Stephen J. Cannell
Ralph Supermaxieroe

THE REVIEW

Fly Ralph, ever higher, nothing and no one can stop you, because you are a 'true' Supermaxieroe. Soar in the bright and vast sky... Ouch! Scratch that! For the series, who remembers that anymore? Ralph Supermaxieroe, one of the most fun, quirky, crazy, and fantastical TV shows I recall. The original title is "The Greatest American Hero" and it was created by Stephen J. Cannell, aired on ABC between 1981 and 1983 (three seasons - 44 episodes). Fortunately, the series was also aired here on a famous channel. The substantial difference with the myriad of other shows from that period was the unusual and irresistible charm, as watching the episodes provided hours of light-hearted and hilarious entertainment.

The protagonist is Ralph Hinkley (W. Katt), a high school teacher. During a field trip, he witnesses a close encounter of the third kind with mysterious alien creatures. They gift him a red suit with a logo and cape with marvelous powers (invisibility, flight, invulnerability, super speed, shrinking, etc.), with the mission to save Earth from dangers, catastrophes, and especially from the progressive destruction of the planet, caused by the human race. Only Ralph can use the costume, as it was created for his specific metabolism. Alongside him are his girlfriend Pam Davidson (C. Sellecca), a charming lawyer, and the grumpy FBI special agent Bill Maxwell (R. Culp). Often, arguments, discussions, and endless bickering arise between Ralph and Bill, but always imbued with underlying cheer. Ralph is not exactly the classic superhero who never makes mistakes; on the contrary, he is distracted, fearful, and indecisive. Not surprisingly, from the start, he loses the instruction manual for using the suit. Because of this, he must discover (so to speak) some of the powers the costume possesses, but he will never learn to fly perfectly. And it's precisely this that's the strength of the character and the microcosm around him: managing to face various difficulties without dramatizing excessively. But the peculiarity of the show doesn't just end here: there's a rather deep analysis of the psyche of the various characters. Many times, Ralph has to solve the numerous problems of daily life, both with Pam and with his turbulent students. The latter will cause him endless troubles, even though deep down they have grown fond of him for his sincerity and openness. Each episode also demonstrates, under the veil of charm and humor, that it's not so simple to play the part of the superhero. In fact, besides the mission to save the world, the superhero must become a 'normal' man, to overcome all the daily difficulties, because unfortunately, even superpowers can't solve them.

The episodes cover multiple themes: thriller, science fiction, adventure, espionage, ecology, and endless flying chases. The funny situations are countless, especially when Ralph has to wear the suit, often in the most unimaginable and unlikely places. But in particular, the flying scenes provoke hilarity: Ralph almost always ends up crashing inexorably into walls and billboards. The opening theme "Believe It or Not" is sung by Joey Scarbury. The track was released as a single in '81, achieving success on the hit parade. For the most passionate fans, a box set containing DVDs of all the episodes is available, along with a series of gadgets: cape, instruction booklet, photos, and much more (unfortunately, it is not currently distributed in the Italian market).

Fly Ralph... come on, this time you can do it... Flyyyyyyyyy!!! Ouch, oh no! Again (!?!). But deep down I know that in the end, you will make it...

 Best flying & falling regards ©.