Did anyone watch this show? I never did because it was on and gone before I was born, but my older sister (she's 30) used to watch it and she said it was a really good show. It had the best theme song ever, called "Believe it or Not" sang by Joey Scarbury. When I first listened to it, I thought it was an actual song it was so good. I didn't even realize it was a theme song until later. :)  I've included the lyrics to the song, for anyone who wondered what the words to the song were.

Greatest American Hero theme song (Believe it or Not)

Look at what's happened to me,
I can't believe it myself.
Suddenly I'm up on top of the world,
It should've been somebody else.
Believe it or not,
I'm walking on air.
I never thought I could feel so free-
Flying away on a wing and a prayer
Who could it be?
Believe it or not it's just me.
It's like a light of a new day-,
It came from out of the blue.
Breaking me out of the spell I was in,
Making all of my wishes come true-
Believe it or not,
I'm walking on air.
I never thought I could feel so free-
Flying away on a wing and a prayer.
Who could it be?
Believe it or not it's just me....

??? What are you saying that "Believe It Or Not" by Joey Scarbury wasn't a real song?  It certainly was.

The 45 rpm (yes, vinyl) was the #2 song for two weeks in August 1981, on Billboard Magazine's Hot 100.  It was stopped from going to #1 by a combination of "Jesse's Girl" by Rick Springfield and "Endless Love" by Diana Ross & Lionel Richie.

It was a fabulous song even if the show had never aired and I think still might have still been a hit (although perhaps only hitting in the Top 20). 

I remember the show as well very fondly, it was out during the time I just had graduated from high school (1981) and then going to junior college (St. Petersburg Junior College) in Florida.  It was a fabulous show with a lot of great visuals and a fabulous story of English high school teacher (or was that a college instructor, by happenstance with the last name of Hinckley, like the guy who shot President Reagan -- or that was his name in the first episode that aired before Reagan's shooting and later changed to Hickley I do believe)  who is left a superhero suit by some aliens.  Again a fabulous show, too bad you missed it (I hope some day soon that perhaps some cable station such as TVLand@ will air the two and half seasons (spring 1981 - 1983) of this GREAT show!       

Pretty sure it's avaiable on DVD

Pretty sure it's avaiable on DVD


Do you know where?  I haven't seen it anywhere in the Atlanta area.  And by the way was he teaching college or high school?  (I always was a little bit hazy on that.

Also by the way, this was a pretty darn good show for ABC back then and one of the best cast shows of all time.

He was a high school teacher.

He was a high school teacher.


Thank you Dagwood, that's what I thought I remembered.  Although the high school in that show seemed rather large, but maybe that's a matter of perspective. 

I used to LOVE that show!  I thought that the guy was cute when I was younger.





Erin :)

Pretty sure it's avaiable on DVD


Do you know where?  I haven't seen it anywhere in the Atlanta area.


  Just Google "Greatest American Hero DVD" and a bunch of online stores will come up.

I learned about the show the opposite way. I had no idea that the theme song belonged to that show, as I knew about the show long before the theme song. I know it sounds weird, but I never connected the two. I guess I didn't pay much attention to the opening credits - I just thought they were two separate entities... lol

  Just Google "Greatest American Hero DVD" and a bunch of online stores will come up.


Thank you very much, Guest.

Can also check Best Buy or Walmart. I've seen both season 1 and season 2 at both (fact, I own the first, and will get the second when I actually have time to watch it.)

Kryllith

Do you know where?  I haven't seen it anywhere in the Atlanta area.

You can buy seasons 1 - 2 - 3 at Amazon.

The DVDs for this show are out, just go to any Best Buy, Sam Goody, or Wal-Mart.  You will find them.  The Season 3 DVD came out a couple of weeks ago I think, there is a button on the cover, and when you press it...the "Believe it or Not" theme song starts to play.....freakin' awesome. 

The Season 1 and 2 DVDs have a lot of interviews with the cast (William Katt and Robert Culp have both aged BADLY, but Connie Sellecca still looks gorgeous for what, 50 years of age I believe?) and the series creator Stephen J. Cannell, he talks a lot about how ABC wanted a straight up in your face conventional superhero show and how they didn't understand the concept behind The Greatest American Hero, which ultimately led to the show's premature demise.  Most of the hilarity in GAH came from the situations the character found himself in, rather then all the silly crashing into things, and Cannell talks about the TV networks didn't understand that.   It's too bad the teaser trailers that were infront of the episodes are missing, those were common of TV shows of that era, and it's criminal that some idiot forgot to put them on these DVDs.  Some music was altered too because of copyright reasons, but otherwise the DVDs are worth owning, a great bit of 80s nostalgia.   

Hey all Greatest American Hero fans!!!

I found the intro to the show on the Internet. Just type in http://www.retrojunk.com/details_tvshows/71-the-greatest-american-hero/ and you click on Intros and you can watch it. They even have the words to the theme song there as well.

Hey all Greatest American Hero fans!!!

I found the intro to the show on the Internet. Just type in http://www.retrojunk.com/details_tvshows/71-the-greatest-american-hero/ and you click on Intros and you can watch it. They even have the words to the theme song there as well.


Thank you Star500 for the link, played the clip of the intro for my lunch hour.  I miss that show sooooo much, have to get the DVD's, soon.  Thanks for all the info from everyone.  I love on that info seeing Robert Culp.  And William Katt in the role of the hero (before he became one of the lackeys for "Perry Mason".  And Connie Selleca looking that young (WOW!!! She was always hot, wasn't she?)  And of course Faye Grant as one of Katt's "students", forgot that Grant was part of the cast, shortly before she was to play Dr. Julie on the "V" miniseries.  Yes, definitely gotta get the DVD's!!!!   

I used to watch it. I thought it was a cute show. But I LOVED the themed song. I think the song was a bigger hit than the show.






Cat

William Katt and Robert Culp have both aged BADLY, but Connie Sellecca still looks gorgeous for what, 50 years of age I believe?


Well, Culp will be turning 75 on Tuesday, so he's not exactly a spring chicken...

Good show, good theme song

Well, Culp will be turning 75 on Tuesday, so he's not exactly a spring chicken...


OK that is true, but William Katt looks awful in present day, and he's only around the early 50s or something.  Connie Sellecca is 50 and she still looks GORGEOUS.