The Greatest American Hero 1981
What is The Greatest American Hero?
The Greatest American Hero is a television series that follows the experiences of a teacher named Ralph Hinkley. The premise begins when a group of aliens provides Hinkley with a red suit that grants him superhuman abilities.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1981
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 43
- Runtime
- 60 minutes
- First aired
- Mar 18, 1981
- Last aired
- Mar 3, 1983
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- US
- Networks
- ABC
- Genres
- Action & Adventure, Comedy, Crime
- Updated
Where to watch
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How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 43 episodes and an average 60-minute runtime.
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Overview
The Greatest American Hero is a television series that follows the experiences of a teacher named Ralph Hinkley. The premise begins when a group of aliens provides Hinkley with a red suit that grants him superhuman abilities. Although the suit is the source of his powers, Hinkley dislikes wearing the garment. The situation is further complicated because Hinkley loses the instruction booklet that accompanied the suit. As a result, he is forced to discover how to utilize his new capabilities through a process of trial and error. This lack of guidance often leads to comical results as he navigates his adventures. The series chronicles these ongoing efforts as Hinkley attempts to manage his responsibilities while coping with the unpredictable nature of the alien technology. By focusing on the protagonist's struggle to master his powers without proper direction, the narrative highlights the humorous difficulties inherent in his situation. The show remains centered on the challenges faced by an ordinary individual suddenly thrust into the role of a hero through these extraordinary and unexplained circumstances.
Should you watch it?
“A teacher receives an alien suit granting superhuman abilities but loses the instruction booklet.”
- features comical trial and error
- unique superhuman premise
- main character hates wearing the suit
Watch it if you want to see a reluctant hero figure out alien powers through trial and error.
Rated TV-14 for general television audiences.
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Episode guide
Spoiler-Safe Browsing Progress
Season 1 · 8 episodes
- E1 The Greatest American Hero Mytharc Mar 18, 1981
- E2 The Hit Car Core Mar 25, 1981
- E3 Here's Looking at You Kid Core Apr 1, 1981
- E4 Saturday on Sunset Boulevard Core Apr 8, 1981
- E5 Reseda Rose Core Apr 15, 1981
- E6 My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys Core Apr 29, 1981
- E7 Fire Man Mytharc May 6, 1981
- E8 The Best Desk Scenario Mytharc May 13, 1981
Season 2 · 22 episodes
- E1 The Two-Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Fastball Mytharc Nov 4, 1981
- E2 Operation Spoilsport Core Nov 11, 1981
- E3 Don't Mess Around with Jim Core Nov 18, 1981
- E4 Hog Wild Core Nov 25, 1981
- E5 Classical Gas Core Dec 2, 1981
- E6 The Beast in the Black Core Dec 9, 1981
- E7 The Lost Diablo Core Dec 16, 1981
- E8 Plague Core Jan 6, 1982
- E9 A Train of Thought Core Jan 13, 1982
- E10 Now You See It... Core Jan 20, 1982
- E11 The Handpainted Thai Core Jan 27, 1982
- E12 Just Another Three Ring Circus Core Feb 3, 1982
- E13 The Shock Will Kill You Core Feb 10, 1982
- E14 A Chicken in Every Plot Core Feb 17, 1982
- E15 The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Core Feb 24, 1982
- E16 It's All Downhill from Here Core Mar 3, 1982
- E17 Dreams Core Mar 17, 1982
- E18 There's Just No Accounting... Core Mar 24, 1982
- E19 The Good Samaritan Core Mar 31, 1982
- E20 Captain Bellybuster and the Speed Factory Core Apr 7, 1982
- E21 Who's Woo in America Mytharc Apr 14, 1982
- E22 Lilacs, Mr. Maxwell Mytharc Apr 28, 1982
Season 3 · 13 episodes
- E1 Divorce Venusian Style Mytharc Oct 29, 1982
- E2 The Price is Right Core Nov 5, 1982
- E3 This is the One the Suit Was Meant For Core Nov 12, 1982
- E4 The Resurrection of Carlini Mytharc Nov 19, 1982
- E5 The Newlywed Game Core Jan 6, 1983
- E6 Heaven is in Your Genes Core Jan 13, 1983
- E7 Live at Eleven Core Jan 20, 1983
- E8 Space Ranger Core Jan 27, 1983
- E9 Thirty Seconds Over Little Tokyo Core Feb 3, 1983
- E10 Wizards And Warlocks Core Feb 10, 1983
- E11 It's Only Rock and Roll Core Feb 17, 1983
- E12 Desperado Mytharc Feb 24, 1983
- E13 Vanity, Says the Preacher Mytharc Mar 3, 1983
Frequently asked questions
Who gives Ralph the suit?
A group of aliens gives Ralph the red suit.
What are the genres of the series?
The series spans action, adventure, comedy, and crime.
What is Ralph's profession?
Ralph is a teacher.
Why does Ralph have to learn by trial and error?
He immediately loses the instruction booklet that came with the suit.
What does the suit do?
The red suit gives Ralph superhuman abilities.
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