The Incredible Hulk (television series) 1978-1982

[The Joker]

I want to give this series some love by having a thread discussing it. Especially in light of the upcoming blu ray release that's recently been announced.



Now this is one gem of a show! For me, the replay value has and always will be pretty high for this show. Is it formulaic? Sure, but there's a charm to this series that is, frankly, undeniable. The casting of Bill Bixby as Dr. David "Bruce" Banner is absolutely brilliant, and Lou Ferrigno as the Incredible Hulk was nothing short of outstanding. Jack McGee (who was essentially the Lt. Philip Gerard of the show), played by Jack Colvin, was also a nice addition to the cast, and played his part in the series exceptionally well.

For all intents and purposes, Kenneth Johnson was very astute and conversant in knowing how to adapt the Hulk for a live action television series for the time, that would appeal to both children and adults, rather than one or the other. As a fan, I give full credit to this show, the Super Powers toy line, and of course Tim Burton's Batman 1989 in truly sparking my lifelong interest in not only super hero related television shows/movies, but comic books as well.

Dr. David Banner: "Mr. McGee, Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

[Silver Nemesis]

The Incredible Hulk TV series was one of the first successful attempts at making a more mature and psychologically grounded comic book adaptation. Johnson basically did for the Hulk what Nolan did for Batman. I still consider it the second best live action Marvel TV show after you-know-what. People who dismiss it because of the limited special effects are missing the point. The seventies TIH series was basically The Fugitive with a touch of science fiction horror thrown into the mix. It's about the psychology of Dr. Banner and the relationships he forges with the people he meets. The drama and pathos that arise from these all-too-brief relationships are the heart of the show, with the tension surrounding David's inability to control his monstrous alter ego adding an extra layer of suspense to proceedings. Admittedly it is very formulaic – David arrives in a new town, and within minutes he invariably gets harassed/kidnapped/beaten up/mugged/falsely imprisoned, etc – but the writers found a lot of interesting ways of spinning that formula.

As for the portrayal of the Hulk himself, I still prefer the live action version over the CG cartoon versions we see in the modern films. I always liked the continuity between Bixby's performance and Ferrigno's. When Bixby gets angry and starts to transform, he begins snarling and growling – effectively portraying the Hulk – and when Ferrigno starts to calm down he adopts this confused passive attitude where he's effectively playing Banner. The two performances complemented each other perfectly, with one flowing organically into the next, and that's something I don't think you get with the modern CG Hulks, no matter how good the facial animation is. For all the TV show's technical limitations, Ferrigno's Hulk was still capable of dealing out some serious damage. I mean, let's face it – he's about as close as any real human being can get to the comic book Hulk.

I could swear there was an episode where he ripped the gun off a tank. He definitely fought a grizzly bear in one episode and he defeated a gorilla in another. Then there's the classic two-part story 'The First' from the fourth season where he battles another monster (played by Dick Durock, who also starred as the title character in the eighties Swamp Thing movies and nineties TV show). So he definitely had his share of super powered moments, even if he wasn't as over-the-top powerful as the more recent screen versions.

I think a lot of younger viewers wouldn't give this show a chance. They'd watch some Hulk-out clips without context and dismiss it as cheesy. To appreciate the series, you've got to watch entire episodes. Hopefully more people will do that now that it's coming out on Blu-ray.

[Paul (ral)]

Lou as the Hulk is probably my first actual memory....like ever.

The memory is Hulk walking in the desert and snarling at the screen. I was lying on a sofa with my dad and had to hide behind him cause the Hulk scared the sh*te out of me. I remember it as if it was yesterday.

Googling there tells me the episode was called "Married", I wasn't even 1 at the time it supposedly aired in the UK - unless there was a re-run (but I had to have been less than 3).

[The Joker]

Given that these scans are Lou Ferrigno related, and not specifically associated with the Return/Trial/Death made-for-tv movies, I've decided to place these here.

FLASHBACK 1996:

Wizard magazine scans of an article discussing the 1990's UPN "Incredible Hulk" animated series. Featuring Lou Ferrigno as the voice of the Hulk.



------

Wizard magazine fan casts a 1996 "Incredible Hulk" movie.

[thecolorsblend]

Duchovny, Bullock, Perry, Sorbo, Cross, this is the most Nineties cast I've ever seen.

That's not a criticism, btw.

[Silver Nemesis]

Wizard magazine fan casts a 1996 "Incredible Hulk" movie.

Everson was always my top pick for She-Hulk. She'd have been perfect in the role. No CGI required.

Duchovny, Bullock, Perry, Sorbo, Cross, this is the most Nineties cast I've ever seen.

All that's missing is Pamela Anderson and Jim Carrey.

Duchovny as Banner is actually a pretty good idea.

[The Joker]

Duchovny as Banner is actually a pretty good idea.

I want to say David Duchovny was actually in the cards as Banner during the '90's when the Hulk movie was stuck in developmental hell, or at the very least, his name was brought up for Ang Lee's 2003 film prior to Eric Bana landing the gig.

Kind of a shame really. I think Ed Norton is about as close to Bill Bixby as any of the cinematic Banner's have got, but I can see Duchovny giving Norton some competition in that regard. 

[The Joker]

1997 Wizard Interview with Lou.

[Silver Nemesis]

I want to say David Duchovny was actually in the cards as Banner during the '90's when the Hulk movie was stuck in developmental hell, or at the very least, his name was brought up for Ang Lee's 2003 film prior to Eric Bana landing the gig.

I'm a massive X-Files fan (I keep putting off making a thread on that subject, but I'll get around to it eventually), so I'd have been happy with Duchovny in the role. But I was ok with Bana. He was trending at the time thanks to his excellent performance in Chopper (2000), so I can see why the studio chose him.

Kind of a shame really. I think Ed Norton is about as close to Bill Bixby as any of the cinematic Banner's have got, but I can see Duchovny giving Norton some competition in that regard.

The Incredible Hulk (2008) is the only other live action version of the character I like. I can barely remember the 2003 movie, which says a lot (I don't hate it or anything, I just don't remember it). The Hulk's subsequent MCU appearances all suffered from their inability to place Banner at the centre of the story, their unwillingness to commit to a dramatic tone, and the fact they star the insufferable Mark Ruffalo. I used to like Ruffalo, but these days I'm finding it harder and harder to separate the unlikeable actor from the character he plays. IMHO Norton was the best Banner after Bixby, and the 2008 movie in general has aged much better than most other MCU pictures. It has a dark and serious tone similar to The Winter Soldier, and it isn't ruined by forced humour or excessive self-mockery.

It's as much an adaption of the classic TV series as it is the comics. Norton openly cited the TV show as his main influence when promoting the movie, and he clearly drew inspiration from Bixby's performance when crafting his own take on Banner. He talks a little about this in the following clip.

Hence Banner is portrayed as a lonely drifter, working menial jobs and trying to avoid the authorities as he searches for a cure. At one point he references the classic "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" line from the TV show. This is one of the few goofy moments in the film.

Ferrigno voices the Hulk and makes a cameo as a security guard.

The scenes depicting Banner's exposure to gamma radiation are adapted almost shot-for-shot from the TV show's pilot movie.

There's the image of the flashing red 'DANGER' sign.

The transformation scenes include those iconic close-up shots of Banner's green eyes.

Jack McGee makes an appearance, re-imagined as a student journalist.

The score incorporates 'The Lonely Man' theme.

The general tone is, to an extent, trying to approximate the atmosphere of the TV series. Subsequent MCU Hulk appearances have distanced themselves from the Bixby version, and they've gotten progressively worse as a result. It's sad how we went from this...

...to this.

Just imagine what a serious Planet Hulk film could have been like. One that was adapted faithfully from Greg Pak's comic, starring Norton instead of Ruffalo, with a tone that landed somewhere between Gladiator (2000) and Star Wars while retaining the psychological depth and pathos of the Bixby Hulk. That could have been one of the all-time great superhero films.

[The Joker]

Everson was always my top pick for She-Hulk. She'd have been perfect in the role. No CGI required.

Speaking of Everson, here's a nice '90's interview, via Wizard Magazine, where she speaks about She-Hulk (apparently she spoke to Ferrigno about the makeup, and her other acting credits at the time.