The Incredible Hulk (1977-1982)

[jon-el87]

Sat down and rewatched the original TV movie. Thought it was pretty good. They open with establishing a happy time in David Banner's life, which ends in tragedy, followed by an obsession.

Unless you count Jack McGee as an antagonist, there is no villain of the week. Which probably was a good idea. They avoid the common "the same day/night as David gets his powers, a villain just happens to come to town" scenario. Instead they're allowed to focus on fleshing out the character.

Liked that they set up some science and established David having a genetic anomaly, that would grant him superhuman strength, if he's subjected to high levels of gamma radiation. It gives some logic to the character. As they also presented several others with the same genetic anomaly, it also opens the possibility that there could be others with superpowers out there (though, I think that the actual series only explored that matter twice). David is not set up as a unique being on Earth. While also making his mutation the result of an unusually high dosage of gamma radiation. Thus explaining why everyone with this genetic anomaly doesn't become a Hulk, every time that there are high levels of gamma rays around them.

Looking at the TV movie, on its own (ignoring the rest of the series), the genetic anomly showed a lot of potential. With David, we see what can happen if someone with it is subjected to almost 2 million units of gamma radiation. What would happen if someone was subjected to just half that? What would happen if the gamma radiation worked in conjunction with another element. Just to throw something out there, lets say if a college student (with this genetic anomaly) got bitten by a radioactive spider (crazy, I know). How might that affect him? This aired on CBS, which also aired the live-action The Amazing Spider-Man (1977-1979) television movie and series. Today, these two shows would've been set in the same universe, and there'd be crossovers.

The TV movie changed the character's origin from being the result of a gamma bomb, to a lab accident. This I can get behind. It makes it simpler. Nuclear weapons testing could date it. Would also tie his origin into more of a unique incident. Meaning that the only possibility of there being others out there, would've been if they had been in this one specific area, at one specific time.

The TV movie also changed the name "Bruce Banner" to "David Banner". There are two versions to why. Kenneth Johnson claims that he did it, because he disliked alliterative names often found in comic books (he also wanted to change the Hulk from green to red. Meaning that we would've gotten Red Hulk like 30 years ahead of schedule). Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno claimed that it was because CBS felt that "Bruce" sounded gay.

Liked Susan Sullivan as Elaina Marks. Too bad that they had to kill her. When I've rewatched episodes, from time to time, I've often wished that David could've had a regular travel companion, who knew his secret and that he could always confide in. Always speak openly as David Banner. Granted, they wouldn't need Elaina to fill that role (could've had a version of Rick Jones or something). Not to mention, if they had taken her out of her current situation, they might've ended up essentially removing the scientist aspect (and just had her be a love interest).

Will try to rewatch some more episodes, but not all. Just ones that seems quite interesting or had untapped potential. Or just have something worth talking about.

[jon-el87]

Death in the Family.

While trying to cure himself, David finds himself having to try and save a young paralyzed woman, named Julie, whose stepmother is trying to kill her. A mission that leads to the Hulk having to fight a bear.

Apparently, Stan Lee suggested to Kenneth Johnson that the bear could be a robot. Johnson rejected the idea, as he felt that he was busy trying to get people to accept the idea of David transforming into this big green creature. In my eyes, both men were both right and wrong. You couldn't just have had a robot bear walking around this swamp. What is it doing there? Who created it? For what purpose? Would we be expected to assume that Julie's doctor created it? So he's both a medical doctor, and a pioneer in robotics? These are the sorts of questions, that the audience would have. If you can't give a logical reason for that, then you shouldn't do it. At the same time, you do need to present the Hulk with a powerful obstacle. The Hulk going up against regular men, even if they're several, doesn't work. The first TV movie established the Hulk being strong enough to rip apart a metallic tube, able to withstand extreme pressures. If the Hulk can do that, why would we believe that these regular men would stand a chance against him?

Julie was played by Laurie Prange, who'd later play Katie Maxwell in the season 4 two-parter "Prometheus". Katie was blind, while Julie is paralyzed. Though, Julie does not stay that way. Turn out that her disability ispsychosomatic, and she's able to walk again by the end. It felt unnecessary. Johnson likely wanted to give her a happy ending... and, apparently, the one way to do that was to let the paralyzed girl regain her former mobility. Could she not have a happy ending/life, while being in a wheelchair?

[jon-el87]

Season 1, episode 10: "Life and Death".

"David becomes friends with a pregnant woman, and together they uncover a chilling plot to steal infants for use in DNA experimentation."

The episode description, on the back of the DVD, is very misleading. There is a group selling infants illegally, and there is DNA experimentation. However, outside of one doctor, the two things are not connected. The infants are not used for DNA experimentation. Because of the DVD episode description, I had figured that the infants might tie into David's genetic anomaly, established in the first TV movie. That someone was experimenting on children with the same genetic anomaly.

Julie Adams of Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) fame guest stars as one of the villains. I guess, when you go green, you never come back.

Shame that David didn't tell Carrie his late wife's name. As she and David talk about Laura, early in the episode, it would've been a fitting closure if Carrie had named her daughter after David's wife.

David also mentions his younger sister, who later shows up in the season 3 episode "Homecoming". No idea if this was the first mention of her, but it's nice to see a hint of a future character, this early in the series. When we meet her, she doesn't just come out of nowhere. Never referenced. Possibly contradicting earlier episodes, as we sometimes see on other shows. One season, a character is said to have no brother/sister. A few seasons down the line, they suddenly have one.

[jon-el87]

Season 2, episode 1: "Married".

David seeks out Dr. Carolyn Fields to be cured. Turns out, Carolyn is herself sick and only has weeks to live. The duo set out to help ech other, while also falling in love and getting married.

Thought the emotional part of the feature-length story worked. Liked seeing the Hulk and David interact in his mind. Though, outside of one scene (when they're at some guys house), it felt like the Hulk was incidental. Apart from that one scene, you could've probably cut out all the Hulk stuff and essentially not impacted the story. It could've easily worked as its own stand-alone drama, where two people fall in love and the woman is dying. Jack McGee only cameos for a few seconds. Apart from the scene at that house, there are no antagonists in the story. Most of the time, there is only David and Carolyn interacting, by themselves, at her house. They also spend some time with an unnamed kid. Not that I think that this makes it bad. Like I noted, the emotional part of the story works, and it could've easily worked as a straight-forward drama, without the presence of the Hulk. The Hulk feels almost irrelevant to an episode of a show carrying his name. How that reflects the on episode, depends on the views of the individual viewer (and what they expect of a show called "The Incredible Hulk"). If your main interest in the show is the Hulk, you might not care much for the episode. These days, I often see people online complain about drama overshadowing superheroics on live-action superhero shows. Here is a 90 minute episode, with essentially one short scene of superheroics (with the Hulk going up against two normal guys, who have no grand scheme for the Hulk or David to foil*). The rest of it is mostly drama, focusing on the relationship between David and Carolyn.

Rosalind Chao, better known as Keiko O'Brien on TNG and DS9, appears as an unnamed receptionist. Less than a year after this, she played Emily Chan in the final episode of the live-action The Amazing Spider-Man television series, who becomes romantically involved (if I'm not mistaken) with Peter Parker.

* Feels a bit thrown in, because the writer felt pressured into including one scene of the Hulk fighting someone.

[jon-el87]

Season 2, episode 19: "Kindred Spirits".

Reminded me a bit of the Smallville episode "Skinwalker". David hears about and investigates reports of another Hulk, 30,000 years ago. Naturally, because the "First Hunter" (as Lone Wolf calls him) lived thousands of years ago, the Hulk never encounters him. Though, he is a step in the right direction. The original TV movie established that there are others with the same genetic anomaly as David, which was the key to him turning into the Hulk. The First Hunter is the first step in exploring the possibility that there could be other Hulks out there (as David sort-of speculates about, in this episode). Sort-of setting up for the season 4 two-parter "The First" (though, shouldn't that title really have been "The Second"?). It also establishes that you don't specifically need to be in a lab (which most people, outside of scientists, are usually not), to be subjected with a high enough dose of gamma radiation to cause the "Hulk-mutation". Freeing later writers from having to connect another Hulk to a lab accident.

Kim Cattrall guest stars as Dr. Gabrielle White (born Gabrielle Whitecloud). That casting (Cattrall is originally from Liverpool) would probably not go down too well these days. I liked that they had her be familiar with David Banner, speeding things up, and allowing David to speak openly with her. Though, she seemed a bit too willing to accept his story, before seeing the transformation.

The episode teases the potential that there could be another Hulk out there. One that David could face off against (rather than him, as the Hulk, always going up against regular humans), at some future time. Even if it took the writers two years to actually do it.

[jon-el87]

Season 3, episode 8: "Homecoming".

What is it with American TV shows obsession with small towns?

David travels home and is reunited with his sister Helen (who had been teased in season one) and their father, DW Banner. The comics did not introduce Brian Banner until 1982, with this episode airing in 1979. So this episode explored and fleshed out Banner's backstory and childhood. Something that the comics, seemingly wouldn't do for over two more years. We meet David's mom, Elizabeth Banner (named after Betty Ross?), who was mentioned in the first TV movie. There she's said to have liked Elaina. Here, she's shown to have died in 1949. Not sure if that contradicts the statement in the first TV movie, or could be taken as an indicator that Elaina was also from this town. In which case, they could've shown a young Elaina in one of the flashbacks.

The hair on kid David reminded me of the hair on people on M*A*S*H. Not much of a commitment. Kept staring at his shirtcollar, to see if he was wearing a 1970s shirt. Okay, you probably couldn't expect the kid to cut his hair for such a minor role, but at least try to cover it up. Harrison Ford wore a hat in American Graffiti, to cover up his period inaccure hair.

The character of Helen might've impacted the comics. In 1980, Marvel introduced She-Hulk (mere months after this episode aired). It was done out of concern that the TV show would invent a female Hulk (thus the producers would own the rights to said character, and not Marvel). Probably a good move. Apparently, when the show's ratings started to dwindle, Kenneth Johnson threw around the idea of Helen coming back and needing a blood transfusion from David, to save her life (which might then affect her). Might be a negative reflection on the show: they got willing to do something, only because they were in danger of cancellation (and were). Not because they actually wanted to explore it. I'll have that, in the back of my mind, when I rewatch the season four two-parter "The First" and comment on it.

[jon-el87]

Season 4, episodes 1 & 2: "Prometheus".

This two-parter I quite enjoyed. Impressed by the Prometheus base interior, when they first arrived. Don't think any of that was a matte painting. They managed to give the impression of this being a vast government facility. Mind you, it seems a bit ridiculous that McGee could just wander around like that, just because he was wearing one of their uniforms. You'd still need I.D.-card, cardkeys, keys and codes. The one place, that he needed it, someone just left one outside of Katie's room.

Would've liked to have seen Prometheus become a recurring enemy. A scientific military operation, out to capture the Hulk. Or, at least, a branch of it, devoted to capturing him (Russian spies could've also acquired the Prometheus intel on the Hulk. Attracting the attention of the Soviet Union to the Hulk. Who'd also want him). Armed with advanced technology. Possibly searching for others with superhuman powers, who David needs to help. There was a lot of potential with Prometheus. And with the meteorite. You've got an alien material. Could do whatever. We saw what it does with the already mutated Banner. What effects could it have had on someone else? The scientists could've opened it up, and found a substance inside, that could've done whatever the writers would've liked.

Liked that they did something creative with the Hulk. Liked David's interactions with Katie, played by Laurie Prange, who had played Julie in Death in the Family. Strange that both of Prange's characters on this show were disabled. Thankfully, this time, her disability didn't turn out to be psychosomatic (causing her to regain her sight, by the end), unlike with Julie. I like the ending that they gave her. The relationship between the blind Katie and the "Demi-Hulk" reminded me of Frankenstein's Monster and the blind man in the book and Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

The only two drawbacks to the two-parter are McGee's easy access to a secure installation and the meteorite. Like the meteorite in Spider-Man 3 (2006), it just happens to land right next to a superpowered individual. I also think that they made it absurdly big. Despite its size, it didn't do much damage. It should've created a crater 10-20 times its size (I took an introductionary course in astronomy once at university). The impact should've also created a much larger explosion. Don't know how big, but probably strong enough to kill David and Katie.

[jon-el87]

Season 4, episode 9: "King of the Beach".

Note: any similarity between the Hulk and Carl Molino is pure coincidence.

After four years of playing the Hulk, Ferrigno was given a speaking role. His first speaking role (and first role outside of playing the Hulk. Not counting the First Hunter in "Kindred Spirits"). Thought it was a good move to have Carl be a deaf body builder (and having the plot of the episode revolve around a body building contest). Close to Ferrigno's own life (a deaf kid, who got picked on, then got into body building). Allowing him to draw from his own life, Likely easing him into acting, rather than giving him a role that is completely divorced from Ferrigno himself. They avoided giving him a role, where you're left wondering why Carl is built like a body builder (like a few of Arnold's films in the 90s).

I would liked to know if Ferrigno's appearance as Carl had any impact on deaf kids watching (who might not have been aware that the guy playing the Hulk is deaf). After all, representation matters. You often hear stories of people from various groups being inspired, after seeing someone like them onscreen. A famous example is the anecdote of the impact Uhura on Star Trek had on a young Whoopi Goldberg (who suddenly saw a black woman, on television, who wasn't a maid).

The episode also features body builder Ken Waller, who was in the Pumping Iron documentary with Ferrigno.

[jon-el87]

Season 4, episodes 12 & 13: "The First" (AKA The Hulk meets Swamp Thing).

David visits a small town, after hearing about another Hulk, from 30 years ago. Resulting in his one and only encounter with a superpowered antagonist. Frye's creature is played by Dick Durock. The year after this, Durock played Swamp Thing in Wes Craven's movie adaptation. He reprised the role in a sequel, and a short-lived television series in the 90s.

Like the little nods to Frankenstein (1931), with characters named Dell Frye, Dr. Jeffrey Clive and Elizabeth Collins. No doubt references to Dwight Frye (who played Igor) and Colin Clive (who played Henry Frankenstein). A character named "Delbert 'Del' Frye" was introduced in the Hulk comic books two years ago. Showing the lasting impact of this two-parter. Apparently, it they're one of the show's most popular episodes. Wild guess: it's because it's the one place, where the Hulk goes up against something other than a normal human... or a bear.

No doubt, many viewers were probably looking forward to this episode. After 66 episodes, we're finally showed another Hulk. One that co-exists with David's (unlike the First Hunter), giving the Hulk a physical opponent.

I like, in the opening of the second part, Frye's creature is shown throwing a rock at a deer. Something that the Hulk would never do. Already, we can tell that this creature is more violent. Because he is a mutated version of an evil man, a killer. I also like that they gave the character of Case a solid motivation for being hostile towards David (he's not just a jerk, there to be a jerk, so that David can Hulk out). He's angry about his brother's death, and briefly (at least) suspects David for it.

I found the confrontation between the Hulk and Frye's creature to be lackluster. Had looked forward to it, during my rewatch of the earlier episodes. At one point, I thought, "and people think that the Clark-Doomsday fight on Smallville was disappointing." Granted, the didn't have the budget or the effects that Smallville had in 2009. However, they barely fought. As the show would shoot some of Ferrigno's stuff in a different frame-rate, it ends up feeling slow. Then the sheriff shows up and shoots Frye's creature to death (a feat impossible with the Hulk). So the Hulk doesn't actually win the fight. Frye had also been injected with the cure, so Frye's creature wasn't fighting at full strenth (as demonstrated by how easily it could be killed).

As I noted, while discussing "Homecoming", when the show looked like it would get canned in season 4, Kenneth Johnson threw forward the idea of Helen Banner coming back and getting a blood transfusion from her brother. More of a last ditch attempt to save the series, than feeling like a move that the writers and producers were interested in making. While I enjoyed this two-parter (despite the lackluster final confrontation), it feels a bit like that too. This was episodes 12 and 13 out of 18 season four episodes. Season five had seven episodes (five of which aired between October and November of 1981. The last two were aired in May of 1982).

So, after this two-parter, this show only had 12 more episodes. Not before the story concluded, but before the show was cancelled. Leaving the two-parter as a last ditch attempt to boost ratings. Saving the show, by doing what the writers and producers had refused to do for the better part of four seasons. Not because they actually wanted to do it.

[jon-el87]

Season 5, episode 6: "Slaves". And season 5, episode 7: "A Minor Problem".

David meets a woman, whose name ends with "ty", and finds himself in an abandoned town. Which episode am I talking about? Answer: both. Had originally intended to just watch the final episode of the series, but while watching it I glanced at the DVD episode description and realized that the show had ended with two consequtive abandoned town stories (even if the reason for why they're abandoned are different). Both ends with the female character (Christy (Faye Grant, who'd work with Kenneth Johnson on V) and Patty) and an additional male character (that they've been helping), driving away in a car/truck. Only difference is that, in the sixth episode David is not there and the villains are tied up in the back of the truck.

Maybe the two abandoned town stories were done for budgetary reasons, but feels a bit like they were all out of ideas. These two episodes aired in May of 1982. The other five episodes of season five aired in October and November of 1981.

With "A Minor Problem", I noted that it took almost 14 minutes for David to meet Patty (don't think that there is any dialogue for 8 minutes. And the first conversation heard, turns out to just be from a radio). It's only after that, that the plot of the episode is able to start. The episode is 46 minutes long. So 13-14 minutes of Bill Bixby running around an empty town, wondering why no one is around, is too much. It screams padding. As does the prolonged chase between Patty and her boss. Somehow, they (the writer and producers) have the characters in the middle of a virus outbreak... yet have barely anything for the characters to do. I guess it truly was "a minor problem". Would've liked to have seen Xander Berkeley getting more to do (granted, he had only started his career).

"A Minor Problem" marked the end of the series. David Banner would return three more times in the TV movies The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) and Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990). Returns was really just a backdoor pilot for a Thor television series, while Trial was just a backdoor pilot for a Daredevil television series. Neither ended up happening. On the DVD extras, for season four, Kenneth Johnson expressed regret that they never got to finish David's story (which he felt would've seen David being cured). He seemingly didn't acknowledge Death of the Incredible Hulk (which Johnson had no involvement with. In fact, he was not involved with any of the three films. No wonder he seemingly ignores them), which sees a conclusion with David dying. While the three have DVD releases, I don't know of any DVD released of the series, that includes them. In fact, looking on Wikipedia, they appeared to have had a different production company and distributor (hence the exclusion, probably). So there's probably some legal reason for their exclusion. The big question is if they should even be seen as canon to the main show, due to this exclusion and refusal of the show's creator to acknowledge them. Not to mention, haven't seen them in years, but in Death (1990), David claims to have become the Hulk 12 years earlier (if not later), when it happened in 1977. He's also claimed to have been a pioneer, in his and Dr. Pratt's field, because he was the first to use radiation in his experiments (when he only thought about using gamma rays, on impulse, the night that he first transformed into the Hulk). Should they even be considered to be in the same continuity? Okay, so they've got the same actors playing David Banner and the Hulk, big deal. Peter Cushing played Sherlock Holmes both for Hammer and for the BBC, yet those are not in continuity with each other (unless you're suggesting that his Sherlock ran into two different hounds of the Baskervilles).

Personally, I prefer "A Minor Problem" as an ending (even if it's padded and little happening) over him being killed off like that in Death of the Incredible Hulk. David Banner is allowed to save the day and live. He continues on his travels, looking for a cure, and helping people. Maybe one day he will find a cure, perhaps not (and he still searches to this day. The actor might have died 27 years ago, but David Banner never does, because we never see him die (only talking about the show on its own)). Maybe, like in the MCU, David continues to develop until the two sides of him (David Banner and the Hulk) merges into a single entity. It's all left to your imagination as an individual viewer. You pick your ending/future for David Banner.

If you want to check out this show, I recommend skipping the three 1988-1990 TV movies. Just watch the show. There are good episodes here. The only thing of note in The Incredible Hulk Returns is that it marked the first live-action interaction between two Marvel superheroes (and Howard the Duck (unless you count certain episodes of this show and the Nicholas Hammond Spider-Man series being given theatrical releases in Europe) was the first film based on Marvel Comics. Doesn't make it worth watching).

[jon-el87]

(This thread really should be in the Marvel TV section.)

You know, between Andrew and Tobey reprising their roles in No Way Home, and the deepfake Luke Skywalker on The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett... I thought about the possibility of them having a David Banner (Bill Bixby) cameo in Multiverse of Madness. Aged up a bit, to suggest that David Banner is still alive (rather than this being David Banner from the 1970s). Could be a nice tribute to Bill Bixby.