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The Greatest American Hero

1981 – 1983Show3 seasons43 episodesTV-14

Action & AdventureComedy
48
MediocreGoodWatch score
IMDb7.3
48
MediocreGoodWatch score
IMDb7.3

Summary

The chronicles of  teacher Ralph Hinkley's adventures after a group of aliens gives him a red suit that gives him superhuman abilities. Unfortunately, Ralph, who hates wearing the suit, immediately loses its instruction booklet, and thus has to learn how to use its powers by trial and error, often with comical results.

Good for

  • Date night
  • Family movie night
  • Friends night

Skip it if

  • You want dark or edgy material

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for scares, brutality or tears.

Shows with

The Greatest American Hero episodes

3 seasons · 43 episodes

  1. S1 E1 The Greatest American Hero, 7.5
  2. S1 E2 The Hit Car, 7.0
  3. S1 E3 Here's Looking at You, Kid, 7.0
  4. S1 E4 Saturday Night on Sunset Boulevard, 7.1
  5. S1 E5 Reseda Rose, 7.0
  6. S1 E6 My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, 7.8
  7. S1 E7 Fire Man, 7.2
  8. S1 E8 The Best Desk Scenario, 7.3
  1. S2 E1 The Two-Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Fast Ball, 7.2
  2. S2 E2 Operation Spoilsport, 7.7
  3. S2 E3 Don't Mess Around with Jim, 7.7
  4. S2 E4 Hog Wild, 6.8
  5. S2 E5 Classical Gas, 6.7
  6. S2 E6 The Beast in the Black, 7.6
  7. S2 E7 The Lost Diablo, 6.7
  8. S2 E8 Plague, 7.4
  9. S2 E9 Train of Thought, 7.4
  10. S2 E10 Now You See It, 7.3
  11. S2 E11 The Hand-Painted Thai, 7.4
  12. S2 E12 Just Another Three-Ring Circus, 7.1
  13. S2 E13 The Shock Will Kill You, 7.5
  14. S2 E14 A Chicken in Every Plot, 6.7
  15. S2 E15 The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, 7.3
  16. S2 E16 It's All Downhill from Here, 6.9
  17. S2 E17 Dreams, 7.7
  18. S2 E18 There's Just No Accounting..., 7.9
  19. S2 E19 The Good Samaritan, 7.4
  20. S2 E20 Captain Bellybuster and the Speed Factory, 7.8
  21. S2 E21 Who's Woo in America, 7.8
  22. S2 E22 Lilacs, Mr. Maxwell, 7.7
  1. S3 E1 Divorce, Venusian Style, 7.8
  2. S3 E2 The Price Is Right, 7.4
  3. S3 E3 This Is the One the Suit Was Meant For, 7.2
  4. S3 E4 The Resurrection of Carlini, 7.3
  5. S3 E5 The Newlywed Game, 7.8
  6. S3 E6 Heaven Is in Your Genes, 7.7
  7. S3 E7 Live at Eleven, 7.7
  8. S3 E8 Space Ranger, 7.0
  9. S3 E9 Thirty Seconds Over Little Tokyo, 7.2
  10. S3 E10 Wizards and Warlocks, 7.6
  11. S3 E11 It's Only Rock and Roll, 7.3
  12. S3 E12 Desperado, 7.3
  13. S3 E13 Vanity, Says the Preacher, 7.1
  14. S3 E14 The Greatest American Heroine, 5.8

Cast

24 of 93 · most episodes first

Crew

Directors
Rod Holcomb, Ivan Dixon, Bruce Kessler
Written by
Stephen J. Cannell, Frank Lupo, Juanita Bartlett
Produced by
Stephen J. Cannell

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

March 18, 1981 · March 3, 1983 · Ended

First aired
March 18, 1981
Last aired
March 3, 1983
Status
Ended
Length
3 seasons · 43 episodes
Age rating
TV-14
Content
Violence
Genres
Action & Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Original language
English
Available in
7 countries

Tropes

Suspiciously Similar Substitute, Race Against the Clock, Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts +9

Q&A

7 questions, like "Where can I stream The Greatest American Hero?"

Questions about The Greatest American Hero

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Greatest American Hero?

PlexPrimefuboTVPeacockThe RokuThe CWPluto TVShout! Factory TV

In the United States, The Greatest American Hero streams on Prime, fuboTV, Peacock, and Shout! Factory, and it is free with ads on Plex, The Roku, The CW, Pluto TV, Shout! Factory TV, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads, Tubi TV, and Amazon MX Player. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 4 other countries.

Is The Greatest American Hero worth watching?

48
MediocreGoodWatch score

Reviews are weak, with a GoodWatch score of 48 (IMDb 7.3).

Is The Greatest American Hero okay for kids?

TV-14Violence

Yes: it's rated TV-14 in the United States for violence, and the viewing guide lists it for kids.

How long does it take to watch The Greatest American Hero?

43 h

About 43 hours: 43 episodes in 3 seasons of about 60 minutes each, aired from 1981 to 1983.

Will The Greatest American Hero make me laugh?

Funny

Yes: the humor is mostly situational comedy (8 of 10) and sharp wit (7 of 10).

Can I half-watch The Greatest American Hero?

Easy watchDemanding

Yes: it's easy to follow, with complexity at only 4 of 10, and the viewing guide calls it good for background watching.

What tropes does The Greatest American Hero use?

Suspiciously Similar SubstituteRace Against the ClockBeware of Hitchhiking GhostsDeadpan SnarkerClear My NameCircus EpisodeFreudian TrioCurb-Stomp BattleTop Ten JingleThe Korean WarChuck Cunningham SyndromeFlying Brickand 114 more

TV Tropes lists 126 tropes for it, including Suspiciously Similar Substitute, Race Against the Clock, and Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts.