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From Wikipedia:
The Greatest American Hero is an American TV series which aired for three seasons from 1981 to 1983 on ABC. It premiered as a two hour movie pilot on March 18, 1981. It starred William Katt as teacher Ralph Hinkley (or Hanley), Robert Culp as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell, and Connie Sellecca as lawyer Pam Davidson.
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Best theme music of all time. Big ups to Joey Scarbury.
Ummm, the clip said written by : Mike Post and Pete Carpenter. Web search says Mike Post and Steve Greyer. I guess Scarbury just sung.
Mike Post wrote a WHOLE bunch of TV themes.
I loved this show. He had to figure it all out by himself – they never told him how to operate the suit. Trying to figure out how to fly was hilarious.
They gave him an instruction book, but he lost it. In a later episode, they gave him another one. He used it to shrink down to the size of an insect while holding the book. But when he grew back to normal size, he forgot to hold onto the book.
Remember when he was first practicing to fly in the alleyway and the little kid told him he was doing it all wrong – “You gotta take three steps then jump”
Man, I miss this show to this day.
WOW! What a blast! I have had that song in my head for about a week now. I couldn’t remember the name of the show but, the song has been with me for a while. I loved it then and wish it was still on. It was one of the good shows. Not a lot of violence, no swearing and no nudity. Awesome!
I love this show so much that I bought the 1st season on DVD for me AND my dad, who also loved it back then. My favorite was that he couldn’t figure out how to land and he “landed” in a dumpster once. Hillarious!
Mmmmm Connie Sellecca mmmmm
-Doc
x2
I got my first kiss at summer camp in 1983 (thrid grade for me) during the change of the reels at a showing of the pilot as the movie. His name was Jimmy. He fake fainting and patted his chest after the kiss. LOL! I have no idea what happened to him in life.
*sigh*
Another awesome theme music ‘blast from the past’. I really miss the original TV theme music.
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!
Heck yes, that’s the first thing I thought of too! This really is the best theme song of all time. I wish they’d still show reruns of this!
I don’t recall this show ever going into syndication!
The big question is WHY NOT.
SciFi keeps running these crappy short lived shows from
the 90’s & early 2000’s.
They should pick this one up
FX aired reruns way back when. I know this because I used to watch and tape them. Loved the show when I was little, still do. And the theme song is still my fave theme song(w/lyrics) ever!
I thought of George when I first saw this video, unfortunately I was a baby in 81 so I never was able to appreciate this show. I want to go back and watch it now.
Giggle- that would rock as an answering machine message! I’d call just to hear that!
The best part about Greatest American Hero was the stunt double.
You’d see William Katt running toward a giant rock and suddenly replaced by some moustached, brawny Italian dude in a curly blonde wig.
I loooooved this show! It’s out on DVD now and I want it.
I once had an answering message that was written to the theme song.
Believe it or not
Kate isn’t at home
It seems my calendar’s never free-e-e…
Leave me a message after the beep.
Soon you will see,
Soon you’ll be talking to me!
Oh my gosh! The memories this brings up. I completely forgot about this show but I LOVED it as a kid.
Been renting this from Netflix on DVD – awesome!
The symbol is the chinese character for China. The Greatest American hero…. made in china.
The theme song immediately rang a bell, I just didn’t remember it
being from this show! Methinks I was under the influence quite a bit
in the early 80’s…to the best of my limited recollection. Ok, that last sentence
just confirmed that I was in fact under the influence! (-.-)
I had the same problem with knowing the theme song but having no recollection of the show. I wasn’t intoxicated or anything, though; I was between one and three years old when this was on.
Hey…wasn’t that these song also used on Growing Pains?!
I agree!!! I was convinced that there were the same song. Then I thought it wa the same song with different lyrics. Unfortunately, I was corrected. But at least I’m not the only one who thought this.
I always thought this theme song was from Growing Pains…are you all gonna tell me I’ve been wrong all this time?
Yes, you’ve been wrong all this time.
I loved this show, I loved the theme song, and I LOVED his curly hair!! I also remember they couldn’t say his character’s name for a few weeks because the guy who shot President Reagan was named John Hinkley, so every time one of his students said “Mr. Hinkley” they dubbed it with “Mr. Hanley.”
I liked this show too but once he figured out how to use the suit it wasnt as much fun to watch.
I loved this show and have always loved the theme song. But, now that I have gotten older, I had forgotten the name of the show! I am going to find the DVD and pick it up!
Actually, the symbol is similar to a Chinese character for “middle” or “center.” China called itself Middle Kingdom (although a better translation would be Central Kingdom as they saw themselves as the center and best of all kingdom and cultures). Whether the show creator meant it as such, I don’t know. The symbol also looks alot like a stylized version of an open book with a pencil in the middle and it is somewhat fitting as the character was a teacher.
Chinese symbol? Red suit? I think that obviously indicates he was supposed to represent a liberal American educator trying out the “super power” of Communism – and illustrating the bumps and mistakes he would make without the aid of the “instruction book” – obviously a stand-in for Mao’s Red Book
Beyond epic.
Oh, the memories ;-;
Hahahaha.
Oh wow. I used to watch this show in high school.
I’m oooooolllld.
Man, TV has changed a whole lot, hasn’t it? I loved this show when I was a kid.
Best… Show… Ever…
I’ve caught reruns of it on some old cable show
Believe it or not…. who could it be… believe it or not, it’s just me…
LOL
I still crush a little on William Katt, even though I saw him on Heroes a month or so ago and he has . . . not aged well. Memories are evergreen! Absolutely the best song for roller skating as well.
So, we used to play this dungeons and dragon’s style game, but with superheroes. I think it was called Champions… so, I made a character that assumed that the intended recipient of the suit (it was supposed to be another FBI agent, Robert Culps partner) actually got it, and actually learned how to use the suit correctly… it was alot of fun, but other players complained that it was far too powerful…
OMG! I need leg warmers to watch this show!!!!!!! Best thing EVER on TV. WIlliam Katt was so cute, and “Ralph” was too. Whatever happened to good clean shows? Long live “The Greatest American Hero” – Now if I can get the theme song out of my head some time this century…….lol
I love this song ^_^
it’s all I could remember from the show seeing I was 3-4 years old then.
my friend had his cell phone play this as a ringtone.
After seeing this show, I had to take the circular fluorescent bulb out of the kitchen light fixture, and pretend it was the alien spaceship. Mother was not amused.
If you like the theme song check out Bad Astronaut by Zoinks!, a defunk 90″s punk band in the same vein as Green Day. Awesome cover!
Ever read the Mad magazine parody? In it, the aliens told Ralph, “We gave you that suit BECAUSE you are a teacher. NOW USE IT!!” Final panel: Ralph roughhousing the students who were acting out in class. Great wisdom from those folks at Mad.
if ever there was a nerdy show, would this have been it?
LOl, my dad has the symbol tatoo’d on his arm.