Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Drama
    Drama TV Shows - 1970s TV Shows - 1980s 6 Mins Read

    Incredible Hulk, The

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 7 8 – 1 9 8 2 (USA)
    2 x 120 minute episodes
    80 x 60 minute episodes

    “Don’t make me angry… you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”

    These were the words that sent many a chill down the spine of every fan of TV’s The Incredible Hulk.

    Once actor Bill Bixby said these words, you knew a transformation from man to monster was imminent, followed by a grand barrage of superhero action at its purest. Just the same, these obvious attractions were only part of the show’s magical allure.

    incrediblehulk23

    The Incredible Hulk began its life in 1962 as a Marvel comic book.

    Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby, it told the story of Bruce Banner, a scientist whose exposure to gamma rays from a military bomb test resulted in periodic, uncontrollable transformations into a superhumanly strong but simple-minded and easily-angered giant.

    Although unsuccessful in its initial run (which lasted only six issues), the character was resurrected in Tales To Astonish, another Marvel Comics title.

    Here, the character became popular with the comic-reading public, and Tales To Astonish was ultimately transformed into a Hulk-only title re-dubbed The Incredible Hulk. It became a flagship title for Marvel Comics and is still published to this day.

    In 1977, the comic book was adapted into one of a series of two-hour Marvel Comics adaptations for CBS (which also included The Amazing Spider Man, Dr Strange and Captain America) by writer/producer/director Kenneth Johnson.

    He deviated from the comic’s origin story by changing Banner’s first name from Bruce to David and making him a doctor trying to discover the reason why certain people develop superhuman strength in situations of extreme emotional stress.

    Dr Banner, portrayed by Bill Bixby, was driven in his research by the guilt he felt over having been unable to save his wife from the fiery car crash that caused her death.

    In the course of his experimentation, Dr Banner accidentally overexposed himself to gamma rays, triggering a change in his body chemistry that caused him to blackout when angered and transform into a green-skinned behemoth (played by professional bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno).

    hulk32When Banner reverted to normal, he had no memory of what he did as the creature, dubbed ‘The Incredible Hulk’ by sleazy investigative reporter Jack McGee (Jack Colvin).

    The Return Of The Incredible Hulk, another two-hour television film, aired three weeks after the first, continuing the story of David Banner. Like its immediate predecessor, it was a success with the viewing public and prompted CBS to have Johnson create and produce a one-hour primetime series that began its run in the spring of 1978.

    Bixby, Ferrigno, and Colvin all returned to play their respective roles in the series.

    In each episode, Banner hitchhiked from town to town, assuming new identities (Dr David Banner was presumed dead), taking odd jobs, and helping other troubled souls out as he struggled to find the cure to his affliction. Banner wasn’t necessarily a wanderer by nature, but he had no choice.

    Whenever he was angered, agitated, in pain, or in any way provoked, he would lose control and his body would transmogrify into the Hulk.

    His eyes would change colour first, and he would rapidly outgrow his clothes in a matter of seconds. His muscles began to bulge, his hair would grow into an unkempt mop top, and his skin would turn green.

    After the metamorphosis, the mute Hulk would then do away with whatever person or situation was bothering him.

    Sadly for the Hulk, people were often afraid of his physical presence and were blind to the fact that he had a big heart and was only trying to help people.

    After he ‘hulked out’, he would return to his natural form, only to discover that his clothes were tattered and he had a bad case of amnesia. Each episode would end with Banner leaving town, as the soundtrack played a haunting piano score.

    Through all of this, Dr Banner was pursued by National Register reporter Jack McGee, who suspected that Banner had something to do with the sudden appearances of his “big story”, the Hulk.

    The series was highly successful and stood apart from traditional science-fiction television fare in many ways.

    Despite being the title attraction of the series, the Hulk’s appearance in each episode was limited to a mere few minutes. Instead of focusing on the creature, producer Kenneth Johnson chose to focus the show primarily on Banner and the people he interacted with.

    This format allowed the show to tackle serious social concerns like alcoholism, mental illness, and child abuse, resulting in a superhero show that covered unusually mature thematic ground. The show was also notable for its rejection of campy Batman-style theatrics in favour of a more sombre and serious tone.

    In fact, Johnson’s adaptation of the Hulk borrowed as much from classic literature like Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as much as it did the original Incredible Hulk comic book.

    This approach brought the more tragic and romantic elements of Banner’s story to the fore, making it easier to take the story’s more fantastic elements seriously. The end result was a show that could be appreciated by adults and children alike, an important key to the show’s popularity.

    hulk_56

    The series ran successfully for the better part of five years, finishing its final season in 1982.

    Despite its eventual cancellation, the Incredible Hulk character was fondly remembered by television viewers and has continued to live on in various forms since its initial run.

    An Incredible Hulk cartoon ran on Saturday mornings on NBC between 1982 and 1985 (the Hulk had also been featured in the anthology-style Marvel Super Heroes animated series in the 60s), and the character has made several cartoon appearances since then.

    The live-action incarnation of the Hulk was successfully resurrected – with Bixby and Ferrigno intact – into a series of successful made-for-television films in the late 1980s: The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989), and The Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990).

    More instalments were planned, but the unfortunate death of Bixby in 1993 put an end to the Hulk’s live-action adventures.

    Dr David Banner 
    Bill Bixby
    The Incredible Hulk 

    Lou Ferrigno
    Jack McGee 

    Jack Colvin

    Related Posts

    • Some You Win
      Some You Win
      1 9 8 4 (UK) This 30-minute Saturday night programme from Granada Television took a look at life's winners and losers.…
    • You Don't Say!
      You Don't Say!
      1 9 6 3 - 1 9 6 9 (USA) 1 9 7 5 (USA) 1 9 7 8 - …
    • Sebastian the Incredible Drawing Dog
      Sebastian the Incredible Drawing Dog
      1 9 8 6 (UK) 13 x 5 minute episodes Puppet dog Sebastian shared a flat with Michael Barrymore in this…
    • Babble
      Babble
      1 9 8 3 - 1 9 8 5 (UK) 30 minute episodes Beginning on 31 July 1983, Peter Purves (ex-Blue…
    • Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling
      Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling
      1 9 8 5 - 1 9 8 6 (USA) 26 x 60 minute episodes This CBS cartoon series featured the…
    • Kindly Leave the Kerb
      Kindly Leave the Kerb
      1 9 7 1 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes This short-lived comedy series from LWT starred Peter Butterworth as Ernest…
    • He-Man & The Masters Of The Universe
      He-Man & The Masters Of The Universe
      1 9 8 3 - 1 9 8 5 (USA) 65 x 25 minute episodes In a distant and mystical land,…
    • Blossom
      Blossom
      1 9 9 1 - 1 9 9 5 (USA) 114 x 30 minute episodes Blossom related the growing-up misadventures of the…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleEdward and Mrs Simpson
    Next Article WKRP In Cincinnati

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Skyward (1980)
      This made-for-TV movie was the first major behind-the-camera […]
    • Person To Person
      1 9 5 3 – 1 9 6 1 (USA) 299 x 30 minute episodes Person To […]
    • Run a Crooked Mile (1969)
      Richard Stuart (Louis Jordan), who teaches French at a London […]
    • Betty Everett
      Born in Greenwood, Mississippi, in 1939, Betty Everett was […]
    • Jimmy & The Boys
      There were moments on stage when vocalist Ignatius Jones ceased […]
    • Billy The Fish
      1 9 9 0 (UK) 4 x 30 minute episodes As a counterweight to the […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😢
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    6 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news 😪

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid 😂

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear 😥 rest in peace 🙏 🕊 xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😢

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Hi everyone. Were in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes.

    Hi everyone. We're in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes. ... See MoreSee Less

    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    Ironically, this post has jumped off the page at me. You'll probably get most traffic today because everyone will want to see what they might be missing!

    Martin Platt

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.