TV series
The chronicles of teacher Ralph Hinkley's adventures after a group of aliens gives him a red suit that gives him superhuman abilities. Unfortunately, Ralph, who hates wearing the suit, immediately loses its instruction booklet, and thus has to learn how to use its powers by trial and error, often with comical results.
Streaming, rental and purchase options
Checked Jul 26, 2026
The Greatest American Hero is available to stream on Peacock, Peacock Premium, Prime Video, Fubo, Amazon Freevee, Plex, Pluto TV, Shout! Factory TV, The Roku Channel, and Tubi in United States. You can also buy it from Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. Use the direct links below to open the provider.
The chronicles of teacher Ralph Hinkley's adventures after a group of aliens gives him a red suit that gives him superhuman abilities. Unfortunately, Ralph, who hates wearing the suit, immediately loses its instruction booklet, and thus has to learn how to use its powers by trial and error, often with comical results.
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 1
Ralph dons a baseball suit to trap Latino revolutionaries who plan to finance a coup by fixing ball games.
Directed by Georg Stanford BrownGuest stars Markie Post, Don Drysdale, Bruce Kirby, Carmen Argenziano, Hector Elias, Mike Douglas, William Marquez
Episode 2
Ralph and Bill must stop World War III by defusing a corrupt military leader's plans to launch a suprise missile attack against Russia.
Directed by Rod HolcombWritten by Frank LupoGuest stars William Bogert
Episode 3
Ralph and Bill are kidnapped by a tycoon that actually had his own suit given to him years ago by the aliens. The suit corrupted this man to use it for personal fortune, and he did not lose the instruction book. The aliens did not like the way he was using the suit, and they took it away from him.
Directed by Robert C. ThompsonWritten by Stephen J. CannellGuest stars Sonny Shields, Joseph Wiseman, Byron Morrow, Michael Alldredge, Fred Lerner, Chuck Bowman
Episode 4
A motorcycle gang steals the super-suit, and tries to use it to take over a town. It only works on Ralph, so they must force HIM to do their dirty work while holding Bill captive.
Directed by Ivan DixonWritten by Stephen J. CannellGuest stars Tony Burton, Paul Koslo, Dennis Burkley, Marianne Muellerleile, Gregory Sierra, Dennis Fimple
Episode 5
Ralph's students start a band, and a promoter lands them a spot on a big ticket concert while trying to get Pam to go out with him.
Directed by Bruce KesslerWritten by Frank LupoGuest stars William Bogert, Edward Winter
Episode 6
Ralph finds a window into the 4th dimension while scouting an old house. Bill gets possesed by a woman's spirit, and Ralph must return her through that window.
Written by Juanita BartlettGuest stars Rae Allen, Jeff MacKay
Episode 7
Bill has a treasure map, and takes Ralph and his class out to the desert to find the lost Diablo Gold Mine that vanished a long time ago, and are met with resistance from the local thieves.
Directed by Lawrence DohenyWritten by Juanita Bartlett
Episode 8
A psycho military cult leader tries to spread the small-pox virus.
Guest stars Arthur Rosenberg, William Bogert
Episode 9
Ralph crashes head first into a train, and gets amnesia. Pam and Bill have to convince him that the suit really works.
Directed by Lawrence DohenyWritten by Frank LupoGuest stars Francis X. McCarthy, F. William Parker, Jimmy Lydon, Dabbs Greer, Warren Munson, Perry Cook, Milt Kogan, Bob Harks
Episode 10
While practicing flying in the desert with Bill, Ralph gets a vision of a plane crash. It's the suit showing it to him, and Bill can only see it when he touches Ralph. They rush to the scene to find no plane, and figure out that it must be something that hasn't happened yet, and they're supposed to prevent it. We come to find out that Pam is on that plane, and it's been hijacked. To make matters worse, the plane has an experimental cloaking device that makes it invisible to radar, and the Air Force would rather shoot it down than have the plane in enemy hands.
Directed by Robert C. Thompson
Episode 11
Years ago, prisoners of war were brainwashed to respond to a code phrase. Now, someone is using them to commit acts of sabotage. Bill and Ralph investigate, but Bill inadvertently falls under a hypnotic trance, leaving the heroics up to Ralph.
Directed by Bruce KesslerWritten by Frank Lupo, Stephen J. Cannell
Episode 12
Ralph takes a job at the circus as a human cannonball while trying to help Bill bust a crime ring that involves a phony dating service.
Directed by Chuck BowmanWritten by Stephen J. Cannell
Episode 13
A space shuttle is about to crash, and only Ralph can save it. He does so, but ends up supermagnetized, perhaps permanently. Worst of all, a strange creature aboard the shuttle heads towards Los Angeles, electricuting all who get in its way.
Directed by Rod HolcombWritten by Stephen J. Cannell
Episode 14
Ron O'Neill, John Hancock, Thalmus Rasulala, Lincoln Kilpatrick Scenario: When an old FBI buddy invites Bill to his Caribbean retreat, Maxwell takes Ralph, Pam and the students along. Unfortunately, they find themselves involved in a voodoo plot to take over the island's government.
Directed by Rod HolcombGuest stars Ron O'Neal, Lincoln Kilpatrick
Episode 15
Ralph and Bill hunt for the sea creature ""Carrie"" in the Bermuda Triangle thinking that the monster may be responsible for all of the boats that disappear there. They undercover a stolen boat ring, and never find the creature.
Directed by Sidney HayersWritten by Frank Lupo
Episode 16
Ralph skis like a pro with the suit on, and stands in at the Olympics for a Russian skiier so the man can defect to America, and hand over top secret information that he stole.
Directed by Sidney HayersGuest stars Bob Hastings, William Lucking, Stefan Gierasch, Curt Lowens, Craig Schaefer
Episode 17
An act of kindness backfires when Ralph uses the suit to help a coworker with a personal project. This leads his other co-workers to take daring chances for their own shots at success. Soon, he must don the super suit not only to prevent them from ruining their lives, but also to save Bill from a vengeful, recently paroled killer.
Directed by Bruce KesslerWritten by Stephen J. Cannell
Episode 18
Bill convinces the parents of a kidnap victim to pay the ransom, certain that Ralph can recover it when he saves their little girl. Ralph finds himself being audited by an overzealous IRS agent who's convinced he took the ransom money. Meanwhile, Ralph and Bill keep getting shot at in drive-by shootings, but by who?
Directed by Ivan DixonWritten by Frank Lupo
Episode 19
Tired of using the suit to fight crime, Ralph decides to branch out. He tries to intervene in a battle between an old man fighting for his home and the city taking it away, but Bill has him on the hunt for bank robbers.
Directed by Bruce KesslerGuest stars Keenan Wynn, Dennis Lipscomb, Carmen Argenziano, Bill Quinn
Episode 20
Bill recieves hot tips on a speed factory working out of a fast food chain, and a newspaper reporter publishes pictures of Ralph flying.
Written by Frank Lupo, Stephen J. CannellGuest stars Chuck McCann, Stanley Grover, William Bogert
Episode 21
Ralph's mother is re-marrying to a man who planted a much wanted micro-chip in her engagement ring.
Where to watch The Greatest American Hero
Episode 22
Bill falls in love with a female FBI agent, and wants to tell her about the suit. She turns out to be a spy, and is ordered to kill him.
Directed by Robert CulpWritten by Robert CulpGuest stars Dixie Carter, William Bogert, Arnold F. Turner, Gary Pagett
Episode information updated Jul 26, 2026
William KattRalph Hinkley
Robert CulpBill Maxwell
Connie SelleccaPam Davidson
Faye GrantRhonda Blake
Michael ParéTony Villicana
Jesse D. GoinsCyler Johnson
Mel Stewart
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