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News The Greatest American Hero Reboot Lands at ABC

B.J. said:
I'm not liking their description. They keep referring to it as a comedy, and only a half-hour long at that. The original was an hour-long drama (with occasional comedic elements).
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I think "occasional" is downplaying it. Like most of Stephen J. Cannell's shows from the era, it relied heavily on character humor, and it was something of a superhero parody to begin with. It did have its dramatic moments, but it skewed fairly heavily toward the comedic.

Of course a half-hour sitcom with a female lead is bound to be quite different, but that isn't automatically a bad thing. It depends on whether the new approach is worthwhile in its own right. Superhero sitcoms can be tricky, though. The only successful ones I can think of in live action are Batman '66 and (apparently) the current incarnation of The Tick. Of course, there haven't been all that many over the years, and Sturgeon's Law means that most entries in any genre will be disappointing.
 
Christopher said:
I think "occasional" is downplaying it. Like most of Stephen J. Cannell's shows from the era, it relied heavily on character humor, and it was something of a superhero parody to begin with. It did have its dramatic moments, but it skewed fairly heavily toward the comedic.
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Well, it's admittedly been >30 years since I watched it, and my memories are through the eyes of ~8 year old me, so I could be a bit off. :)
 
It sounds as if The Good Place had cast "Tahani" as Eleanor. :)

In the pre-Seinfeld 80s it did seem like a lot of comedies had dramatic elements to them. I don't miss having to sit through "very special" episodes where a character died or got into trouble somehow but maybe they go too far sometimes now.
 
Mr. Adventure said:
In the pre-Seinfeld 80s it did seem like a lot of comedies had dramatic elements to them. I don't miss having to sit through "very special" episodes where a character died or got into trouble somehow but maybe they go too far sometimes now.
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Well, Greatest American Hero was more like an action drama that had comedic elements. Sort of in the vein of shows like The Flash or iZombie today, telling stories about serious danger but with a lot of humor in the characters' personalities and interplay. TGAH's humor came mainly from Ralph struggling to use the supersuit's powers after losing the instruction manual; Ralph's embarrassment at being seen in the supersuit and presumed to be a lunatic by bystanders; and especially Bill Maxwell's quirky, gung-ho personality and his mismatched-buddies interaction with Ralph. Their unlikely friendship and clashing personalities were the heart of the show (a trait shared by several Stephen J. Cannell shows in the '80s, also including Tenspeed and Brown Shoe and Hardcastle and McCormick).
 
Hm. Well, I was skeptical about the new version, but curious to see what it would've been like. I guess I'll never know, unless the pilot shows up online. (Although it sounds like it's one of several unseen reboot pilots, not counting the Greatest American Heroine sequel pilot that got added to the syndication package and is sometimes mistaken for the series finale as a result.)
 
I suppose no one wants to do superhero comedies...

Eh, does anyone remember Captain Nice?
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Skipper said:
I suppose no one wants to do superhero comedies...
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The Tick? The Flash? Legends of Tomorrow? You could make a case for iZombie and Lucifer if you stretch the definition. Plus there was Powerless last year and the New Warriors sitcom Marvel's been developing (and a Damage Control pilot that's in development limbo).
 
Christopher said:
The Tick? The Flash? Legends of Tomorrow? You could make a case for iZombie and Lucifer if you stretch the definition. Plus there was Powerless last year and the New Warriors sitcom Marvel's been developing (and a Damage Control pilot that's in development limbo).
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Don't forget Iron Fist. I just laughed and laughed and laughed.
 
Christopher said:
Maybe it was exaggerated for comic effect, but it reflected the cultural air of contempt for superhero fiction. That's one thing about the show that's never held up for me, the way it and its characters looked down at the idea of superheroes. Having a heroic identity and saving lives wasn't something that inspired Ralph or that he used to inspire others, it was a dirty little secret that embarrassed him. It kind of makes the title sound sarcastic.
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This is why I never really cared for the show as a boy and couldn't get into The Greatest American Hero himself (he was risking brain damage flying how he did and hitting his head against metal or stone); also, I can't get why the aliens couldn't have given him a new book so that he could learn how to fly and use his powers properly, and I also don't understand how the public had contempt for superhero comics, but as soon as adult comics like Love & Rockets (or anything else that isn't superhero fiction) appear that aren't superhero fiction, the public raises a big stink against them for being 'dirty' and 'pornographic' and cause the creators to get arrested and the retailers/buyers to also be arrested having them, creating the need for an organization to defend said comic books like this one.:rolleyes:


Christopher said:
A TGAH reboot in this era would have to be very different. The original was made in a time when superheroes were seen as silly kid stuff, and someone seen in public wearing a superhero costume was seen as a freak or mentally ill, so Ralph was rather embarrassed by his situation. These days, superheroes are the pinnacle of pop culture, so if this Meera character were seen in the suit, she'd probably just be seen as a cosplayer. And someone who actually had demonstrable superpowers might well be admired. It would certainly be enormously harder to stay anonymous in an age of ubiquitous phone cameras and surveillance. If there's a Bill Maxwell, he'd probably have to have an intern constantly removing videos from YouTube and Instagram. In today's climate, he'd probably be working with Meera with the full knowledge and approval of the FBI and Homeland Security and whatnot, rather than as a lone wolf with a secret weapon even his bosses didn't know about. Which would open some cans of worms about the kind of assignments he'd give her.

In short, I'm not sure a modern update could really capture what gave the original its identity and flavor. But I suppose the most essential thing that made it work was the relationship between Ralph and Bill -- and the sheer charisma and talent of Robert Culp. If they focus on a similar relationship and get a comparable actor, maybe it could work even with so much else being different.

And of course, they should keep the theme song.
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What you mentioned I agree with (except for one thing, which I'll touch upon later) with some additions; Meera would have to make sure nothing can capture her face, by vibrating at a fast speed to make sure this doesn't happen, or would have to wear a mask that covers half of her face (like the Flash) or a hood and goggles/shades (like Green Arrow.) This would solve the problem of being captured by a security camera or any other kind of camera. I think that Maxwell (or whatever they have that's a version of Maxwell) might (and could ) be working with her in a department similar to the DEO on Supergirl.

Tosk said:
"Believe It Or Not" or GTFO.
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For what? If it can be brought back, and successfully, and it's not corny, then it will succeed as a theme song for this new show. If not, it'll be a disaster, and will sound as dated as it'll be perceived by TV viewers of the present. Better to have music that will work now rather than having the Post & Carpenter music 'just because'.:vulcan:
 
Shaka Zulu said:
also, I can't get why the aliens couldn't have given him a new book so that he could learn how to fly and use his powers properly,
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They gave him a new one. He lost it too.

ETA: the fact that he flew like a wounded duck was more likely due to his fears, rather than the lack of the instruction book.

I say this because:

a) in the episode in which he loses his memory he flies perfectly.
b) in the last episodes of the last season he was flying normally (but more likely because the joke was now old...)
 
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