The Greatest American Hero was an American comedy-drama television series that aired for three seasons between 1981 to 1983. It was created by producer Stephen J. Cannell. It starred William Katt as teacher Ralph Hinkley (“Hanley” for the latter part of the first season), Robert Culp as FBI agent Bill Maxwell, and Connie Sellecca as lawyer Pam Davidson.
Ralph is a Los Angeles public school teacher of special education high school students who have behavioural issues. His class includes Faye Grant (V) and Michael Paré (Eddie and the Cruisers, The Philadelphia Experiment). Ralph is determined to teach something so takes them on a “geological survey” field trip to the desert. Coming back from the field trip later that night, the school bus breaks down. Ralph starts to walk back through the desert to get help and encounters a swerving car driven by FBI Special Agent Bill Maxwell (Culp) that stops just in time to avoid hitting Hinkley. Maxwell insists that he could not control the car.
An alien spacecraft appears and the aliens tell Ralph and Bill (by way of the car radio) that they are to work together to save the world from its own destruction and Ralph will be given the power to change it. They are given a black case. Ralph takes the case, but drops a component which later turns out to be the instruction manual. Later Ralph opens the case and finds a red suit (with cape), which endows him with superhuman abilities. Pam Davidson is an attorney who handled Ralph’s divorce and later becomes his wife. She often joins Ralph and Bill on their adventures.
Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger was Toei Company's 37th entry in its long-running Super Sentai Series. It aired from February 17th 2013 to February 9th 2014 for 49 episodes. Long ago in the Read more
Zorro's Fighting Legion is a 1939 Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters. It features Reed Hadley as Zorro. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against Read more
Zone Fighter was a tokusatsu science fiction/superhero television series produced by Toho Company Ltd. It aired from April 2nd 1973 to September 24th 1973, with a total of 26 episodes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdhcjsVLDQY The series follows Read more
Zapped is a British sci-fi/fantasy sitcom that takes place in both in the real world and in a town called Munty which exists in a medieval fantasy world. The series Read more
Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan was a Philippine fantasy-drama television that span off from Space Sheriff Shaider. Originally it was conceived as a Filipino remake of Shaider but the Toei Company rejected the Read more
Mackenzie Crook returns in a new episode of his interpretation of Barbara Euphan Todd's Worzel Gummidge. Crook already has two episodes under his belt which debuted last Christmas- The Scarecrow Read more
In Mackenzie Crook's second episode of Worzel Gummidge a mysterious man arrival to Scatterbrook known as The Green Man (Michael Palin). Through the episode it is revealed that The Green Man Read more
Anticipation was high for Mackenzie Crook's interpretation of Barbara Euphan Todd's scarecrow adventures and with many seemingly already making their mind up based on the trailer it was an uphill Read more
Children's TV is no stranger to weird psychedelic visions but none have ever matched the trippy shizzle that legendary magician Paul Daniels (and wife Debbie McGee) came up with for Read more
Debuting in 1983 and running for eight episodes (of which three episodes were directed by Bill Bixby), Wizards and Warriors, was a fantasy show which focused on two neighbouring kingdoms Read more
It is Cult Faction's sad duty to report that William Lucking passed away at the age of 80 years old back on October 18th 2021 at his home in Las Read more
Created by Tom Greene, Wildside debuted on March 21st 1985 and ran for six episodes. The show starred William Smith, J. Eddie Peck, Howard Rollins, Sandy McPeak, Terry Funk, John D'Aquino, Read more
Whiz Kids was created by Philip DeGuere and Bob Shayne and originally aired from October 5, 1983 to June 2, 1984, lasting one season and consisting of 18 episodes. Richie Read more
Written by Gary Scott Thompson and directed by BJ Davis, White Ghost (which is military code for a Vet who has gone missing) stars The Greatest American Hero himself William Read more
Debuting in 1998 and running for thirteen episodes, Welcome to Paradox was an anthology show where all the stories took place in the fictional future city of Betaville although the Read more
Warrior of Love Rainbowman was a tokusatsu series created by Kōhan Kawauchi. It was the first superhero TV series produced by Toho Company Ltd., and ran from October 6th 1972 to September 18th 1973 Read more
In 1953, Earth experienced a War of the Worlds. Common bacteria stopped the aliens, but it didn't kill them. Instead, the aliens lapsed into a state of deep hibernation. Now Read more
Voyagers! was a science fiction time travel-based television series that ran between 1982 and 1983. It starred Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce and lasted for one season of twenty episodes. Read more
One of my favorite science fiction shows when I was a child was Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, starring Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson and David Hedison Read more
Brett Summers
Founded Cult Faction in 2014. Some would describe him as a teacher, writer, dream weaver, and visionary... some would not...
3 thoughts on “The Greatest American Hero”