Phil Lord And Chris Miller Guiding New 'Greatest American Hero' TV Series

In the early '80s, comic book fans didn't have a lot of options to see costumed heroes on TV and in movies. Outside of the big-screen Superman films and The Incredible Hulk on TV, the offerings were pretty slim. But William Katt wore a red costume as the title character in The Greatest American Hero, an original TV series that centered around a schoolteacher who acquires a super-powered suit from aliens, but loses the instructions and has to learn the hero game by trial and error. Now Fox is prepping a new Greatest American Hero TV series, with The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street writer/directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller as guiding producers.

Deadline reports that Rodney Rothman is writing and directing the new show, which has Lord and Miller as exec producers with Tawnia McKiernan, the daughter of original series creator Steven J. Cannell.

The site describes the show:

The new Greatest American Hero will chronicle inner-city teacher Isaac's adventures after his discovery of a superhero suit which gives him superhuman abilities. Unfortunately for Isaac, he hates wearing the suit, and has to learn how to use its powers by trial and error because he quickly misplaces the suit's instructions. He also has to deal with a government handler who has very different objectives than him and struggles as to whether he should use his newfound gifts to help others or just himself.

Writer/director Rothman worked with Lord and Miller on 22 Jump Street, and the Jump Street films were in turn big-screen spin-offs of another show created by Cannell.

The original series was silly but fun. With Lord and Miller guiding the new one, there's a lot of potential for a very funny show.

Here's the show's original pilot: