The season three DVD set for The Greatest American Hero has the episodes out of order. (I have no idea if the subsequent complete series DVD set has the third season in proper sequence or if it's just like the previously issued stand-alone season three set which I now own.)
In between watching seasons one and two and deciding to look for season three, I did a little online research and found that the season three DVD set includes four episodes which didn't air on ABC (though possibly in some syndication package, but I'm pretty sure I only saw the first run GAH on ABC). I began watching season three and got through the first three episodes on disc one before I thought to look online for a GAH episode guide to see exactly which episodes were the unaired ones—the DVD packaging doesn't even mention unaired episodes—and that's when I found out they aren't presented in proper sequence!
So OK, I thought maybe there was just some sort of discrepancy in the order the episodes were aired on ABC (a la FOX's treatment of Firefly when they didn't air the actual intended two-hour pilot episode until the show had been on for eight or nine weeks!). Then I figured maybe the GAH producers like this new sequence better for whatever reason and there might not be (m)any continuity problems since for the most part each episode was pretty well self-contained.
I printed the correct episode sequence for reference, but since I had already watched the first three on disc one, I figured what the heck, I may as well watch the fourth episode too since apparently the first three were out of order anyway and it didn't seem to matter too much yet. About fifteen or twenty minutes into the fourth episode, "Bill" makes a reference to the "Counselor" about "your husband." Huh? I'd forgotten that "Pam" and "Ralph" actually get married in the series. But judging solely by the episode descriptions on the disc cases that doesn't happen until the first two episodes on disc 3 ("This Is The One The Suit Was Made For" and "The Newlywed Game" which deal with their engagement and subsequent wedding respectively).
Here are the thirteen season three episodes in the order they appear on the DVDs, but with the actual episode number for that season indicated to give an idea of just how out of order they really are:
- 2. The Price Is Right
- 9. 30 Seconds Over Little Tokyo
- 1. Divorce Venusian Style
- 7. Live At Eleven
- 4. The Resurrection Of Carlini
- 10. Wizards And Warlocks
- 6. Heaven Is In Your Genes
- 3. This Is The One The Suit Was Made For
- 5. The Newlywed Game
- 12. Desperado
- 8. Space Ranger
- 11. It's Only Rock 'N Roll
- 13. Vanity, Says The Preacher
By the way, GAH was not a great series by any standard. Mostly it's the three main characters (William Katt's "Ralph Hinkley"—briefly "Handley" or "Mr. H" after President Reagan was shot by John Hinkley around the same time—Robert Culp's FBI agent Bill Maxwell, and Connie Sellecca's "Pam Davidson", attorney at law and Ralph's girlfriend/fiancée/wife) that carry the shows. The stories aren't really that great, the dialogue of surrounding characters can be clunky at times, the overall acting isn't super, and the effects are so-so (though maybe pretty good in its day). Still, the show was just pure fun if you didn't take it all that seriously or think too much about it. Actually, the flaws kind of contribute to its general charm.
And many episodes featured some nice little pop ditty by Stephen Geyer who sounds a lot like Joey Scarbury of the hit theme song ("Believe It Or Not") fame. I tried to Google up some info on Mr. Geyer after having watched the first and second seasons and found some mentions here and there, but couldn't find anything in the way of recorded material (old or new) available for purchase on CD.
And now a coincidentally related backstory...
I had bought seasons one and two of GAH earlier in the summer when I found them used for $15 each. I enjoyed re-watching those so I began to keep watch for the third season to be available at a similar price. (I rarely order stuff online and then only if I absolutely cannot find an item at a retail location near me in the real world.)
I receive the weekly advertising supplements for the big electronics box stores with the part of my sunday newspaper which gets delivered along with the daily saturday paper. So that gives me a chance to look over the ads to see if there will be anything of special interest in the coming week.
Well, a few weeks ago I saw GAH:S3 advertised at Best Buy for precisely $15. However, I couldn't make it there at the crack of dawn sunday morning as I had family obligations that day. I ended up going to the store on monday instead, but naturally by then there were none available. As I've noticed in the past with Best Buy if you're not there sunday morning when the doors open, chances are they won't have what was advertised. (Although I didn't think GAH:S3 would be a hot seller even at the discount price.)
I really hate asking questions at the big box stores because I generally seem to get either shoulder shrugs or the general runaround. (I remember an instance a few years ago when I asked at a Circuit City if they had the just-released Mark Chesnutt CD which I couldn't seem to get my eye on. The clerk immediately responded, "Oh, you mean the new Kenny Chesney CD?" In my head I'm thinking, "No... Mark Chesnutt. There's a difference—one I like and the other I don't." Turned out they just didn't have it—Best Buy next door did—but I digress...) So anyway, I asked a clerk about the GAH:S3 DVD set. She checked to see if maybe it was available at any other local Best Buys, but it wasn't so she told me they had it on order and they would probably receive it later in the week. Ok, fine.
I made a special trip back on friday that same week and still no GAH:S3. On my way out of the store I thought to approach the guy at the doors whose job it is to inanely greet the incoming customers or tackle the outgoing shoplifters and asked him if they do rain checks. He replied that he didn't think they did rain checks, but they could do something they call "customer fulfillment." Yeah, OK. Whatever. He then directed me over to the customer service counter. I explained to the clerk there that the "door guy" sent me over so they could do a "customer fulfillment." She looked at me as if I'd just sprouted a set of antlers on my forehead and then asked the clerk next to her if they did "customer fulfillments." That clerk responded, "No, but we do rain checks." (AAAAAUGH!)
("Pins and needles, needles and pins, a happy man is a man that grins..."—sorry, unrelated Honeymooners reference there.)
I then calmly explained that I didn't care what they called it just so long as they'd intitiate some procedure whereby I could eventually purchase the desired product at the advertised price. So I left the store rain check in hand with the verbal assurance that someone would call me when the item was available (and I assumed it would be put aside for me). For some reason (my pessimistic nature, I guess) I doubted they would actually call, but a friend told me that he'd done rain checks at his own local Best Buy and they did indeed call him. The same friend also informed me that I could check Best Buy online myself to see when the DVD set might come in.
A couple weeks passed. I kept checking the BB web site and GAH:S3 was nowhere to be found. Generally, new CDs and DVDs are available on tuesdays, so I assume their general shipments of all CDs and DVDs probably come in on sunday or monday. One tuesday evening I made it a special point to check the web site again and still no GAH:S3. Then on thursday evening I checked again and it was listed! OK, but still no phone call from BB, though.
The next evening I drove over and used my rain check to purchase the item for the sale price of $15 instead of the regular $25 price. There were only two copies on the shelf, so I got half their stock. I can't prove it, but I strongly suspect that they just put all received copies out on the regular shelves rather than check for outstanding rain checks and make the call they were supposed to make. After all, why should they sell the item for $15 when they can put it out on the shelf and possibly sell it for full price? Or perhaps I'm just paranoid.
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