorites. I bought all the episodes for him.
Me and my cousin
still watching this tv show in syndication
in the year 1985
I was 17 when the show came out. October 1981, I was hit by a truck and flew 52 feet before crashing. I took "Believe it or Not" as my theme song.
He's right - after all these years, that song never left my head.
The theme was really something else when you compare it to any other series from the 80's. Even all these years later I can still remember it word for word.
Loved this show as a kid, and Bill was my favorite character.
In an interview Robert Culp said he wanted to do Greatest American Hero because it was like Close Encounters by Mel Brooks. And yes my favorite character was Bill Maxwell.
I was working in top 40 radio when that theme song was a recurring hit in our playlist, and I truly love the work of Mike Post…especially things like Hill Street Blues….and you have to admire Stephen Cannell for all of that writing for all of those ideas for all of those shows ….that guy was a master at his craft. He would be 79 if he was alive today but he’s another person who left us too soon because of cancer.
Always loved this feel-good show. The characters were well developed and the story lines were just the right blend of humor and compassion. And, yes, I still hum the theme from time to time.
Thank you for this. I was seven when this aired. I remember it well and fondly.
i grew up in the 80s i watched this show alot...it wasnt until about 10 years ago that i realized he dropped the instruction manual....mind blown
I still hear this song on the radio from time to time and I can still see the guy awkwardly trying, crashing, trying and then flying. Yes, I'm smiling right now.
I just loved that Ralph didn't really know how to fly, and never stopped being utterly terrified of this ability. Any time he took flight, he did so wailing and flailing all the way.
Thanks for creating this video. I fell in love with this TV show as a kid in the 80s and it always brings warm fuzzies to my heart to see this show and hear the theme song. I think they missed the boat on doing a reboot of this show back in the 2000s when Stephen J. Cannell was around. He understood the show he created, because GAH was always a misunderstood series. You had to hit the tone of the show right in the middle, not be campy, not be too serious. Compare the 1st season and most of the 2nd season of GAH with the goofiness of the 3rd season, you can tell ABC really took over in Season 3. That 1st season and the early 2nd season was how Stephen J. Cannell envisioned the series, serious but also lighthearted fun about a regular guy put in an extraordinary position. The humor came from the situations Ralph found himself in, not slapstick comedy that ABC pushed. Like you said, you had to approach the material with earnest and not do it campy, but you also couldn't be too serious, you had to be willing to have fun. This is a tricky balance, as I think most people including ABC back in the 80s, wanted to go full on silly Adam West 1960s Batman campy mode with GAH. The best bet to reboot this show would be doing a movie like Shazaam! Yes it wouldn’t be the TV show, but it would be close enough to the spirit. They may even have to change a key aspect of the character and give him a public persona, whereas in the TV show he had no public persona as a superhero, all his heroic stuff was done incognito and people who saw him assumed he was a nut. Remember this was way before cosplay, in the 70s and 80s, people were way more cynical to the idea of superheroes then today.
I loved this show when I was a kid!
I loved this show 40 years ago and was shattered when it stopped being made and aired
Probably my all-time favorite show, ever!
I Loved the show as a kid, I try not miss an episode.
I loved this show so much when I was in junior high. And you are right - just mentioning the theme song gets it stuck in my head!
Loved the theme song!! Thanks for playing abit at the end. I never realized that the symbol on his suit is basically the Chinese/Japanese character for 'middle' 中
One of my all time favorite shows. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Wow! Brings back a lot of memories from what was arguably one of my favorite and “Greatest” TV shows of my generation. Thanks for the throw back!
Next mission, track down those unaired episodes of the series finale!
what I really really liked about the show was that Ralph taught a special education class I was in special education and this is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like that shown on television 1981 thru to 1983
Saving this video for later, but before watching it I gotta say that I love you guys for doing this! I was 6 years old when this aired on Swedish television, and in all honesty I think it might have sparked some sort of really early interest in the awesomeness of movies and tv... A spark that the tv-show 'V' would pick up and set absolutely ablaze about four years later!
I was 5 when this came out, and I still remember it!
Loved this Show. Own all three Seasons on DVD...Don't forget Danny Glover was a guest star in Season One
I loved that show. I was disappointed that it only had 3 seasons
Thank you for the video. It was a great show.
I never watched this show growing up, but I do watch House(1985) at least once a year. Obviously part of my Halloween Must Watch List. Great film!
One of the most memorable themes of all time; right up there with A-Team and Magnum P.I.
Speaking of which, the reboot is an absolute atrocity, CBS, for, once in their history, didn't keep a program on too long, the reprieve is, indefensible.
The theme song for Angie - Different Worlds also got radio airplay. It was a really good song.
Remember watching this as a kid - we wernt exactly spolied with superhero-stuff in the 80´s, so I took anything I could get my hands on and if I remember correctly, it was a decent enough show.
The song hits my headphones on random play while hang gliding occassionally. Describes the moment perfectly!
I’m a Gen X and man, alive….this video was pure nostalgia! I remember being in kindergarten and singing this song so much! I can’t really find the words to express how amazing 80’s TV was. I honestly feel like our generation had the best evolution of music and television. Seeing the creation of cable tv, tv series with actual theme songs, MTV…RAP and Hip Hop! We had it all 🥲 😍 🙌🏼
Like Knight Rider, A-Team, and Miami Vice, Greatest American Hero was must-see TV back in the day. I never missed an episode, and was sad to see it die prematurely, especially without a proper ending.
I absolutely love the theme song of this show
I love to sing along at work when the theme song plays on the loop!!!
I loved this show as a kid, and I remember old Superman reruns, both radio and TV. This super-suit had a superhero version of plot armor that could make up powers as you go, so losing the instructions was a boon for the show. I was hoping the powers would become less slapstick, even as a kid, because even us kids don't learn THAT slow for new skills... and him becoming an actual godlike superhero whose next tier of learning were the new superpowers. I was expecting this AS A CHILD when the show was on the air. In hindsight, I ponder the show probably died because the hero's abilities matured slower than the kids who watched the show.
I guess every genration that has lived entirely under the influence of television feels the same way about the barely rembered but very inspiring and loved shows from their earliest childhood.
Literally this show was something i would watch when i was crawling around in a diaper at 1 yr old. I remember both being amazed at it and even at 1 yr old realizing it was fake because of how bad the green screening was. I have always held that memory but could not remember what it was called. Im now much older and about to watch it on prime.
I think of my childhood S special and unique but it is somehow warming to realize that many millions of people have and will experience the same thing.