1x1 & 1x2 "The Greatest
American Hero" (two-hour pilot)
3-18-81 6788
Written by: Stephen J. Cannell
Directed by: Rod Holcoinb
Guest stars: Richard Herd,
G.D. Spradlin,
Ned Wilson,
Bob Minor, Jeff MacKay
Scenario: What would you do if aliens gave you a
strange suit
full of amazing powers, and sent you off to fight
crime? School teacher Ralph Hinkley must answer that question, despite losing
the suit's instruction manual. He also must learn to get along with his new
partner, FBI agent Bill Maxwell a man with his own ideas on how to best use
the suit. Of Note: Bill kidnapped for the first of many times.
Critique: Great stuff, one of the best pilots ever done, a great introduction to the suit and the characters around it. A+
1x3 "The Hit Car"
3-25-81 9601
Written by: Stephen J. Cannell
Directed by: Rod Halcomb
Guest stars: Gwen Humble, Gianni Russo, Kene
Holliday, Anthany Charnoto
Scenario: Bill, who has been attempting to smash a drug
ring for 20 years, must
transport a witness to Los Angeles
for the upcoming trial of the gang's leader. After
another agent is attacked by a strange weapon-laden
car, Bill enlists Ralph to help him survive
the trip. Of Note: Bill is shot twice. Flying footage and
backgrounds are reused from the pilot for the first of many times during the
first season. Critique: The chemistry between the three leads
really melds in this one. A
1x4 "Here's Looking at You, Kid"
4-1-81 9602
Written by: Juanita Bartlett
Directed by: Bob Thompson
Guest stars: June Lockhart, James Whitmore,
Jr.,
Red West, Bob Hastings
Scenario: Someone has stolen a secret gunsight. Bill
again hopes to
use the super suit to help solve the case. This
time, however, Ralph has his own problems, he's unexpectedly turning invisible. To add to his
worries, he's also scheduled to meet Pam's parents (Lockhart,Hastings)
for the first time. Of Note: Invisibility used for the first time. First
use of the mini walkie-talkies. Bill is held hostage in the same house
he was held in the pilot. Critique: Ralph learning a new power
is always good, and the 3 storylines worked well together. A
1x5 "Saturday on Sunset Boulevard"
4-8-81 9603
Written by: Stephen J. Cannell
Directed by: Rod Holcomb. .
Guest stars:. William Bogert, Kai Wilff,
Alexa
Hamilton, David Tress
Scenario: The Russians are hunting far an heiress and
her Russian
husband, planning to force her into allowing them
to establish a missile base on one of the islands she owns. Bill is also
hunting for them but he's
hampered by being under FBI suspicion for
failing a lie detector test.
Of Note: Pam is kidnapped for the first time. Bill's future
boss Carlisle is introduced. Critique: The Russian love story is
weak. B+
1x6 "Reseda Rose"
4-15-81 9606
Written by: Juanita Bartlett
Directed by: Gabrielle Beaumont
Guest stars: E.J. Peaker, Simone Griffeth,
Peter
White, Dave Shelley, Nicholas Worth
Scenario: The suit's powers aid Rhonda, one of Ralph's
students, when her mother is
captured by the Russians, who
think she has been snooping in their files.
Meanwhile Bill uses Ralph to check in on the FBI's watch list. Of Note:
Sellecca is clearly pregnant in this one. We get to see Ralph's ex-wife
Alicia. This is the "Mr.Hanley" overdub episode. Critique: So many bad accents
for one show but still
musters a B
1x7 "My Heroes Have Always Been
Cowboys" 4-29-81
9607
Written by: Stephen J. Cannell
Directed by: Arnold Laven
Guest stars: Jack Ging, John Hart (as
himself),Ferdy Mayne
Scenario: Both Ralph and Bill are disillusioned. Ralph
almost wiped out a bus full of
tourists during a flying mishap,
and one of Bill's heroes may be planning a
diamond theft. A chance meeting with a childhood
idol John Hart (The Lone Ranger), provides Ralph
with a possible solution to both problems.
Critique: Brilliant. Culp is the master. A+
1x8 "Fire Man"
5-6-81 9605
Written by: Lee Sheldan
Directed by: Gabrielle Beaumont
Guest stars: Mark Withers, Raymond Singer,
Steven Hirsch
Scenario:Ralph helps Tony find a job repossessing
cars, but the
favor turns sour when Tony's arrested for arson.
The police found him driving a car seen leaving the
scene of a suspicious fire. Ralph must work with Bill to find the real crook. Of
Note: Danny Glover guests as, what else? A cop who tries to bust Tony. Critique: Why
does Ralph's L.A. class have New York accents? Still it's Michael Pare`'s
(Tony) best
performance. A-
1x9 "The Best Desk Scenario"
5-13-81 9610
Written by: Juanita Bartlett
and Stephen J. Cannell
Directed by: Arnold Laven
Guest stars: Eugene Peterson, Duncan Regehr
Scenario:Promotions all around except for Bill who's pondering retirement from
the FBI and the suit. Pam's happiness at being promoted turns to
terror when
she discovers the head of her law firm (Peterson)
is also an underworld leader. Ralph dons
the super suit to save her and snaps Bill out of "retirement" to help.
Of Note: New suit power: pyrokinesis. Pam is kidnapped twice. Critique: Bill's
mid-life crisis is great comedy, everything connects, and is well
done. A+
