On "Seinfeld", George's answering machine song parodies the theme from which TV series?

On "Seinfeld," George's answering-machine song parodies the theme from "The Greatest American Hero." The tune is "Believe It or Not," written by Mike Post and Stephen Geyer and performed by Joey Scarbury for the 1980s superhero series.

The parody appears in the Season 8 episode "The Susie." George records a dramatic message beginning with the familiar melody, replacing the original lyrics with a comic lament about his life and telephone situation. The joke works because the song's soaring, inspirational style is wildly out of proportion to George's petty troubles.

The original "Believe It or Not" was released as a 1981 single and became a major hit, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. That popularity made the melody recognizable even to viewers who had never watched the series.

A common mix-up is confusing the parody with another 1980s television theme, such as "Knight Rider" or "The A-Team." Those are listed as plausible distractors, but George's answering-machine song specifically borrows from "The Greatest American Hero."