Just the facts, ma'am.

U.S.A. March 10 1978 - June 2 1982

U.K. ?
80 x 60 Minutes, 2 x 120 Minutes
Produced by: MCA/Universal
Shown on: CBS

Stars

Dr David Bruce Banner	Bill Bixby
The Incredible Hulk	Lou Ferrigno
Jack McGee	Jack Colvin
Narrator	Ted Cassidy
Exec Producer/TV creator	Kenneth Johnson
Supervising Producer	Nicholas Corea
Music	Joe Harnell

Opinion    

'Dr. David Banner. Physician. Scientist. Searching for a way to tap into the hidden strengths that all humans have. Then an accidental overdose of gamma radiation alters his body chemistry. And now, when David Banner grows angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs. The creature is driven by rage, and is pursued by an investigative reporter...
"Mr. McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."
The creature is wanted for a murder he didn't commit. David Banner is believed to be dead, and he must let the world think that he is dead until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him.'

When mild mannered scientist David Banner gets angry, he becomes a large, green, shirtless monster driven by rage and emotion rather than intellect or reason. That was the premise for the classic TV show The Incredible Hulk.

Based loosely on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, The Incredible Hulk was adapted for television by Kenneth Johnson, the man responsible for The Bionic Woman and, more recently, V and Alien Nation.

Johnson made a few changes from the characters' origins in comic books. Firstly, there was Dr Banner's first name. In the comic, it had been Bruce, but Johnson thought this was too stereotypically homosexual. In choosing David, there was also an allusion to David and Goliath.

Another major change, and a very wise one, was that TV's Hulk should be silent, thus avoiding such lines as 'Hulk smash!', which would have created a campness akin to Batman that Johnson was keen to get away from.

Indeed, rather than mucking in with other comic book adaptations such as The Adventures of Superman, or The Amazing Spiderman, the show owed more to The Fugitive and The Invaders, with David moving on from town to town across America, using a different alias each week, helping people in need, finding it surprisingly easy to get odd jobs, and forever running from those intent on capturing him.

In this case, the enemy was Jack McGee, a tabloid reporter from The National Register, who mistakenly believes the Hulk is responsible for the deaths of Dr Banner and his assistant in the first pilot movie. It is McGee, in fact, who christens the creature 'the Incredible Hulk' in one of his headlines. Needless to say, neither his editor nor anyone else believe his stories about a seven foot green monster, so he must prove it. He never does.

The highlight of each episode was always anticipating the 'Hulk-Outs', when Dr Banner would get sufficiently upset / angry / frustrated / injured to split his purple trousers and grow frightening eyebrows. In fact, the special effects budget was the highest on television (even higher than Battlestar Galactica), and so much was spent on Hulk-Outs and impressive feats of strength, that money had to be saved in other areas, such as using stock footage. This meant that the Hulk ran down 'that' alley in at least four episodes, and in the first season episode 'Never Give A Trucker An Even Break', scenes from Spielberg's Duel were used. After this, Spielberg claimed he lived in fear of the mothership from Close Encounters showing up on Laverne and Shirley.

The Incredible Hulk was a fairly formulaic series to begin with, and before long, all the episodes began to blend together. After five years, despite still healthy ratings, the show was cancelled, and having been revived for three TV movies between 1988 and 1990, the Hulk finally died on falling from a plane at the end of Death of the Incredible Hulk.

Reportedly, Gerald DiPegio, who penned the TV movies The Trial of the Incredible Hulk and The Death of the Incredible Hulk, had written a fourth reunion movie, called The Rebirth Of The Incredible Hulk. Bill Bixby had put the project into pre-production and was negotiating with CBS and ABC to produce it, but the project was abandoned when Bixby became ill, and sadly died.

In 2003, Universal Pictures produced the movie The Hulk, starring Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly and directed by Ang Lee.  Lou Ferrigno has a cameo role as a security guard at Banner's lab.

Trivia

1. Ted Cassidy, whose narration opened each episode, was better known for playing 'Lurch' in The Addams Family.
2. The role of the Hulk was turned down by Richard Kiel ('Jaws' from The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker.)
3. Second choice for the role was Lou Ferrigno's co-star in the 1977 documentary Pumping Iron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who missed out because he wasn't tall enough.
4. 'Married', the season two premiere, was the first sci-fi episode ever to win a non-technical Emmy. (Guest star Mariette Hartley picked up the award for her performance.)
5. During the five year run of the series, Lou Ferrigno received 2,000 fan letters a week, and was dubbed 'the Clark Gable of the 80's.'

Episode Guide

Pilot Movies
The Incredible Hulk (TV Movie)
Death In The Family (TV Movie)

Season 1
The Final Round
The Beast Within
Of Guilt, Models And Murder
Terror In Times Square
747
The Hulk Breaks Las Vegas
Never Give A Trucker An Even Break
Life And Death
Earthquakes Happen
The Waterfront Story

Season 2
Married (TV Movie )
The Antowuk Horror
Ricky
Rainbow's End
A Child In Need
Another Path
Alice In Disco Land
Killer Instinct
Stop The Presses
Escape From Los Santos
Wildfire
A Solitary Place
Like A Brother
Haunted
Mystery Man, Part 1
Mystery Man, Part 2
The Disciple
No Escape
Kindred Spirits
The Confession
The Quiet Room
Vendetta Road

Season 3
Metamorphosis
Blind Rage
Brain Child
The Slam
My Favorite Magician
Jake
Behind The Wheel
Homecoming
The Snare
Babalao
Captive Night
Broken Image
Proof Positive
Sideshow
Long Run Home
Falling Angels
The Lottery
The Psychic
A Rock And A Hard Place
Death Mask
Equinox
Nine Hours
On The Line

Season 4
Prometheus, Part 1
Prometheus, Part 2
Free Fall
Dark Side
Deep Shock
Bring Me The Head Of The Hulk
Fast Lane
Goodbye, Eddie Cain
King Of The Beach
Wax Museum
East Winds
The First, Part 1
The First, Part 2
The Harder They Fall
Interview With The Hulk
Half Nelson
Danny
Patterns

Season 5

The Phenom
Two Godmothers
Veteran
Sanctuary
Triangle
Slaves
A Minor Problem

TV Movies
The Incredible Hulk Returns (TV Movie)
The Trial Of The Incredible Hulk (TV Movie)
The Death Of The Incredible Hulk (TV Movie)

Media

DVD:

Buy the pilot episode (and 'Married') on DVD

Buy 'The Death of the Incredible Hulk' on DVD

Books:

  Buy Hulk: The Incredible Guide

Games

  Buy Hulk for PS2, XBox or Gamecube

  Buy The Incredible Hulk for Gameboy Advance

Links

Mark Rathwell's Incredible Hulk Page
Mark Stewart's Incredible Hulk Page