NCIS Gets A Surprise Visit From An ’80s TV Icon — Watch

NCIS Gets A Surprise Visit From An ’80s TV Icon

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Tuesday’s episode of “NCIS.”

Believe it or not: “NCIS” just crossed paths with ’80s TV royalty.

In Tuesday’s episode of the CBS procedural, the team investigated the death of a sailor who competed in a dangerous online game show. The sailor used to cheer up kids at a local hospital dressed up as superhero Ralph from the 1980s TV show “The Greatest American Hero.” By episode’s end, though, the game show’s host Jordan stepped in to fill his shoes: “It’s a big cape to fill, but I’ll do my best.” And he was led into the children’s ward by a doctor played by… original “Greatest American Hero” star William Katt!

We even heard strains of the “Greatest American Hero” theme song (aka “Believe It or Not”) when Katt’s doctor entered the scene, and when he saw Jordan in costume, he deadpanned: “Nice suit.” (Press PLAY above to watch the scene in full.)

The Greatest American Hero aired for three seasons on ABC

Debuting on ABC in 1981, “The Greatest American Hero” starred William Katt as Ralph, a high school teacher who stumbled upon an alien superhero suit that gave him superhuman powers when he wore it, turning him into an unlikely crime-fighter. Robert Culp co-starred as Ralph’s FBI handler Bill Maxwell, with Connie Sellecca as attorney Pam. The series ultimately ran for three seasons, with the theme song becoming a Top 5 hit on the Billboard charts. 

“NCIS” showrunner Steven J. Binder hinted at Katt’s cameo when speaking about Season 24 with TVLine for our Fall TV Preview. Binder teased that we’d see a cameo from “someone who was on a TV show that might have been my favorite TV show in the ’80s, and a lot of people’s favorite TV show in the ’80s.” The cameo “fits in the story in a really nice, heartfelt way,” he added.

Hit the comments below to share your thoughts on Katt’s cameo and this week’s “NCIS.”