The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series): Difference between revisions
Not 1978 Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
Copy edit |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description| |
{{Short description|1978–1982 television series}} |
||
{{About|the live-action series|other uses|The Incredible Hulk (disambiguation)}} |
{{About|the live-action series|other uses|The Incredible Hulk (disambiguation)}} |
||
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}} |
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}} |
||
Line 38: | Line 38: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
| network = [[CBS]] |
| network = [[CBS]] |
||
| first_aired = {{Start date|1977|11|4}} |
| first_aired = {{Start date|1977|11|4}} (pilot only) |
||
| last_aired = {{End date|1982|5|12}} |
| last_aired = {{End date|1982|5|12}} |
||
| related = ''[[The Incredible Hulk Returns]]'' (1988) |
| related = ''[[The Incredible Hulk Returns]]'' (1988) |
||
Line 45: | Line 45: | ||
'''''The Incredible Hulk''''' is an American television series based on the [[Marvel Comics]] character the [[Hulk]]. The series aired on the [[CBS]] [[television network]] and starred [[Bill Bixby]] as Dr. David Banner, [[Lou Ferrigno]] as the Hulk, and [[Jack Colvin]] as Jack McGee. |
'''''The Incredible Hulk''''' is an American television series based on the [[Marvel Comics]] character the [[Hulk]]. The series aired on the [[CBS]] [[television network]] and starred [[Bill Bixby]] as Dr. David Banner, [[Lou Ferrigno]] as the Hulk, and [[Jack Colvin]] as Jack McGee. |
||
In the |
In the series, Dr. David Banner, a widowed physician and scientist who is presumed dead, travels across the United States under [[Pseudonym|assumed names]] and finds himself in positions where he helps others in need despite his terrible secret: Following an accident that altered his cells, in times of extreme anger or stress, he transforms into a huge, savage, incredibly strong green-skinned humanoid, who has been named "the Hulk". In his travels, Banner earns money by working temporary jobs while searching for a way to either control or cure his condition. All the while, he is obsessively pursued by a [[tabloid newspaper]] reporter, Jack McGee, who is convinced that the Hulk is a deadly menace whose exposure would enhance his career. |
||
The series' two-hour [[television pilot]] movie, which established the Hulk's origins, aired on November 4, 1977. The series' 80 episodes were originally broadcast by CBS over five seasons from 1978 to 1982. It was developed and [[Television producer|produced]] by [[Kenneth Johnson (producer)|Kenneth Johnson]], who also [[Screenwriter|wrote]] or [[Film director|directed]] some episodes. The series ends with David Banner continuing to search for a cure. |
The series' two-hour [[television pilot]] movie, which established the Hulk's origins, aired on November 4, 1977. The series' 80 episodes were originally broadcast by CBS over five seasons from 1978 to 1982. It was developed and [[Television producer|produced]] by [[Kenneth Johnson (producer)|Kenneth Johnson]], who also [[Screenwriter|wrote]] or [[Film director|directed]] some episodes. The series ends with David Banner continuing to search for a cure. |
||
In 1988, the filming rights were purchased from [[Universal Television|MCA/Universal]] by [[New World Television]] for a series of [[TV movie]]s to conclude the series' |
In 1988, the filming rights were purchased from [[Universal Television|MCA/Universal]] by [[New World Television]] for a series of [[TV movie]]s to conclude the series' storyline. The broadcast rights were, in turn, transferred to rival [[NBC]]. New World (which at one point owned Marvel) produced three [[television film]]s: ''[[The Incredible Hulk Returns]]'' (directed by [[Nicholas J. Corea]]), ''[[The Trial of the Incredible Hulk]]'', and ''[[The Death of the Incredible Hulk]]'' (both directed by Bill Bixby). Since its debut, ''The Incredible Hulk'' has garnered a worldwide fan base.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/881/881149p1.html |title= Hulk Smash Television! |website= IGN.com |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |access-date=September 9, 2010}}</ref> |
||
==Premise== |
==Premise== |
||
David Banner, M |
David Banner, M.D., is a physician and scientist employed at California's Culver Institute, who is [[psychological trauma|traumatized]] by the car accident that killed his beloved wife, Laura. Haunted by his inability to save her, Banner and his research partner, Dr. Elaina Marks, study people who were able to summon superhuman strength during moments of extreme stress. Obsessed with discovering why he was unable to exhibit such super-strength under similar conditions, Banner hypothesizes that high levels of [[gamma radiation]] from [[sunspot]]s contributed to the subjects' increase in strength. Impatient to test his theory, Banner conducts an unsupervised experiment in the laboratory, bombarding himself with gamma radiation. However, the radiology equipment has recently been recalibrated, and Banner unknowingly receives a massive overdose. He initially thinks that the experiment has failed, but, when he injures himself while changing a flat tire, Banner's anger triggers his transformation into a {{convert|7|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}}, {{convert|330|lb|kg|adj=mid}}, green-skinned, superhumanly strong creature who is driven by rage, and has only a primitive, sub-human intelligence. The creature reverts to Banner when he calms down, and, since Banner is unable to remember what occurs while in his transformed state, he goes to Marks for help. The two of them slowly piece together what happened and investigate the nature of the metamorphosis, and the possibility of a cure. Their efforts are hindered by tabloid reporter Jack McGee, who was initially investigating Banner and Marks' superhuman strength research but now suspects them of being connected to the reports of a green-skinned monster roaming the area. While snooping around their laboratory, McGee unknowingly triggers a fire, and Banner rushes back into the laboratory to save Marks, only for the creature to emerge from the fire with her in his arms, dying. Mistakenly believing that Banner was killed in the fire along with Marks and that the creature was responsible for their deaths, McGee publishes a story naming the "Incredible Hulk" as their killer and urges law enforcement to capture him. Believed to be dead, Banner grimly resolves to travel from place to place, assuming different identities and odd jobs to support himself and enable his search for a cure. He also finds himself feeling obliged to help the people he meets out of whatever troubles have befallen them. Inevitably, doing so puts him in perilous situations that trigger his transformations into the Hulk, which in turn attracts the attention of McGee, who is obsessively pursuing the mysterious creature across the country, both to prevent further violence and to bring legitimacy to his story. |
||
Despite the rampages, the Hulk usually does good for the people Banner encounters in his travels. Each episode inevitably ends with Banner back on the road, fearful that the Hulk's appearances will bring unwanted scrutiny from the authorities and the ever-persistent McGee. |
Despite the rampages, the Hulk usually does good for the people Banner encounters in his travels. Each episode inevitably ends with Banner back on the road, fearful that the Hulk's appearances will bring unwanted scrutiny from the authorities and the ever-persistent McGee. |
||
Line 62: | Line 62: | ||
[Banner]: "Mr. McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." |
[Banner]: "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 |
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.}} |
||
Prior to the beginning of the series, a different version (also provided by Cassidy) was used for the second pilot movie, ''The Return of the Incredible Hulk'' (later re-titled "Death in the Family"): |
Prior to the beginning of the series, a different version (also provided by Cassidy) was used for the second pilot movie, ''The Return of the Incredible Hulk'' (later re-titled "Death in the Family"): |
||
Line 108: | Line 108: | ||
===Casting=== |
===Casting=== |
||
For the role of Dr. David Banner, Kenneth Johnson cast [[Bill Bixby]]<ref>{{cite news |title= Bill Bixby, Star of TV's 'Incredible Hulk,' Dies |work= Los Angeles Times |date=November 23, 1993 |url= http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-23/local/me-60008_1_bill-bixby |first=Myrna|last=Oliver |access-date=October 6, 2010}}</ref>—his first choice for the role.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fary |first=Lisa |title=Interviews: Kenneth Johnson (Part 1 of 2) |url=http://www.pinkraygun.com/2007/06/07/interviews-kenneth-johnson-part-1-of-2/ |website=PinkRaygun.com via archive.li |date=June 7, 2007 |access-date=April 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130411172733/http://www.pinkraygun.com/2007/06/07/interviews-kenneth-johnson-part-1-of-2/ |archive-date=April 11, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[Jack Colvin]] was cast as "Jack McGee", the cynical tabloid newspaper reporter—modeled after the character of [[Javert]] in ''Les Misérables''<ref name="FSR" />—who pursues the Hulk. [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] auditioned for the role of the Hulk, but was rejected due to his inadequate height, according to Johnson in his commentary on ''The Incredible Hulk – Original Television Premiere'' DVD release. Actor [[Richard Kiel]] was hired for the role. During filming, however, Kenneth Johnson's |
For the role of Dr. David Banner, Kenneth Johnson cast [[Bill Bixby]]<ref>{{cite news |title= Bill Bixby, Star of TV's 'Incredible Hulk,' Dies |work= Los Angeles Times |date=November 23, 1993 |url= http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-23/local/me-60008_1_bill-bixby |first=Myrna|last=Oliver |access-date=October 6, 2010}}</ref>—his first choice for the role.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fary |first=Lisa |title=Interviews: Kenneth Johnson (Part 1 of 2) |url=http://www.pinkraygun.com/2007/06/07/interviews-kenneth-johnson-part-1-of-2/ |website=PinkRaygun.com via archive.li |date=June 7, 2007 |access-date=April 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130411172733/http://www.pinkraygun.com/2007/06/07/interviews-kenneth-johnson-part-1-of-2/ |archive-date=April 11, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[Jack Colvin]] was cast as "Jack McGee", the cynical tabloid newspaper reporter—modeled after the character of [[Javert]] in ''Les Misérables''<ref name="FSR" />—who pursues the Hulk. [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] auditioned for the role of the Hulk, but was rejected due to his inadequate height, according to Johnson in his commentary on ''The Incredible Hulk – Original Television Premiere'' DVD release. Actor [[Richard Kiel]] was hired for the role. During filming, however, Kenneth Johnson's son pointed out that Kiel's underdeveloped physique did not resemble the Hulk's. Soon, Kiel was replaced with professional bodybuilder [[Lou Ferrigno]], although a very brief shot of Kiel (as the Hulk) remains in the pilot. According to an interview with Kiel, who saw properly out of only one eye, he reacted badly to the contact lenses used for the role, and also found the green makeup difficult to remove, so he did not mind losing the part.<ref>{{cite interview| url= http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/181447/the_den_of_geek_interview_richard_kiel.html | title= The Den of Geek interview: Richard Kiel| website= denofgeek.com| first= Richard |last= Kiel |interviewer= Maggie Holland| date= January 6, 2009| publisher= | access-date= May 27, 2023}}</ref> |
||
The opening narration was provided by actor [[Ted Cassidy]],<ref name=45yrs_later /> who also provided the Hulk's voice-overs (mainly growls and roars) during the first two seasons.<ref name=USAToday /> Cassidy died during production of season two in January 1979.<ref name=45yrs_later>{{cite journal |journal=American Way |date=August 1, 2007 |url=http://www.americanwaymag.com/the-incredible-hulk-bruce-banner-bill-bixby-david-banner |title=Forty-five years later, the Hulk is still our favorite green giant |author=Reesman, Bryan |access-date=December 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718210000/http://www.americanwaymag.com/the-incredible-hulk-bruce-banner-bill-bixby-david-banner |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The Hulk's vocalizations for the remainder of the series were provided by actor [[Charles Napier (actor)|Charles Napier]], who also made two guest-starring appearances in the series.<ref name=Napier>{{cite web |title=The Official Charles Napier Website |url= http://www.charlesnapier.com/index.htm |website= charlesnapier.com| publisher= Illumina Productions |access-date=13 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130511002914/http://www.charlesnapier.com/index.htm |archive-date=May 11, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=KOOL>{{cite web| url= http://kool1079.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-incredible-hulk/|title=10 Things You Didn't Know About 'The Incredible Hulk'|author=zanemathews|date=January 22, 2015 |work=kool1079.com| publisher= KOOL 107.9 FM| access-date= }}</ref> |
The opening narration was provided by actor [[Ted Cassidy]],<ref name=45yrs_later /> who also provided the Hulk's voice-overs (mainly growls and roars) during the first two seasons.<ref name=USAToday /> Cassidy died during the production of season two in January 1979.<ref name=45yrs_later>{{cite journal |journal=American Way |date=August 1, 2007 |url=http://www.americanwaymag.com/the-incredible-hulk-bruce-banner-bill-bixby-david-banner |title=Forty-five years later, the Hulk is still our favorite green giant |author=Reesman, Bryan |access-date=December 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718210000/http://www.americanwaymag.com/the-incredible-hulk-bruce-banner-bill-bixby-david-banner |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The Hulk's vocalizations for the remainder of the series were provided by actor [[Charles Napier (actor)|Charles Napier]], who also made two guest-starring appearances in the series.<ref name=Napier>{{cite web |title=The Official Charles Napier Website |url= http://www.charlesnapier.com/index.htm |website= charlesnapier.com| publisher= Illumina Productions |access-date=13 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130511002914/http://www.charlesnapier.com/index.htm |archive-date=May 11, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=KOOL>{{cite web| url= http://kool1079.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-incredible-hulk/|title=10 Things You Didn't Know About 'The Incredible Hulk'|author=zanemathews|date=January 22, 2015 |work=kool1079.com| publisher= KOOL 107.9 FM| access-date= }}</ref> |
||
====Guest stars and cameos==== |
====Guest stars and cameos==== |
||
Line 120: | Line 120: | ||
===Make-up=== |
===Make-up=== |
||
Initially the Hulk's facial make-up was quite monstrous, but after both pilots, the first two weekly episodes and New York location shooting for the fourth, the design was toned down.<ref>{{cite book| last= Gerani| first= Gary| title= 'The Incredible Hulk', ''Starlog Photo Guidebook: Television Episode Guides'' Volume 2| publisher= [[Starlog|Starlog Press, Inc.]]| date= January 1982| pages= 66–67}}</ref> The makeup process used to transform Ferrigno into the Hulk took three hours. The hard contact lenses Ferrigno wore to simulate the Hulk's electric-green eyes had to be removed every 15 minutes because he found wearing them physically painful. The green fright wig he wore as the Hulk was made of dyed [[yak]] hair.<ref name=USAToday /> |
Initially, the Hulk's facial make-up was quite monstrous, but after both pilots, the first two weekly episodes and New York location shooting for the fourth, the design was toned down.<ref>{{cite book| last= Gerani| first= Gary| title= 'The Incredible Hulk', ''Starlog Photo Guidebook: Television Episode Guides'' Volume 2| publisher= [[Starlog|Starlog Press, Inc.]]| date= January 1982| pages= 66–67}}</ref> The makeup process used to transform Ferrigno into the Hulk took three hours. The hard contact lenses Ferrigno wore to simulate the Hulk's electric-green eyes had to be removed every 15 minutes because he found wearing them physically painful. The green fright wig he wore as the Hulk was made of dyed [[yak]] hair.<ref name=USAToday /> |
||
===Music=== |
===Music=== |
||
Line 148: | Line 148: | ||
After the cancellation of the television series in 1982, Bill Bixby retained an interest in producing new adventures featuring the Hulk for television. In 1984, just two years after the cancellation of the weekly series, he made a proposal to [[Nicholas Hammond]], who had played Peter Parker in the 1977–79 TV series ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man (TV series)|The Amazing Spider-Man]]'', to develop a new TV movie featuring both the Hulk and [[Spider-Man]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/spider-man-hulk-tv-crossover-nearly-was/ |title=TV Legends: The Hulk/Spider-Man TV Crossover That Nearly Was! |last= Cronin |first=Brian |date=August 20, 2017 |website=CBR.com |publisher= |access-date=December 30, 2021 |quote=}}</ref> Although nothing came of this idea, three [[television movie]]s were eventually produced with Bixby and Ferrigno reprising their roles. All of these aired on [[NBC]]: |
After the cancellation of the television series in 1982, Bill Bixby retained an interest in producing new adventures featuring the Hulk for television. In 1984, just two years after the cancellation of the weekly series, he made a proposal to [[Nicholas Hammond]], who had played Peter Parker in the 1977–79 TV series ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man (TV series)|The Amazing Spider-Man]]'', to develop a new TV movie featuring both the Hulk and [[Spider-Man]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/spider-man-hulk-tv-crossover-nearly-was/ |title=TV Legends: The Hulk/Spider-Man TV Crossover That Nearly Was! |last= Cronin |first=Brian |date=August 20, 2017 |website=CBR.com |publisher= |access-date=December 30, 2021 |quote=}}</ref> Although nothing came of this idea, three [[television movie]]s were eventually produced with Bixby and Ferrigno reprising their roles. All of these aired on [[NBC]]: |
||
*''[[The Incredible Hulk Returns]]'' (1988) – This marked the first time that another Marvel Universe character appeared in the milieu of the TV series. David Banner meets a former student (played by [[Steve Levitt (actor)|Steve Levitt]]) who has a magical hammer that summons [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]] (played by [[Eric Allan Kramer]]), a [[Norse gods|Norse god]] who is prevented from entering [[Valhalla]]. It was set up as a [[backdoor pilot]] for a live-action television series starring Thor. This project marked Jack Colvin's final appearance as McGee.<ref>{{cite news |title= TV Weekend; Incredible Hulk Meets Mighty Thor |work= The New York Times|date=May 20, 1988 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/20/arts/tv-weekend-incredible-hulk-meets-mighty-thor.html?scp=10&sq=bill%20bixby&st=cse |first=John J. |last=O'Connor |access-date=August 10, 2010}}</ref> |
*''[[The Incredible Hulk Returns]]'' (1988) – This marked the first time that another Marvel Universe character appeared in the milieu of the TV series. David Banner meets a former student (played by [[Steve Levitt (actor)|Steve Levitt]]) who has a magical hammer that summons [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]] (played by [[Eric Allan Kramer]]), a [[Norse gods|Norse god]] who is prevented from entering [[Valhalla]]. It was set up as a [[backdoor pilot]] for a live-action television series starring Thor. This project marked Jack Colvin's final appearance as McGee.<ref>{{cite news |title= TV Weekend; Incredible Hulk Meets Mighty Thor |work= The New York Times|date=May 20, 1988 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/20/arts/tv-weekend-incredible-hulk-meets-mighty-thor.html?scp=10&sq=bill%20bixby&st=cse |first=John J. |last=O'Connor |access-date=August 10, 2010}}</ref> |
||
*''[[The Trial of the Incredible Hulk]]'' (1989) – David Banner meets a blind lawyer named Matt Murdock and his masked alter ego, [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics character)|Daredevil]]. The Incredible Hulk and the Daredevil battle Wilson Fisk (the [[Kingpin (comics)|Kingpin of Crime]]). Daredevil was portrayed by [[Rex Smith (entertainer)|Rex Smith]], and [[John Rhys-Davies]] portrayed Fisk. This was also set up as backdoor pilot for a live-action television series featuring Daredevil. [[Stan Lee]] has a cameo appearance as one of the jury members overlooking Banner's trial. |
*''[[The Trial of the Incredible Hulk]]'' (1989) – David Banner meets a blind lawyer named Matt Murdock and his masked alter ego, [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics character)|Daredevil]]. The Incredible Hulk and the Daredevil battle Wilson Fisk (the [[Kingpin (comics)|Kingpin of Crime]]). Daredevil was portrayed by [[Rex Smith (entertainer)|Rex Smith]], and [[John Rhys-Davies]] portrayed Fisk. This was also set up as a backdoor pilot for a live-action television series featuring Daredevil. [[Stan Lee]] has a cameo appearance as one of the jury members overlooking Banner's trial. |
||
*''[[The Death of the Incredible Hulk]]'' (1990) – David Banner falls in love with an Eastern European spy (played by [[Elizabeth Gracen]]) and saves two kidnapped scientists. The film ends with the Hulk taking a fatal fall from an airplane, reverting to human form just before he dies. |
*''[[The Death of the Incredible Hulk]]'' (1990) – David Banner falls in love with an Eastern European spy (played by [[Elizabeth Gracen]]) and saves two kidnapped scientists. The film ends with the Hulk taking a fatal fall from an airplane, reverting to human form just before he dies. |
||
Despite the apparent death of the Hulk in the 1990 film, another Hulk television movie was planned, ''[[The Death of the Incredible Hulk#Canceled sequel|Revenge of the Incredible Hulk]]''.<ref>"Comics Screen", ''[[Comics Scene (magazine)|Comics Scene]]'', October 1990, [[Starlog|Starlog Communications International, Inc.]], pp.69–70.</ref> It was rumored that in this film the Hulk would be able to talk after being revived with Banner's mind, and that it was abandoned because of Bill Bixby's death from cancer in November 1993.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jankiewicz|first=Patrick |title=You wouldn't like me when I'm angry |date=July 2011 |publisher=BearManor Media |location=Duncan Okla. |isbn=978-1593936501}}</ref> However, [[Gerald Di Pego]] (writer/executive producer of ''The Trial of the Incredible Hulk'', ''The Death of the Incredible Hulk'', and ''Revenge of the Incredible Hulk'') revealed that the film was |
Despite the apparent death of the Hulk in the 1990 film, another Hulk television movie was planned, ''[[The Death of the Incredible Hulk#Canceled sequel|Revenge of the Incredible Hulk]]''.<ref>"Comics Screen", ''[[Comics Scene (magazine)|Comics Scene]]'', October 1990, [[Starlog|Starlog Communications International, Inc.]], pp.69–70.</ref> It was rumored that in this film the Hulk would be able to talk after being revived with Banner's mind, and that it was abandoned because of Bill Bixby's death from cancer in November 1993.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jankiewicz|first=Patrick |title=You wouldn't like me when I'm angry |date=July 2011 |publisher=BearManor Media |location=Duncan Okla. |isbn=978-1593936501}}</ref> However, [[Gerald Di Pego]] (writer/executive producer of ''The Trial of the Incredible Hulk'', ''The Death of the Incredible Hulk'', and ''Revenge of the Incredible Hulk'') revealed that the film was canceled before Bixby's health began to decline, owing to disappointing ratings for ''Death of'', and that Banner was to have been revived without the ability to change into the Hulk at all, reverting to (still non-speaking) Hulk form only in the film's final act.<ref name="Back70" /> |
||
==Home media== |
==Home media== |
||
Line 163: | Line 163: | ||
On review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the two-hour pilot has a score of 57% based on seven reviews, for an average rating of 5.4/10,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Incredible Hulk (1977) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1010510_incredible_hulk |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref> while the first season has a rating of 75% based on eight reviews, for an average rating of 6.0/10.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Incredible Hulk: Season 1 (1978) |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_incredible_hulk/s01/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref> Writing for the ''[[Tallahassee Democrat]]'', Steve Watkins noted that Lou Ferrigno "did the strong, silent type like nobody's business", and was "natural" in the titular role.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://ghostarchive.org/archive/NxzUA|title=Not even the strength of steel can save 'Hercules'|work=[[Tallahassee Democrat]]|publisher=[[Gannett]] |first= Steve |last= Watkins |date=August 28, 1983|access-date=April 29, 2022}}</ref> |
On review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the two-hour pilot has a score of 57% based on seven reviews, for an average rating of 5.4/10,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Incredible Hulk (1977) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1010510_incredible_hulk |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref> while the first season has a rating of 75% based on eight reviews, for an average rating of 6.0/10.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Incredible Hulk: Season 1 (1978) |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_incredible_hulk/s01/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref> Writing for the ''[[Tallahassee Democrat]]'', Steve Watkins noted that Lou Ferrigno "did the strong, silent type like nobody's business", and was "natural" in the titular role.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://ghostarchive.org/archive/NxzUA|title=Not even the strength of steel can save 'Hercules'|work=[[Tallahassee Democrat]]|publisher=[[Gannett]] |first= Steve |last= Watkins |date=August 28, 1983|access-date=April 29, 2022}}</ref> |
||
A retrospective on the TV series reported that the episodes that fans of the show most often |
A retrospective on the TV series reported that the episodes that fans of the show most often cited as the best of the series are "The Incredible Hulk" (pilot), "Married", "Mystery Man", "Homecoming", "The Snare", "Prometheus", "The First" and "Bring Me the Head of the Hulk".<ref name="Back70" /> |
||
===Ratings=== |
===Ratings=== |
||
Line 176: | Line 176: | ||
==Other media== |
==Other media== |
||
The series led to a [[Hulk in other media#Syndicated comic strip|syndicated newspaper strip]] that ran from 1978 to 1982. It used the same background and origin story as the series but narrated stories outside it. |
The series led to a [[Hulk in other media#Syndicated comic strip|syndicated newspaper strip]] that ran from 1978 to 1982. It used the same background and origin story as the series but narrated stories outside of it. |
||
[[Power Records (Peter Pan records)]] created an LP in 1978 entitled "The Incredible Hulk: Hear Four Exciting |
[[Power Records (Peter Pan records)]] created an LP in 1978 entitled "The Incredible Hulk: Hear Four Exciting All – New Action – Adventure Stories! – Black Chasm, Monster From The Deep, The Assassin & Blind Alley". In the stories he is referred to as "David Banner" and is also a name-changing drifter seeking a cure. Also, like in the TV series, the Hulk only has limited power.{{citation needed}} |
||
In 1979, a Hulk "video novel" in paperback form was released, with pictures and dialog from the pilot.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://openlibrary.org/books/OL7666427M/Incredible_Hulk_%28Video_novel%29 |title=The Incredible Hulk: A Video Novel| editor-first= Roy |editor-last= Thomas |publisher= Pocket Books| place= New York| year= 1979| isbn= 9780671828271|ol=7666427M }}</ref> |
In 1979, a Hulk "video novel" in paperback form was released, with pictures and dialog from the pilot.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://openlibrary.org/books/OL7666427M/Incredible_Hulk_%28Video_novel%29 |title=The Incredible Hulk: A Video Novel| editor-first= Roy |editor-last= Thomas |publisher= Pocket Books| place= New York| year= 1979| isbn= 9780671828271|ol=7666427M }}</ref> |
||
The [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] has homaged or parodied the show twice. The first time, during the opening credits of the film ''[[The Incredible Hulk (film)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' (2008), [[Bruce Banner (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Bruce Banner]]'s ([[Edward Norton]]) experiment which serves as his [[origin story]] as the Hulk is shown as the same as in the television series. The show's opening sequence is parodied in the [[Disney+]] series ''[[She-Hulk: Attorney at Law]]'' (2022) during the episode "[[Whose Show Is This?]]". It is recreated to focus on [[Jennifer Walters (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk]] ([[Tatiana Maslany]]), with Banner ([[Mark Ruffalo]]) also appearing dressed as David. |
The [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] has homaged or parodied the show twice. The first time, during the opening credits of the film ''[[The Incredible Hulk (film)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' (2008), [[Bruce Banner (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Bruce Banner]]'s ([[Edward Norton]]) experiment which serves as his [[origin story]] as the Hulk is shown as the same as in the television series. The show's opening sequence is parodied in the [[Disney+]] series ''[[She-Hulk: Attorney at Law]]'' (2022) during the episode "[[Whose Show Is This?]]". It is recreated to focus on [[Jennifer Walters (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk]] ([[Tatiana Maslany]]), with Banner ([[Mark Ruffalo]]) also appearing, dressed as David. Stan Lee created [[She-Hulk]] to ensure CBS did not create a female Hulk first and acquire the rights to the concept.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/she-hulk-episode-9-mcu-easter-eggs-references/ |title=She-Hulk Episode 9 MCU Easter Eggs & References |last= Bacon |first=Thomas |date=October 13, 2022|website=[[Screen Rant]] |access-date=October 13, 2022}}</ref> |
||
==See also== |
==See also== |
Revision as of 01:58, 5 November 2023
The Incredible Hulk | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Genre | |
Based on | |
Developed by | Kenneth Johnson |
Starring | |
Narrated by | Ted Cassidy (opening narration) |
Ending theme | "The Lonely Man Theme" |
Composer | Joe Harnell |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 80 + 5 TV movies (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer | Kenneth Johnson |
Producers |
|
Running time | 47–50 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | November 4, 1977 May 12, 1982 | (pilot only) –
Related | |
The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988) |
The Incredible Hulk is an American television series based on the Marvel Comics character the Hulk. The series aired on the CBS television network and starred Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner, Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, and Jack Colvin as Jack McGee.
In the series, Dr. David Banner, a widowed physician and scientist who is presumed dead, travels across the United States under assumed names and finds himself in positions where he helps others in need despite his terrible secret: Following an accident that altered his cells, in times of extreme anger or stress, he transforms into a huge, savage, incredibly strong green-skinned humanoid, who has been named "the Hulk". In his travels, Banner earns money by working temporary jobs while searching for a way to either control or cure his condition. All the while, he is obsessively pursued by a tabloid newspaper reporter, Jack McGee, who is convinced that the Hulk is a deadly menace whose exposure would enhance his career.
The series' two-hour television pilot movie, which established the Hulk's origins, aired on November 4, 1977. The series' 80 episodes were originally broadcast by CBS over five seasons from 1978 to 1982. It was developed and produced by Kenneth Johnson, who also wrote or directed some episodes. The series ends with David Banner continuing to search for a cure.
In 1988, the filming rights were purchased from MCA/Universal by New World Television for a series of TV movies to conclude the series' storyline. The broadcast rights were, in turn, transferred to rival NBC. New World (which at one point owned Marvel) produced three television films: The Incredible Hulk Returns (directed by Nicholas J. Corea), The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, and The Death of the Incredible Hulk (both directed by Bill Bixby). Since its debut, The Incredible Hulk has garnered a worldwide fan base.[1]
Premise
David Banner, M.D., is a physician and scientist employed at California's Culver Institute, who is traumatized by the car accident that killed his beloved wife, Laura. Haunted by his inability to save her, Banner and his research partner, Dr. Elaina Marks, study people who were able to summon superhuman strength during moments of extreme stress. Obsessed with discovering why he was unable to exhibit such super-strength under similar conditions, Banner hypothesizes that high levels of gamma radiation from sunspots contributed to the subjects' increase in strength. Impatient to test his theory, Banner conducts an unsupervised experiment in the laboratory, bombarding himself with gamma radiation. However, the radiology equipment has recently been recalibrated, and Banner unknowingly receives a massive overdose. He initially thinks that the experiment has failed, but, when he injures himself while changing a flat tire, Banner's anger triggers his transformation into a 7-foot-tall (2.1 m), 330-pound (150 kg), green-skinned, superhumanly strong creature who is driven by rage, and has only a primitive, sub-human intelligence. The creature reverts to Banner when he calms down, and, since Banner is unable to remember what occurs while in his transformed state, he goes to Marks for help. The two of them slowly piece together what happened and investigate the nature of the metamorphosis, and the possibility of a cure. Their efforts are hindered by tabloid reporter Jack McGee, who was initially investigating Banner and Marks' superhuman strength research but now suspects them of being connected to the reports of a green-skinned monster roaming the area. While snooping around their laboratory, McGee unknowingly triggers a fire, and Banner rushes back into the laboratory to save Marks, only for the creature to emerge from the fire with her in his arms, dying. Mistakenly believing that Banner was killed in the fire along with Marks and that the creature was responsible for their deaths, McGee publishes a story naming the "Incredible Hulk" as their killer and urges law enforcement to capture him. Believed to be dead, Banner grimly resolves to travel from place to place, assuming different identities and odd jobs to support himself and enable his search for a cure. He also finds himself feeling obliged to help the people he meets out of whatever troubles have befallen them. Inevitably, doing so puts him in perilous situations that trigger his transformations into the Hulk, which in turn attracts the attention of McGee, who is obsessively pursuing the mysterious creature across the country, both to prevent further violence and to bring legitimacy to his story.
Despite the rampages, the Hulk usually does good for the people Banner encounters in his travels. Each episode inevitably ends with Banner back on the road, fearful that the Hulk's appearances will bring unwanted scrutiny from the authorities and the ever-persistent McGee.
Opening narration
The opening narration is provided by Ted Cassidy:
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 pursued by an investigative reporter.
[Banner]: "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.
Prior to the beginning of the series, a different version (also provided by Cassidy) was used for the second pilot movie, The Return of the Incredible Hulk (later re-titled "Death in the Family"):
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 interacts with his unique body chemistry. And now, when David Banner grows angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs. The creature is driven by rage and pursued by an investigative reporter.
[Banner]: "Mr. McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."
An accidental explosion took the life of a fellow scientist—and supposedly David Banner as well. The reporter thinks the creature was responsible.
[McGee]: "I gave a description to all the law enforcement agencies. They got a warrant for murder out on it!"
A murder which David Banner can never prove he or the creature didn't commit. So he must let the world go on thinking that he, too, is dead, until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him.
Episodes
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | Network | |||
Pilot movies | November 4, 1977 | November 27, 1977 | CBS | ||
1 | 10 | March 10, 1978 | May 31, 1978 | ||
2 | 22 | September 22, 1978 | May 25, 1979 | ||
3 | 23 | September 21, 1979 | April 11, 1980 | ||
4 | 18 | November 7, 1980 | May 22, 1981 | ||
5 | 7 | October 2, 1981 | May 12, 1982 | ||
Movies | May 22, 1988 | February 18, 1990 | NBC |
Cast
Main cast
- Bill Bixby as Dr. David Bruce Banner
- Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, a green humanoid David turns into when angered.
- Ted Cassidy as the voice of the Hulk (seasons 1–2: uncredited)[2]
- Charles Napier as the voice of the Hulk (seasons 2–5: after Cassidy's death in 1979: uncredited[3][2])
- Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, a green humanoid David turns into when angered.
- Jack Colvin as Jack McGee, a reporter tracking Hulk's trail.
Recurring cast
- Walter Brooke as Mark Roberts, McGee's boss at the National Register (seasons 3–4)
Production
Development
In early 1977, Frank Price, head of Universal Television (known today as NBCUniversal Television), offered producer and writer Kenneth Johnson a deal to develop a television show based on any of several characters they had licensed from the Marvel Comics library.[4] Johnson turned down the offer at first, but then, while reading the Victor Hugo novel Les Misérables, he became inspired and began working to develop the Hulk comic into a TV show.[5][6]
Johnson made several changes from the comic book; this was partly to translate it into a live-action show that was more believable and acceptable to a wide audience, and also because he disliked comics and thus felt it best that the show be as different from the source material as possible.[7] In the character's origin story, rather than being exposed to gamma rays during a botched atomic testing explosion, Banner is gamma-irradiated in a more low-key laboratory mishap during a test on himself. Another change was Banner's occupation, from physicist to medical researcher/physician. Although the comic book Hulk's degree of speaking ability has varied over the years, the television Hulk did not speak at all—he merely growled and roared. Hulk co-creator Stan Lee later recounted: "When we started the television show, Ken said to me, 'You know, Stan, I don't think the Hulk should talk'. The minute he said it, I knew he was right. [In the comics], I had the Hulk talking like this: 'Hulk crush! Hulk get him!' I could get away with it in a comic, but that would have sounded so silly if he spoke that way in a television show".[7]
The Hulk's strength is far more limited than in the comic book, which Johnson felt was necessary for the show to be taken seriously by viewers.[7] The Hulk still retained a healing factor, however. For instance, in "The Harder They Fall", Banner is in a serious accident that severs his spinal cord, leaving him paraplegic, but after his next transformation into the Hulk he is able to walk within minutes while in that form, and Banner's spine is completely restored by the end of the episode. In the majority of episodes, the only science-fiction element was the Hulk himself. Johnson also omitted the comic book's supporting characters, instead using original character Jack McGee.[7]
Johnson changed the name of the Hulk's comic book alter ego, Dr. Bruce Banner, to Dr. David Banner for the television series. This change was made, according to Johnson, because he did not want the series to be perceived as a comic book series, so he wanted to change what he felt was a staple of comic books, and Stan Lee's comics in particular, that major characters frequently had alliterative names.[8] According to both Stan Lee[7] and Lou Ferrigno, it was also changed because CBS thought the name Bruce sounded "too gay-ish", a rationale that Ferrigno thought was "the most absurd, ridiculous thing [he had] ever heard".[9] On the DVD commentary of the pilot, Johnson says that it was a way to honor his son David. "Bruce" ultimately became the television Banner's middle name, as it had been in the comics. It is visible on Banner's tombstone at the end of the pilot movie,[7] and that footage is shown at the beginning of every episode of the series.
In an interview with Kenneth Johnson on the Season 2 DVD, he explains that he had also wanted the Hulk to be colored red rather than green. His reasons given for this were that red, not green, is perceived as the color of rage, and also that red is a "human color", whereas green is not. However, Stan Lee, an executive at Marvel Comics at the time, said that the Hulk's color was not something that could be changed, because of its iconic image.[8]
Stan Lee told Kenneth Plume in a June 26, 2000, interview: "The Hulk was done intelligently. It was done by Ken Johnson, who's a brilliant writer/producer/director, and he made it an intelligent, adult show that kids could enjoy. He took a comic book character and made him somewhat plausible. Women liked it and men liked it and teenagers liked it... It was beautifully done. He changed it quite a bit from the comic book, but every change he made, made sense".[10]
Casting
For the role of Dr. David Banner, Kenneth Johnson cast Bill Bixby[11]—his first choice for the role.[12] Jack Colvin was cast as "Jack McGee", the cynical tabloid newspaper reporter—modeled after the character of Javert in Les Misérables[5]—who pursues the Hulk. Arnold Schwarzenegger auditioned for the role of the Hulk, but was rejected due to his inadequate height, according to Johnson in his commentary on The Incredible Hulk – Original Television Premiere DVD release. Actor Richard Kiel was hired for the role. During filming, however, Kenneth Johnson's son pointed out that Kiel's underdeveloped physique did not resemble the Hulk's. Soon, Kiel was replaced with professional bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, although a very brief shot of Kiel (as the Hulk) remains in the pilot. According to an interview with Kiel, who saw properly out of only one eye, he reacted badly to the contact lenses used for the role, and also found the green makeup difficult to remove, so he did not mind losing the part.[13]
The opening narration was provided by actor Ted Cassidy,[14] who also provided the Hulk's voice-overs (mainly growls and roars) during the first two seasons.[9] Cassidy died during the production of season two in January 1979.[14] The Hulk's vocalizations for the remainder of the series were provided by actor Charles Napier, who also made two guest-starring appearances in the series.[3][2]
Guest stars and cameos
During the series' five-season run, many actors familiar to viewers, or who later became famous for their subsequent works, made appearances on the series, including: future Falcon Crest and Castle co-star Susan Sullivan in the original pilot; Brett Cullen, also of Falcon Crest; Kim Cattrall, of Sex and the City fame; Ray Walston, co-star of Bixby's first series, My Favorite Martian; Brandon Cruz, co-star of The Courtship of Eddie's Father; Lou Ferrigno, who along with starring as the Hulk, appeared in one episode ("King of the Beach") as a different character; Bixby's ex-wife Brenda Benet; and in an uncredited role, the bodybuilder and professional wrestler Ric Drasin as the half-transformed Hulk in "Prometheus" (parts 1 and 2).[15]
Mariette Hartley won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her guest appearances as Dr. Carolyn Fields in the episode "Married" (aka "Bride of the Incredible Hulk") in season two.
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the writer and artist team who created the Hulk for Marvel Comics, both made cameo appearances in the series. Kirby's cameo was in the season two episode "No Escape", while Lee appeared as a juror in Trial of the Incredible Hulk (the 1989 post-series TV movie).
Make-up
Initially, the Hulk's facial make-up was quite monstrous, but after both pilots, the first two weekly episodes and New York location shooting for the fourth, the design was toned down.[16] The makeup process used to transform Ferrigno into the Hulk took three hours. The hard contact lenses Ferrigno wore to simulate the Hulk's electric-green eyes had to be removed every 15 minutes because he found wearing them physically painful. The green fright wig he wore as the Hulk was made of dyed yak hair.[9]
Music
Joe Harnell, one of Kenneth Johnson's favorite composers, composed the music for The Incredible Hulk. He was brought into the production because of his involvement with the series The Bionic Woman, which Johnson had also created and produced. Some of the series' music was collected into an album titled The Incredible Hulk: Original Soundtrack Recording. The show's main theme, "The Lonely Man", is heard in two distinct arrangements, the opening credits features the piece in an up-tempo, percussive arrangement whilst a sad, melancholic solo-piano version is played over the closing credits, which usually shows Banner hitchhiking.[17] down a lonely highway.
The show's secondary theme, "The Love Theme from The Incredible Hulk", was used extensively in both the pilot episode and in the Season 2 opener Married, and it made sporadic appearances throughout the show's run.
Themes
Often, Banner's inner struggle is paralleled by the dilemmas of the people he encounters, who find in Dr. Banner a sympathetic helper. Producer Kenneth Johnson stated: "What we were constantly doing was looking for thematic ways to touch the various ways that the Hulk sort of manifested itself in everyone. In Dr. David Banner, it happened to be anger. In someone else, it might be obsession, or it might be fear, or it might be jealousy or alcoholism! The Hulk comes in many shapes and sizes. That's what we tried to delve into in the individual episodes".[18]
Broadcast history
CBS[19]
- March 1978 – January 1979: Friday, 9 p.m. (ET)
- January 1979: Wednesday, 8 p.m.
- February 1979 – November 1981: Friday, 8 p.m.
- May 1982 – June 1982: Wednesday, 8 p.m.
Syndication
The series first went into syndication in September 1982.[citation needed] It has aired as reruns on the Sci-Fi Channel and was one of the series that the channel showed at its inception in September 1992.[20] It has also aired on Retro Television Network,[21] and ran on Esquire Network from 2014 to 2015.[22] Series reruns began airing on most MeTV affiliates in February 2016.[23] The series began airing on most H&I affiliates in May 2017.[24] El Rey Network started airing the series in portrait-form in January 2017.[citation needed]
Made-for-TV movies
Two episodes of the series appeared first as stand-alone television movies, but these were later re-edited into one-hour length (two-parters) for syndication. They were produced as pilots before the series officially began in 1978:
- The Incredible Hulk (1977) (distributed in theaters in some countries)
- The Return of the Incredible Hulk (1977) (also shown overseas as a feature film); retitled Death in the Family for syndication
After the cancellation of the television series in 1982, Bill Bixby retained an interest in producing new adventures featuring the Hulk for television. In 1984, just two years after the cancellation of the weekly series, he made a proposal to Nicholas Hammond, who had played Peter Parker in the 1977–79 TV series The Amazing Spider-Man, to develop a new TV movie featuring both the Hulk and Spider-Man.[25] Although nothing came of this idea, three television movies were eventually produced with Bixby and Ferrigno reprising their roles. All of these aired on NBC:
- The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988) – This marked the first time that another Marvel Universe character appeared in the milieu of the TV series. David Banner meets a former student (played by Steve Levitt) who has a magical hammer that summons Thor (played by Eric Allan Kramer), a Norse god who is prevented from entering Valhalla. It was set up as a backdoor pilot for a live-action television series starring Thor. This project marked Jack Colvin's final appearance as McGee.[26]
- The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) – David Banner meets a blind lawyer named Matt Murdock and his masked alter ego, Daredevil. The Incredible Hulk and the Daredevil battle Wilson Fisk (the Kingpin of Crime). Daredevil was portrayed by Rex Smith, and John Rhys-Davies portrayed Fisk. This was also set up as a backdoor pilot for a live-action television series featuring Daredevil. Stan Lee has a cameo appearance as one of the jury members overlooking Banner's trial.
- The Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990) – David Banner falls in love with an Eastern European spy (played by Elizabeth Gracen) and saves two kidnapped scientists. The film ends with the Hulk taking a fatal fall from an airplane, reverting to human form just before he dies.
Despite the apparent death of the Hulk in the 1990 film, another Hulk television movie was planned, Revenge of the Incredible Hulk.[27] It was rumored that in this film the Hulk would be able to talk after being revived with Banner's mind, and that it was abandoned because of Bill Bixby's death from cancer in November 1993.[28] However, Gerald Di Pego (writer/executive producer of The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, The Death of the Incredible Hulk, and Revenge of the Incredible Hulk) revealed that the film was canceled before Bixby's health began to decline, owing to disappointing ratings for Death of, and that Banner was to have been revived without the ability to change into the Hulk at all, reverting to (still non-speaking) Hulk form only in the film's final act.[7]
Home media
Universal released all 5 seasons on DVD in Region 1 from 2006 to 2008; a complete series DVD set was also released.[29]
Fabulous Films released The Incredible Hulk - The Complete Series on DVD in the UK on September 30, 2008. They subsequently released the complete series (not including the three post-series TV movies) on Blu-ray in December 2016.[30]
Reception
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the two-hour pilot has a score of 57% based on seven reviews, for an average rating of 5.4/10,[31] while the first season has a rating of 75% based on eight reviews, for an average rating of 6.0/10.[32] Writing for the Tallahassee Democrat, Steve Watkins noted that Lou Ferrigno "did the strong, silent type like nobody's business", and was "natural" in the titular role.[33]
A retrospective on the TV series reported that the episodes that fans of the show most often cited as the best of the series are "The Incredible Hulk" (pilot), "Married", "Mystery Man", "Homecoming", "The Snare", "Prometheus", "The First" and "Bring Me the Head of the Hulk".[7]
Ratings
- 1977–1978: #26 (tied with Hawaii Five-O)
- 1978–1979: #44 (tied with Hawaii Five-O and Dear Detective)
- 1979–1980: #42
- 1980–1981: #49
- 1981–1982: #34
The Incredible Hulk was a major ratings success, and even became a hit in Europe, despite superheroes generally being much less popular there than in the United States.[34]
Other media
The series led to a syndicated newspaper strip that ran from 1978 to 1982. It used the same background and origin story as the series but narrated stories outside of it.
Power Records (Peter Pan records) created an LP in 1978 entitled "The Incredible Hulk: Hear Four Exciting All – New Action – Adventure Stories! – Black Chasm, Monster From The Deep, The Assassin & Blind Alley". In the stories he is referred to as "David Banner" and is also a name-changing drifter seeking a cure. Also, like in the TV series, the Hulk only has limited power.[citation needed]
In 1979, a Hulk "video novel" in paperback form was released, with pictures and dialog from the pilot.[35]
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has homaged or parodied the show twice. The first time, during the opening credits of the film The Incredible Hulk (2008), Bruce Banner's (Edward Norton) experiment which serves as his origin story as the Hulk is shown as the same as in the television series. The show's opening sequence is parodied in the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) during the episode "Whose Show Is This?". It is recreated to focus on Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), with Banner (Mark Ruffalo) also appearing, dressed as David. Stan Lee created She-Hulk to ensure CBS did not create a female Hulk first and acquire the rights to the concept.[36]
See also
References
- ^ "Hulk Smash Television!". IGN.com. Ziff Davis. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c zanemathews (January 22, 2015). "10 Things You Didn't Know About 'The Incredible Hulk'". kool1079.com. KOOL 107.9 FM.
- ^ a b "The Official Charles Napier Website". charlesnapier.com. Illumina Productions. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ Heffernan, Virginia (August 18, 2006). "Before the Fall: TV of Seasons (Just) Past". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
- ^ a b "A Look Back: The Incredible Hulk on TV". filmschoolrejects.com. Film School Rejects. June 8, 2008. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
- ^ Rathwell, Mark (January 23, 1999). "The Incredible Hulk television series page: Interview with Kenneth Johnson". Incrediblehulktvseries.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Glenn, Greenberg (February 2014). "The Televised Hulk". Back Issue! (70). TwoMorrows Publishing: 19–26.
- ^ a b Cronin, Brian (August 3, 2006). "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #62". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016.
- ^ a b c Keck, William. "Lou Ferrigno looks back, and luckily, not in anger". USA Today, June 17, 2008, p. 2D.
- ^ Lee, Stan (June 28, 2000). "Interview with Stan Lee". ign.com. Interviewed by Kenneth Plume. IGN Entertainment, Inc.
- ^ Oliver, Myrna (November 23, 1993). "Bill Bixby, Star of TV's 'Incredible Hulk,' Dies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
- ^ Fary, Lisa (June 7, 2007). "Interviews: Kenneth Johnson (Part 1 of 2)". PinkRaygun.com via archive.li. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
- ^ Kiel, Richard (January 6, 2009). "The Den of Geek interview: Richard Kiel". denofgeek.com (Interview). Interviewed by Maggie Holland. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Reesman, Bryan (August 1, 2007). "Forty-five years later, the Hulk is still our favorite green giant". American Way. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions. Who Played the Demi-Hulk?". incrediblehulktvseries.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
- ^ Gerani, Gary (January 1982). 'The Incredible Hulk', Starlog Photo Guidebook: Television Episode Guides Volume 2. Starlog Press, Inc. pp. 66–67.
- ^ "The Incredible Hulk: Music From the Television Pilot Movies". joeharnell.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014.
- ^ "Interview with Kenneth Johnson". Archived from the original on June 13, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
- ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The complete directory to prime time network and cable TV shows, 1946-present (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 664. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
- ^ Jicha, Tom. "Sci-fi Channel Approaching Launch". Retrieved March 14, 2013.
- ^ "Cable companies air 1980s reruns". cincinnati.com. October 23, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ "Esquire Network Schedule". tv.esquire.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
- ^ "The Incredible Hulk". metv.com. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ "The Incredible Hulk". heroesandiconstv.com. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (August 20, 2017). "TV Legends: The Hulk/Spider-Man TV Crossover That Nearly Was!". CBR.com. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ^ O'Connor, John J. (May 20, 1988). "TV Weekend; Incredible Hulk Meets Mighty Thor". The New York Times. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ "Comics Screen", Comics Scene, October 1990, Starlog Communications International, Inc., pp.69–70.
- ^ Jankiewicz, Patrick (July 2011). You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. Duncan Okla.: BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1593936501.
- ^ "The Incredible Hulk DVD news: Release Date for The Incredible Hulk – Season 5 and The Complete Series". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008.
- ^ "The Incredible Hulk - The Complete Collection". fabulousfilms.com.
- ^ "The Incredible Hulk (1977)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "The Incredible Hulk: Season 1 (1978)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ Watkins, Steve (August 28, 1983). "Not even the strength of steel can save 'Hercules'". Tallahassee Democrat. Gannett. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ Cimino, John (Summer 2018). "The Legends and Lore of the Incredible Hulk, Stretch Armstrong, and the Mego Elastic Superheroes". RetroFan (1). TwoMorrows Publishing: 9–13.
- ^ Thomas, Roy, ed. (1979). The Incredible Hulk: A Video Novel. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 9780671828271. OL 7666427M.
- ^ Bacon, Thomas (October 13, 2022). "She-Hulk Episode 9 MCU Easter Eggs & References". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- The Incredible Hulk at IMDb
- The Incredible Hulk at IMDb (1977 TV film)
- The Incredible Hulk: Death in the Family at IMDb (1977 sequel)
- "The Incredible Hulk". Official site (Sci Fi Channel). Archived from the original on October 24, 2004. Includes episode guide, biographies and the original 1970s MCA/Universal press release for the program
- The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)
- 1970s American science fiction television series
- 1978 American television series debuts
- 1980s American science fiction television series
- 1982 American television series endings
- American superhero television series
- CBS original programming
- English-language television shows
- Hulk (comics) television series
- Television series by Universal Television
- Television series by New World Television
- Television shows based on Marvel Comics