Review(s): DVD The Greatest American Hero - Season Three
A hero's final flight...
The first season of THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO introduced a red super suit to likable high school teacher RALPH HINKLEY, and then introduces Ralph to the world. The problem is Ralph has lost the instructions on the use of the suit. You can't blame him! After all, there were aliens and a walking dead FBI agent and a bus load full of teenage sweathogs. Add into the mix, Robert "I Spy" Culp as scenarist Bill Maxwell, a man of action teamed with Ralph to point out things that need be avenged. Oh, there's also the divorce attorney / girlfriend played by Connie Selleca. Add in a still catchy theme song (and a less than catchy soundtrack) and your ready to fly. Well almost.
Then came the second full but sub par season. Now we have the last, abridged third season.
Now, the creators have committed to making this an adult adventure more on the lines of HUNTER or THE A-TEAM. The school teacher still takes in a salary but spends very little time in front of any kids. Actually most of the sweathog material is missing in its entirety. Pam (Connie Selleca) gets plenty of screen time in this third season, no longer hindered by a real-life pregnancy. And she also gives the most consistent performance of the crew.
Although I felt Season Three started off more promising then the second, it eventually fell into that same strange groove that grounded Season Two. The episodes are strange, and begin to take themselves too seriously. A continuing trend from Season Two is major lapses in logic. Ralph and Pam are married in early episodes and then get married later in the season. His son from season one is again never mentioned.
The greatest American hero is harmless comedy but is by no means ground-breaking. The repetitive special effects tire easily, especially when seen in an on-demand DVD format.
Overall the show continues as pretty good mindless entertainment, but it won't bring many new adult fans. Young teens and pre-teens may find it amusing. Still, it is always great to see television shows that would otherwise fly off into oblivion, available for multiple viewings were you can watch with great scrutiny.
This DVD set comes with no extra materials worth discussing.
Believe it or not, I'm now off the air!
It's a wild ride!
I remember watching this in high school. I thought it was great fun then and my kids think it still is now. Okay, we're not talking Academy award material here (Emmy?).
Ralph, Bill, & Pam are back for the third and final season of this far too short series about a man who is given a suit by aliens that gives him super powers. He is teamed with an FBI agent to help the world survive itself. In the first few minutes Ralph looses the instruction book and must noodle out how to operate the suit. He runs into a few walls, literally. The first season was a little rough. The second season fleshed out the concept. This third season started to stretch its legs but the show was cancelled.
I have looked for years for novels based on the show, to no avail. I even contacted Cannell to ask if I could write them. As Disney is half-heartedly working on a feature film based on the show Cannell wouldn't cut loose with permission. Alas, It would've been fun.
Anyway, if you have the other two seasons you'll love this one. The only complaint/change I would make is having to play the theme song before each episode. I would've made it so you could hit the "forward to next" button and go right to the action. Also, the jacket plays a bit of the theme song. I wish they'd made it possible to change the batteries.
Mike Hudspeth in St.Louis, Missouri
Fun but Short Final Season
Returning one last time, it's teacher Ralph Hinkley, his girlfriend/wife Pam, and FBI agent Bill Maxwell. Ralph still has his super suit and really has the basic stuff like flying and holograms and disappearing down. Of course, there's still the odd new power like mind control to deal with. And he still needs to keep the suit a secret from everyone as he helps Bill keep the world safe from Communists and terrorists alike.
Season 3 is only 13 episodes long, with 4 of them only having aired in syndication. All of them are present in this four-disc set, although they are in random order. This creates some continuity problems as Ralph and Pam are married in some episodes from discs one and two before the ceremony in disc three. While annoying, it hardly detracts from the overall enjoyment of the shows.
And they are fun. The three leads continue to have great chemistry and tackle every problem with wisecracks and teamwork, whether it be a rock and roll singer's life in danger, a plot to give top secret info to the Russians, a missing Middle Eastern prince, or a high school classmate in trouble. The special effects aren't the best and a few of the episodes seem forced, but this is still an entertaining show.
My biggest disappointment is the lack of the students. They're in a few shows, but in many they seem to be forgotten. I always liked the problems Ralph faces while trying to save the world while teaching his students. Still, this is a minor complaint overall.
As I noted, my biggest complaint is that the episodes aren't in original order, causing some confusion until I realized the problem. Still, they look and sound good with a clear picture and nice Dolby sound. There are no extras on this set. The box has a built in chip that plays a short clip from the chorus of the theme song when pressed. Fortunately, it seems hard to trip accidentally.
It's wonderful to have a mostly forgotten show like this released for the fans to enjoy. I'll be enjoying my sets for many years to come. You can believe it.
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