The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Incredible Hulk |
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| Genre |
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| Developed by | Kenneth Johnson |
| Starring |
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| Narrated by | Ted Cassidy (opening narration) |
| Ending theme | "The Lonely Man Theme" |
| Composer(s) | Joe Harnell |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 80 + 5 TV movies (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Kenneth Johnson |
| Producer(s) |
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| Running time | 47–50 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
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| Distributor | NBCUniversal Syndication Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | November 4, 1977 – May 12, 1982 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988) |
The Incredible Hulk was a popular American television show. It was based on the famous Marvel Comics character, The Hulk. The show was broadcast on the CBS network.
The main actors were Bill Bixby as Dr. David Bruce Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. Jack Colvin played Jack McGee, a reporter.
In the series, Dr. David Banner is a scientist. He is thought to be dead. He travels across America using different names. He often helps people in trouble. But he has a big secret: when he gets very angry or stressed, he changes into a huge, strong, green creature. This creature is called "The Hulk."
Banner works temporary jobs to earn money. He is always looking for a way to control or cure his condition. Meanwhile, a reporter named Jack McGee is always chasing him. McGee believes the Hulk is dangerous. He thinks catching the Hulk will make his career famous.
The show started with a two-hour movie on November 4, 1977. This movie showed how the Hulk came to be. The series had 80 episodes over five seasons, from 1978 to 1982. Kenneth Johnson created and produced the show. He also wrote or directed some episodes. The series ended with David Banner still trying to find a cure.
Later, in 1988, new TV movies were made. These movies continued the story. They included The Incredible Hulk Returns, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, and The Death of the Incredible Hulk. These movies aired on NBC. The Incredible Hulk series has fans all over the world.
Contents
Story of the Hulk
Dr. David Bruce Banner is a doctor and scientist. He works at the Culver Institute in California. He is very sad because his wife, Laura, died in a car accident. He couldn't save her.
Banner and his partner, Dr. Elaina Marks, study people. They look at how some people get super strength when they are very stressed. Banner wants to know why he didn't get super strength when his wife died. He thinks that high levels of gamma radiation from sunspots might make people stronger.
Banner tries an experiment on himself in the lab. He uses gamma radiation. But the machine was set wrong, and he gets a huge dose. At first, he thinks the experiment failed.
Later, he gets angry while changing a flat tire. His anger makes him change. He becomes a 7-foot-tall, 330-pound, green-skinned creature. This creature is super strong and driven by rage. It is not very smart. When Banner calms down, he changes back to himself. He can't remember what happened as the Hulk.
He asks Dr. Marks for help. They try to understand what happened and find a cure. But a reporter, Jack McGee, causes problems. McGee was looking into their research. Now he thinks they are linked to a green monster.
McGee accidentally starts a fire in their lab. Banner rushes in to save Marks. But the creature comes out of the fire with Marks, who is dying. McGee thinks Banner died in the fire. He believes the Hulk killed them. He writes a story calling the "Incredible Hulk" a killer. He tells the police to catch him.
Everyone thinks Banner is dead. So, he decides to travel around. He takes on different jobs and names. He keeps looking for a cure. He also feels he must help people he meets. Meanwhile, McGee keeps chasing the mysterious creature. He wants to stop more violence and prove his story. At the end of most episodes, Banner leaves quickly. He fears the Hulk's actions will bring unwanted attention from the police or McGee.
Main Actors
- Bill Bixby played Dr. David Bruce Banner.
- Lou Ferrigno played the Hulk.
- Jack Colvin played Jack McGee. He was a reporter who tracked the Hulk.
- Ted Cassidy was the voice of the Hulk (growls and roars) for the first two seasons. He was not credited.
- Charles Napier became the voice of the Hulk after Cassidy died in 1979. He was also not credited.
How the Show Was Made
Show's Beginning
In 1977, Universal Television wanted to make a TV show based on Marvel Comics characters. Kenneth Johnson, a producer and writer, was offered the job. He first said no. But then he read the book Les Misérables. This book gave him an idea for a Hulk TV show.
Johnson changed some things from the comic book. He wanted the show to feel more real. He also didn't like comic books much. So, he wanted the show to be different.
In the comic, Banner got gamma rays from an atomic explosion. In the show, he got them from a lab accident. Also, Banner was a physicist in the comic. In the show, he was a medical researcher and doctor.
The TV Hulk did not speak. He only growled and roared. Stan Lee, who helped create the Hulk, agreed with this change. He said the comic book Hulk's way of talking would sound silly on TV.
The Hulk's strength in the show was less than in the comic. Johnson felt this made the show more believable. But the Hulk could still heal very fast. For example, in one episode, Banner's spine was badly hurt. But after he changed into the Hulk, his spine healed completely. Most episodes only had the Hulk as the science fiction part. Johnson also created the character Jack McGee instead of using comic book characters.
Johnson changed Dr. Bruce Banner's name to Dr. David Banner for the show. He didn't want the show to seem too much like a comic book. He also said it was to honor his son, David. "Bruce" became Banner's middle name in the show. You can see it on his tombstone in the pilot movie.
Kenneth Johnson also wanted the Hulk to be red, not green. He thought red showed anger better. But Stan Lee said the Hulk's color could not be changed. Green was too famous.
Stan Lee later said that Kenneth Johnson made The Hulk show smart and grown-up. He said it was well done and made sense, even with the changes.
Choosing the Actors
Kenneth Johnson chose Bill Bixby to play Dr. David Banner. He was Johnson's first choice. Jack Colvin was chosen to play Jack McGee, the reporter. McGee was based on a character from Les Misérables.
Arnold Schwarzenegger tried out for the Hulk role. But he was not tall enough, according to Johnson. Actor Richard Kiel was hired instead. But Johnson's son said Kiel didn't look like the Hulk. So, Lou Ferrigno, a bodybuilder, took the role. A very short shot of Kiel as the Hulk is still in the pilot movie. Kiel later said he had trouble with the contact lenses and green makeup.
Ted Cassidy did the opening narration. He also made the Hulk's growls and roars for the first two seasons. Cassidy passed away in 1979. After that, Charles Napier did the Hulk's sounds for the rest of the show. Napier also appeared in two episodes as other characters.
Guest Stars
Many actors appeared on the show. Some were already famous, and some became famous later. These included Susan Sullivan, Kim Cattrall, and Ray Walston. Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk, also appeared as a different character in one episode.
Mariette Hartley won an Emmy Award for her role as Dr. Carolyn Fields. She appeared in the episode "Married" in season two.
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Hulk for Marvel Comics. They both made small appearances in the series. Kirby was in the episode "No Escape." Lee was a juror in the TV movie Trial of the Incredible Hulk.
Makeup for the Hulk
At first, the Hulk's face looked very scary. But after the first few episodes, the makeup was made less monstrous. It took three hours to put the makeup on Lou Ferrigno. He wore hard contact lenses to make his eyes look electric green. He had to take them out every 15 minutes because they hurt. The Hulk's green wig was made from dyed yak hair.
Show's Music
Joe Harnell wrote the music for The Incredible Hulk. He was a favorite composer of Kenneth Johnson. The show's main song was "The Lonely Man." It was a sad piano tune. It was always played during the closing credits. These credits usually showed Banner hitchhiking.
Show's Themes
Often, Banner's personal struggles were like the problems of the people he met. Dr. Banner would help these people.
TV Movies
After the show ended in 1982, three more TV movies were made. Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno played their roles again. These movies aired on NBC.
- The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988): In this movie, David Banner meets a former student. The student has a magic hammer that calls Thor. Thor is a Norse god. This movie was meant to be a test for a new TV show about Thor. This was also the last time Jack Colvin played McGee.
- The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989): David Banner meets a blind lawyer named Matt Murdock. This lawyer is also the hero Daredevil. The Hulk and Daredevil fight a bad guy named Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin of Crime. This movie was also a test for a new TV show about Daredevil. Stan Lee has a small appearance as a juror.
- The Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990): David Banner falls in love with a spy. He saves two kidnapped scientists. The movie ends with the Hulk falling from an airplane. He changes back to Banner just before he dies.
Even though the Hulk seemed to die, another movie was planned. It was called Revenge of the Incredible Hulk. But this movie was canceled.
Other Media
The TV show also led to a newspaper comic strip. It ran from 1978 to 1982. It used the same story as the TV show but told new adventures.
In 1979, a Hulk "video novel" was released. It was a paperback book with pictures and words from the pilot movie.
See also
In Spanish: The Incredible Hulk (serie de televisión de 1978) para niños
