58-418: The Greatest American Hero is an American comedy-drama superhero television series that aired on ABC . Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell , it premiered as a two-hour pilot movie on March 18, 1981, and ran until February 2, 1983. The series features William Katt as teacher Ralph Hinkley, Robert Culp as FBI agent Bill Maxwell, and Connie Sellecca as lawyer Pam Davidson. The lead character's surname
116-475: A "somatic death" occurs while muscles die over one to two hours following this last condition. It has been possible to obtain a successful resuscitation and recover life in some instances, including after anaesthesia, heat stroke, electrocution, narcotic poisoning, heart attack or cardiac arrest, shock, newborn infants, cerebral concussion, or cholera. Supposedly, in suspended animation, a person technically would not die, as long as he or she were able to preserve
174-461: A conversation between Holly and her foster daughter in which Holly refers to Bill as a good person. Bill is then shown speaking into a recorder he uses as his "diary" to suggest that maybe Holly is the right person to wear the suit after all. On August 29, 2014, Deadline Hollywood published an article reporting that the Fox Network had ordered a pilot for a new version of the show. The pilot
232-529: A lethargic state in nature when animals or plants appear, over a period, to be dead but then can wake up or prevail without suffering any harm. This has been termed in different contexts hibernation , dormancy or anabiosis (the latter in some aquatic invertebrates and plants in scarcity conditions). In July 2020, marine biologists reported that aerobic microorganisms (mainly), in "quasi-suspended animation", were found in organically-poor sediments , up to 101.5 million years old, 68.9 metres (226 feet) below
290-419: A new series, and the pilot was never broadcast by NBC. Ultimately, the pilot was re-edited as an episode of the original series (complete with original opening credits and theme), and added to syndication sets of the original series aired on several local television stations in the late 1980s, for which it is the final episode. Immediately after the beginning credits, the episode's title card is superimposed over
348-512: A nighttime view of the Los Angeles skyline, reading "The Greatest American Hero" before appending the letters "i n e" individually to the sound of the NBC chimes . The chimes were a nod to NBC and its president, Brandon Tartikoff , who had expressed interest in reviving the series. The pilot movie reveals that, several years after the final episode, Ralph's secret identity was finally revealed to
406-485: A non-superpowered person attending school is given a red costume that grants them extraordinary abilities and superpowers to fight off crime and bring evil to justice. In the pilot episode, while Ralph ponders whether to accept the suit, he observes his son watching the Super Friends cartoon. Batman is heard to say, "We need one more Super Friend who can fly!" In a later scene, having yet to convince Pam he really
464-435: A number of reasons, such as saving the lives of seriously ill or injured people by temporarily putting them in a state of hibernation until treatment can be given. The primary focus of research for human hibernation is to reach a state of torpor , defined as a gradual physiological inhibition to reduce oxygen demand and obtain energy conservation by hypometabolic behaviors altering biochemical processes. In previous studies, it
522-405: A pair of scissors that he had on his desk during the design of the uniform. He said that the costume designer asked him what he wanted the suit's chest emblem to look like. He said he had not really thought about it. The designer then picked the scissors up off the desk, held them upside down, and said "That's your emblem". Cannell was fine with that decision. The symbol on Ralph's uniform resembles
580-562: A powerful weapon granting extraordinary abilities by extraterrestrials, including the later appearance in the series of an alien who is loosely reminiscent of the Nova Corps ' administrators, the Xandarians . The concept was also very similar to Frog-Man , a former supervillain, and now one of Spider-Man 's allies, as well as the superhero by the name of Ant-Man , Scott Lang (all three of them, also created by Marvel Comics), to which
638-782: A series emphasizing real-life problems, whereas when a change of management occurred in ABC, they requested more heroic, save-the-day-type episodes. As agreed originally between Cannell and then ABC executives Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner , the powers would be in the suit, not the man (though the suit would only work for him) and Ralph would try to solve ordinary-type problems, such as trying to stop corruption in Major League Baseball ("The Two Hundred Miles-Per-Hour Fastball") or an assassination attempt ("The Best Desk Scenario"). The series initially emphasized what Cannell referred to as "character comedy" based on human flaws such as envy (in
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#1732798211883696-501: A young woman named Holly Hathaway (Mary Ellen Stuart), an elementary school teacher who spends her off-hours time looking for lost kittens, raising environmental awareness, and serving as a foster mother. Bill, Pam, and Ralph meet in the desert , where Ralph tells Bill about Holly. He reacts visibly to his new partner being a "skirt" before Holly arrives, flying in wearing a new version of the suit made for her, and she pledges to help Bill. The original trio say their final farewells, and even
754-690: Is a movie or program that balances the elements of a drama and a comedy. Also known as a comedy drama, this hybrid genre often deals with real life situations, grounded characters, and believable situations. The ratio between the drama and comedy can vary, but most of the time there is an equal measure of both, with neither side dominating. Abreu also adds that dramedies often deal with relatable and serious topics such as divorce, illness, hardship, and heartache. Examples of comedy dramas in American film include: Examples of American television comedy dramas include: Suspended animation Suspended animation
812-459: Is a superhero, Ralph jokes, "Look at it this way. You're one step ahead of Lois Lane: she never found out who Clark Kent really was." In "Saturday on Sunset Boulevard", Ralph needs to change his clothing quickly. Seeing a telephone booth, he grumbles, "No! Never!", but ends up using it. Later, while Ralph struggles to get changed in the back of Bill's car, Bill notes "We need to get you a bigger phone booth." Anchor Bay Entertainment company released
870-535: Is a way to slow the bodily processes that would lead to death in cases of severe injury. This involves lowering the body's temperature below 34 °C (93 °F), which is the current standard for therapeutic hypothermia . In June 2005, scientists at the University of Pittsburgh 's Safar Center for Resuscitation Research announced they had managed to place dogs in suspended animation and bring them back to life, most of them without brain damage , by draining
928-403: Is given a promotion and his own office space, and we see the name "Ralph Hanley" on the door plaque. By the season 2 premiere "The Two-Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Fast Ball" (the very next episode in viewing order), the show's producers returned the character's surname to the original Hinkley. On the series' season 1 DVD set Stephen J. Cannell explained that he had planned The Greatest American Hero as
986-411: Is shown to control a dog via a hologram. This may have been an improvisational power of the suit, but is not tried again in later episodes. In "The Shock Will Kill You", he (or the suit) becomes strongly magnetized. In the season two episode "Don't Mess Around with Jim", Ralph and Maxwell learn they are not the first duo who received such a uniform. Jim "J.J." Beck had received the suit, and Marshall Dunn
1044-704: Is the temporary (short- or long-term) slowing or stopping of biological function so that physiological capabilities are preserved. States of suspended animation are common in micro-organisms and some plant tissue, such as seeds. Many animals, including large ones, may undergo hibernation , and most plants have periods of dormancy . This article focuses primarily on the potential of large animals, especially humans, to undergo suspended animation. In animals, suspended animation may be either hypometabolic or ametabolic in nature. It may be induced by either endogenous, natural or artificial biological, chemical or physical means. In its natural form, it may be spontaneously reversible as in
1102-721: The Primetime Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards segregate several award categories into these two classifications. The 20th century saw a rise in film and television works that could be described as comedy-dramas. The term is a translation from the French "comédie dramatique". The portmanteau "dramedy" came to be in the 1980s. In January 2022, Rafael Abreu, writing for the StudioBinder filmmaking blog, defined this genre as follows: A dramedy
1160-400: The blood out of the dogs' bodies and injecting a low temperature solution into their circulatory systems , which in turn keeps the bodies alive in stasis. After three hours of being clinically dead , the dogs' blood was returned to their circulatory systems, and the animals were revived by delivering an electric shock to their hearts. The heart started pumping the blood around the body, and
1218-1006: The sea floor in the South Pacific Gyre (SPG) ("the deadest spot in the ocean"), and could be the longest-living life forms ever found. This condition of apparent death or interruption of vital signs in humans may be similar to a medical interpretation of suspended animation. It is only possible to recover signs of life if the brain and other vital organs suffer no cell deterioration, necrosis or molecular death principally caused by oxygen deprivation or excess temperature (especially high temperature). Some examples of people that have returned from this apparent interruption of life lasting over half an hour, two hours, eight hours or more while adhering to these specific conditions for oxygen and temperature have been reported and analysed in depth, but these cases are considered rare and unusual phenomena. The brain begins to die after five minutes without oxygen; nervous tissues die intermediately when
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#17327982118831276-409: The "S" shield to appear reversed. However, in many Greatest American Hero composite flying sequences, Ralph wore a watch and the timepiece alternates from one wrist to the other, especially during extended flying sequences. The main character's name was originally Ralph Hinkley, but after the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley, Jr. , on March 30, 1981, the character's last name
1334-442: The 1970s, induced hypothermia has been performed for some open-heart surgeries as an alternative to heart-lung machines . Hypothermia, however, provides only a limited amount of time in which to operate and there is a risk of tissue and brain damage for prolonged periods. There are many research projects currently investigating how to achieve "induced hibernation " in humans. This ability to hibernate humans would be useful for
1392-587: The Chinese character for "center" 中 . As the symbol is red in color with white background, Hong Kong television station TVB titled the Cantonese-dubbed version of the show Fēi Tīn Hùhng Jūng Hahp ( 飛天紅中俠 ), meaning "Flying Red Center Hero", in reference to the red center mahjong tile . An alternate translation of "jūng" in Cantonese is "justice", which gave the other meaning for the title of
1450-499: The DVD set, when Carsey and Werner left ABC (soon after the show was purchased by the network) the new network executives wanted the show to be more like a children's show than an adults' show. So they pushed for the types of shows that Cannell did not want, shows that involved Ralph trying to stop some sort of calamity from happening, including nuclear war ("Operation Spoilsport") and even a Loch Ness Monster -type of creature ("The Devil in
1508-632: The Deep Blue Sea"). For the season two finale, a serious and appropriate for the time (considering the Cold War ) episode was produced; "Lilacs, Mr. Maxwell", written and directed by Robert Culp. The episode's story concerns a KGB mole-agent (played by guest star Dixie Carter ) placed into the FBI with the sole purpose of discovering the methods used by agent Bill Maxwell in catching spies and other assorted villains. Cannell gave Culp free rein to produce
1566-458: The Universe . It also shares the same concept of another DC property, Starman , in that it shares the basic concept of an ordinary human being is given a red costume, and given a powerful weapon granting extraordinary abilities by extraterrestrials. The series is also very similar to Nova from Marvel Comics , in that it shares the basic concept of an ordinary person attending school being given
1624-422: The aforementioned "The Best Desk Scenario") or hypochondria ("Plague"). The series differed from previous superhero shows because of the emphasis on (especially Ralph) "rising above" superhero antics and instead exploring what it was like to live in that environment. Cannell was trying to avoid save-the-day-type episodes, as per the original Adventures of Superman television series, but according to Cannell on
1682-421: The aliens want to protect humanity) and calls Earth one of the few remaining "garden planets". Ralph is given another instruction book during this encounter—supposedly the aliens' last copy, but he loses it as well. When he shrinks to a fraction of normal size, he places it on a large boulder which is actually a grain of sand given his reduced size, and forgets to pick it back up before returning to normal size. In
1740-534: The case of species demonstrating hypometabolic states of hibernation . When applied with therapeutic intent, as in deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA), usually technologically mediated revival is required. Suspended animation is understood as the pausing of life processes by external or internal means without terminating life itself. Breathing, heartbeat and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. For this reason, this procedure has been associated with
1798-422: The character's last name was spoken aloud, which happened frequently in the episode. This was the only episode in which the name "Hanley" was spoken aloud; for the rest of the abbreviated first season (which only lasted 9 episodes), the character was generally referred to as either "Ralph" or "Mister H". The only other instance of the use of the name Hanley was in episode 9, "The Best Desk Scenario," in which Ralph
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1856-548: The complete series in DVD format in Region 1 for the first time during 2005. Additionally, on October 3, 2006, they released a special 13-disc boxed set that includes all 43 episodes of the series as well as other bonus material. However, both the individual DVD sets and the complete boxed set are missing original performances by Mike Post and Joey Scarbury whenever the song concerned originated by another artist. On October 14, 2009, it
1914-502: The distribution rights to The Greatest American Hero and The Greatest American Heroine along with several other Stephen J. Cannell series on March 11, 2020. On June 30, 2022, Visual Entertainment released The Greatest American Hero: The Complete Collection on DVD in Region 1. During 1986, the original principal cast reunited for a pilot movie for a new NBC series to be named The Greatest American Heroine , which did not result in
1972-570: The dogs were brought back to life. On 20 January 2006, doctors from the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston announced they had placed pigs in suspended animation with a similar technique. The pigs were anaesthetized and major blood loss was induced, along with simulated - via scalpel - severe injuries (e.g. a punctured aorta as might happen in a car accident or shooting). After the pigs lost about half their blood
2030-518: The early human population whose remains have been retrieved at the Archaeological site of Atapuerca . In a paper published in the journal L'Anthropologie , researchers Juan-Luis Arsuaga and Antonis Bartsiokas point out that "primitive mammals and primates" like bush babies and lorises hibernate, which suggests that "the genetic basis and physiology for such a hypometabolism could be preserved in many mammalian species, including humans". Since
2088-453: The episode "Fire Man" he displays resistance to fire/heat and uses "super exhalation" (the ability to blow out a flamethrower, or any other large source of fire); he also uses this ability in the episode "There's Just No Accounting ...", to extinguish a Molotov cocktail . Ralph also shows signs of being able to control minds after he is exposed to high doses of plutonium radiation. In the season two final episode, "Lilacs, Mr. Maxwell", Ralph
2146-461: The episode "The Shock Could Kill You". Like his character, William Katt found the suit very uncomfortable and hated wearing it. Producers made various modifications to the suit to help him, and accommodated him by scheduling filming so he would not have to wear it all day during a shoot. On the Season 1 DVD, Stephen J. Cannell notes that the symbol design on the front of the suit is actually based on
2204-734: The episode "Vanity, Says the Preacher", it is also revealed there are several humans in seeming " suspended animation " aboard the aliens' ship (Bill speculates that they are possible replacements for them). Hinkley's hero persona never receives an actual "superhero name" either, although Joey Scarbury sings the Elton John song " Rocket Man " in the pilot. In the pilot episode, Ralph sarcastically refers to himself as "Captain Crash" in reference to his terrible flying ability; and later "Captain Gonzo" in
2262-443: The episode. This was also the first of Cannell's series to feature the "Stephen J. Cannell Productions" logo. The production company's first series Tenspeed and Brown Shoe did not feature the logo. The theme song (and variants of it) have been used frequently outside of the show. "Believe It or Not" was composed by Mike Post (music) and Stephen Geyer (lyrics) and sung by Joey Scarbury . The theme song became well known during
2320-449: The minimum conditions in an environment extremely close to death and return to a normal living state. An example of such a case is Anna Bågenholm , a Swedish radiologist who allegedly survived 80 minutes under ice in a frozen lake in a state of cardiac arrest with no brain damage in 1999. Other cases of hypothermia where people survived without damage are: It has been suggested that bone lesions provide evidence of hibernation among
2378-551: The powers of flight, super strength, invulnerability , invisibility , precognition , telekinesis , X-ray vision , super speed , pyrokinesis , shrinking, psychometry ("holographic vision"), and even the ability to detect the supernatural. As Ralph lost the suit's instruction manual, his discovery of these different powers often come as a surprise even to himself. Notably, while the suit enables Ralph to fly, it does not endow him with any particular skill at landing, so he frequently crashes in an undignified (though uninjured) heap. In
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2436-452: The present. Katt also contributes to the show's Facebook page. Comedy-drama Comedy drama , also known by the portmanteau dramedy , is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and drama . In films, serious dramatic themes (such as death, illness, etc.) are dealt with realism and subtlety, while preserving a humorous tenor. In television, modern scripted comedy dramas tend to have more humour integrated into
2494-448: The public, resulting in his becoming a celebrity. This angers the aliens who gave him the suit, and they charge him with finding a new hero to wear the costume and use its powers for fighting evil. Once the transfer is made, they explain, all memory of Ralph's exploits will be purged from the world's memory and remembered only by Ralph, Pam, and Bill. Bill begins their search by researching people with desired hero qualities, but Ralph finds
2552-519: The remaining blood was replaced with a chilled saline solution. As the body temperature reached 10 °C (50 °F) the damaged blood vessels were repaired and the blood was returned. The method was tested 200 times with a 90% success rate. The laboratory of Mark Roth at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and institutes such as Suspended Animation, Inc are trying to implement suspended animation as
2610-491: The show "Flying Red Justice Hero". This alternate translation of the show title alludes to the mandate by the alien grantor to use the suit as a means to fight crime and injustice in the world. The symbol's bilateral symmetry seemingly avoided the "backward S" problem encountered on the Adventures of Superman . For the low-budget 1950s series, editors would on occasion "flop" stock footage of George Reeves in flight, causing
2668-643: The show's run. "Believe it or Not" debuted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 , peaking at No. 2. It also peaked at the No. 1 position on the Record World chart. The powers of the red suit were somewhat general, but still were similar enough to the abilities of Superman that Warner Bros. , the owners of DC Comics , filed a lawsuit against ABC. Warner Bros. Inc. v. American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
2726-437: The stoic Maxwell reveals his true emotions as he says goodbye to Ralph and calling Pam a trouper—"...one of the best!" Holly reacts emotionally to the fond farewells, but breaks the sombre mood as she accidentally pulls the door off of Bill's sedan. The rest of the episode deals with Holly learning how to use the suit with Bill Maxwell's guidance, and the pair trying to develop a working relationship. It ends with Bill overhearing
2784-615: The story than the comic relief common in drama series but usually contain a lower joke rate than sitcoms . In the very influential Greek theatre , plays were considered comedies or tragedies. This concept even influenced Roman theatre and theatre of the Hellenistic period . Theatre of that era is thought to have long-lasting influence, even in modern narrative works. Even today, works are often classified into two broad buckets, dramas and comedies. For instance, many awards that recognize achievements in film and television today, such as
2842-562: The suit as a means to fight crime and injustice in the world. Subsequently, attorney Pam Davidson (Sellecca), who handled Ralph's divorce, also encounters the aliens. Through some coercion, she eventually agrees, on occasion, to join Ralph and Bill during missions. Also seen regularly were Rhonda Blake ( Faye Grant ), Tony Villicana ( Michael Paré ), and Cyler Johnson ( Jesse D. Goins ), three of Ralph's students; and Bill's FBI supervisor Les Carlisle ( William Bogert ). Ralph's uniform grants him
2900-423: Was a hit when released as a single. Ralph Hinkley (Katt) is a Los Angeles teacher of remedial education high school students. During a school field trip, Ralph encounters extraterrestrials who give him a suit which endows him with superhuman abilities. During the encounter, he is also instructed by the aliens to thereafter collaborate with FBI Special Agent Bill Maxwell (Culp). Their instructions are to use
2958-453: Was announced as the lead in ABC 's reboot; however, ABC declined to pick up the series. During July 2008, it was announced that Katt was writing a comic book series based on the television series for his publishing company, Catastrophic Comics, in conjunction with Arcana Studios. The three-issue mini-series debuted later that year, featuring an updated retelling of the original pilot episode set in
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#17327982118833016-555: Was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment company had acquired the rights to several Stephen J. Cannell series, including The Greatest American Hero . They subsequently re-released the first season as well as a complete series box set on May 18, 2010. Season 2 was re-released on October 12, 2010. On November 10, 2011, Mill Creek Entertainment released The Greatest American Heroine TV movie on DVD. On September 26, 2017, Cinedigm re-released The Greatest American Hero: The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1. Shout! Factory acquired
3074-612: Was demonstrated that physiological and biochemical events could inhibit endogenous thermoregulation before the onset of hypothermia in a challenging process known as "estivation". This is indispensable to survive harsh environmental conditions, as seen in some amphibians and reptiles. Lowering the temperature of a substance reduces its chemical activity by the Arrhenius equation . This includes life processes such as metabolism. Cryonics could eventually provide long-term suspended animation. Emergency Preservation and Resuscitation (EPR)
3132-426: Was his partner, much like Ralph and Maxwell operated. But Jim was overwhelmed with the power of the suit, and he used it selfishly and for ill-gotten gains, until the aliens discovered this and took the suit away. It is unknown whether or not there were others before Jim who were visited by the aliens. In "Divorce Venusian Style", the pair meet one of the aliens, whose world was apparently destroyed (which hints as to why
3190-431: Was hurriedly changed to "Hanley" in two episodes. In "Here's Looking at You, Kid", aired within days of the incident, this was accomplished by overdubbing a student's use of "Mister Hinkley" to "Mister H," and later by dropping out the audio and dubbing jet engine roars over June Lockhart's two mentions of Ralph's surname in an airport scene. Two weeks later in "Reseda Rose," the name "Hinkley" was overdubbed "Hanley" whenever
3248-478: Was temporarily changed to "Hanley" for a few months immediately after President Ronald Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981. The series chronicles Ralph's adventures after a group of aliens gives him a red and black suit that grants him superhuman abilities. Unfortunately for Ralph, he must learn how to use the suit's powers by trial and error, often with comical results. The theme song , sung by Joey Scarbury ,
3306-427: Was to be produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller , both of whom wrote and directed The Lego Movie . Deadline reported on September 8, 2017, that Rachna Fruchbom and Nahnatchka Khan would produce a female-led remake for 20th Century Fox TV and ABC Studios . The suit was to be donned by Meera, an Indian-American woman. Actress Hannah Simone was cast as the lead for the reboot. On February 12, 2018, Simone
3364-528: Was ultimately dismissed. However, the series has more inspiration owed to another DC property, Green Lantern , in that it shares the basic concept of an ordinary human being given a powerful weapon granting extraordinary abilities by extraterrestrials, including the later appearance in the series of an alien who is loosely reminiscent of the Green Lantern Corps ' administrators, the Guardians of
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