What was so great about the premise again? Having to learn his powers?
Well, there was that season where he shot President Reagan and had to change his name.
I liked this show as a kid but I also remember being frustrated by it. Ralph didn’t have his powers figured out or a public persona like Superman, he mostly didn’t fight colorful arch enemies, and he didn’t have much of a chance of learning how to use his powers very well. On top of that, he spent most of his time bickering with his FBI agent partner. Seeing it again in reruns a few years later allowed me to appreciate the show because that was the crux of the show and that combined with the inability to really use the suit was a meta commentary on superhero themes before meta commentary on superheroes was a thing. Nowadays many super hero stories have a commentary about the genre in them, like Super, Nolan’s Batman films, or Kick Ass, or they have people standing around and talking instead of fighting bad guys, like Heroes.
I remember hearing a radio interview with Stephen J. Cannell about 10 years ago where he talked about this show and he was very cognizant of how important that relationship with Ralph and Bill was and how he was taking the “super” out of the super hero. I hope this new show can remain close to that spirit – goofy and fun without being a stupid hero sitcom. I also think that it can find a modern audience because show used to be episodic whereas now there can be more of an arc. He can get better at his powers gradually now with no reset button. Although that might also be a trap for the show – a season long arc would give us some big bad to fight like a shadowy government cabal or something. I would rather not see a shadowy government cabal as the bad guy.
Also Robert Culp was awesome. Bill Maxwell was a great character.
The kid (forget his character’s name, but played by Michael Pare) needs to come back as the old FBI agent. That way, they can hook him up with a new out-of-control youth, probably female, and have a plausible continuation from the original.
Female? How about Gillian Jacobs?
I always liked the payoff of the Mad Magazine parody. The aliens drop by to set Ralph straight about what the suit is meant for. He says, “Look, there’s been a mistake. I’m no superhero–I’m only a high school teacher.”
They reply, “And why do you think we gave it to you? In our civilization, teaching is our highest paid and most respected profession. We gave you these powers because you ARE a teacher–now use them the way they’re meant to be used!”
Final panel: Ralph, wearing the suit, stands sternly in front of his class, holding one of the usual troublemakers by the collar.
“Okay, listen up–here are the classroom rules. Homework must be turned in on time. No bathroom breaks without my express permission. Tardiness will not be overlooked and anyone acting up in class will answer to me! Is that clear?”
The troublemaker squeaks, “Um…can I return to my seat now…Mr. Hinkley, SIR?”
Oh I would not mind seeing Gillian Jacobs in a GAH super suit.
If they do the show now, they’re going to do it like every other show nowadays, serialized, with an ongoing story about a secret-identity villain, perhaps with a similar suit, or one bent on stealing the protagonist’s suit. And please don’t use the same stupid song. That was horrible.