History Series / TheGreatestAmericanHero

A podcast taking a close look at every individual episode can be found [[http://throwbacknetwork.net/category/the-greatest-american-hero-podcast/ here]].

Created by Creator/StephenJCannell, the show first aired in 1981 on Creator/{{ABC}} and was both a [[{{Dramedy}} comedy and a drama]]. Ralph Hinkley[[note]]briefly "Ralph Hanley" in the wake of John Hinckley's assassination attempt on then-President UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan[[/note]], played by Creator/WilliamKatt, is a Los Angeles-based inner city school teacher to a class full of delinquents. He is a good, moral man, and because of this, [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum aliens give him]] a special "[[ClothesMakeTheSuperman Superman suit]]" that gives him special powers -- but only works for him. Unfortunately, he almost immediately loses the instruction manual and [[HowDoIShotWeb must discover its powers by trial and error]]. He is paired up with FBI agent Bill Maxwell (Creator/RobertCulp), whose determination to fully exploit Ralph's new abilities keeps them both busy.

* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: Way averted. Bill Maxwell is determinedly careful with his guns, or at least as much as possible when the circumstances permit. He never points his weapon at anyone he isn't willing to shoot (and he does this even when the person in question is his bulletproof partner, Ralph), keeps it on safe until he absolutely has to take it off safe, and when picking up or putting down a weapon always clears the weapon first.

* BewareOfHitchhikingGhosts: In the episode "Operation: Spoilsport," Ralph and Bill keep passing the reanimated corpse of a dead man in the desert.

* CatchPhrase: While the show itself didn't spark any catch phrases of its own, two episodes feature ones which would become common in future Stephen J. Cannell programs. "Just Another Three Ring Circus" has Maxwell saying a variation of [[Series/TheATeam Hannibal Smith's]] "I love it when a plan comes together", while "The Shock Will Kill You" features Ralph repeatedly repeating [[Series/HunterNBC Rick Hunter's]] "Works for me."

* HowDoIShotWeb: having lost the instruction book, Ralph has to figure out the suit's powers through trial and error.

* MundaneUtility: Ralph will occasionally wear the suit when he thinks it will come in handy for everyday matters. On one occasion he wears the suit as ski-wear when he and Pam go skiing. Ralph claims it's because he doesn't get cold with the suit on but Pam notes that it also makes him a much more proficient skier and he's been showing off on the slopes.

* WouldHurtAChild: The kidnappers at the start of "There's Just No Accounting..." intend to kill the little girl they's sntached, once they've gotten the ransom that Maxwell delivers. [[spoiler: It's what to happens to the money that kicks of the main plot in the episode... (no of course the girl's saved...)]]
* WrittenInAbsence: Pam is absent from the early episodes of season two, apart from a few scenes where she's on the phone with Ralph. The explanation is that she's in another city "working on a big case". In reality, Connie Sellecca was pregnant and then on maternity leave at the time.

The series is currently being rerun on weekend mornings on Heroes & Icons.

* BlandNameProduct: "Wizards And Warlocks" in the episode of the same name is basically ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Tony Villicana was a prominent character for the first two season, but only appeared in one third season episode. For the rest of the season, a character named Joey filled his role. Justified since Joey was not a new character but had been a part of Ralph's class since day one.

* BusmansHoliday: Bill tricks Ralph and Pamela into one of these in "This Is the One the Suit Was Meant For" to retrieve a top secret jet that's vanished in the tropical area.

# Though not the first project to come from Creator/StephenJCannell Productions,[[note]]''Series/TenspeedAndBrownShoe'' and the 1981 MadeForTVMovie ''Midnight Offerings'' (an UrbanFantasy with Melissa Sue Anderson from ''Series/LittleHouseOnThePrairie'' and Mary Beth [=McDonough=] from ''Series/TheWaltons'' as high schoolers who also have magic powers. One's a ''lot'' nicer than the other.) preceded this.[[/note]] it was the first to end with Cannell's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSjqDpneJNc distinctive]] VanityPlate.[[note]]Furthermore, it uses [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness a slightly different jingle]] from later versions.[[/note]]
(Hence the PilotMovie marks the logo's debut.)

(Hence the PilotMovie marks the logo's debut.

* CatchPhrase: While the show itself didn't spark any catch phrases of its own, two episodes feature ones which would become common in future Stephen J. Cannell programs. "Just Another Three Ring Circus" has Maxwell saying a variation of [[Series/TheATeam Hannibal Smith's]] "I love it when a plan comes together", while "The Shock Will Kill You" features Ralph repeatedly repeating [[Series/{{Hunter}} Rick Hunter's]] "Works for me."

* ForgottenPhlebotinum: In one episode, Ralph discovers that the suit gives him the power of {{Telekinesis}}. He never uses this telekinetic ability again in later episodes.
** Ralph does end up using telekinesis several times after learning about it from a previous suit holder, proving skilled enough to use it to crack a large tumbler-lock safe in one episode.

* {{Telekinesis}}: In one episode, Ralph discovers that he can move objects with his mind -- but only if he clears his mind first. To clear his mind, he tries imagining a great big sheet of plain white paper. He has to concentrate on this image of white paper more dilligently [[DistractedByTheSexy at some times than at others]].

** AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome: Ditto.

* EightiesHair: Hinkley is a superhero with ''a freakin' perm''.
** If the ''MAD'' satire "The Greatest American Zero" is anything to go by, he may have been called out on it even at the time ("Did you see the way (Clark Kent) has his hair styled? You ought to try it! I mean... you look like Shirley Temple!").

Created by Creator/StephenJCannell, the show first aired in 1981 on Creator/{{ABC}} and was both a [[{{Dramedy}} comedy and a drama]]. Ralph Hinkley[[note]]briefly "Ralph Hanley" in the wake of John Hinckley's assassination attempt on then-President UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan[[/note]], played by Creator/WilliamKatt, is a Los Angeles-based elementary school teacher to a class full of delinquents. He is a good, moral man, and because of this, [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum aliens give him]] a special "[[ClothesMakeTheSuperman Superman suit]]" that gives him special powers -- but only works for him. Unfortunately, he almost immediately loses the instruction manual and [[HowDoIShotWeb must discover its powers by trial and error]]. He is paired up with FBI agent Bill Maxwell (Creator/RobertCulp), whose determination to fully exploit Ralph's new abilities keeps them both busy.

Created by Creator/StephenJCannell, the show first aired in 1981 on Creator/{{ABC}} and was both a [[{{Dramedy}} comedy and a drama]]. Ralph Hinkley[[note]]briefly "Ralph Hanley" in the wake of John Hinckley's assassination attempt on then-President UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan[[/note]], played by Creator/WilliamKatt, is a teacher to a class full of delinquents. He is a good, moral man, and because of this, [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum aliens give him]] a special "[[ClothesMakeTheSuperman Superman suit]]" that gives him special powers -- but only works for him. Unfortunately, he almost immediately loses the instruction manual and [[HowDoIShotWeb must discover its powers by trial and error]]. He is paired up with FBI agent Bill Maxwell (Creator/RobertCulp), whose determination to fully exploit Ralph's new abilities keeps them both busy.

* GreenLanternRing: The Suit.
** AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome: Ditto.