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RTTP: The Incredible Hulk TV Series (1977-1982)

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Imbarkus

As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
Hey I saw this was on Netflix so I thought hey what they hell and put the pilot on while I was fixing a vacuum cleaner and doing some PC maintenance. I literally have not seen this series since I was a child of 7 (through 11) I guess. Blowing my mind to see it once again.

Holds up okay so far, for the pilot. I made the mistake of going back to Six Million Dollar Man one time, and was disappointed. Not so much this time.

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280px-TIHcredits.jpg


Dr. David Banner is happily in love (we know from the lovely montage) until one day his tire blows out sending he and his girl over an embankment. Banner is thrown clear while the girl is trapped as the car begins to burn. The weight of the car is pitched upon the door, and Banner struggles with all his might, lifting, straining, screaming as the fire spreads...

David Banner awakes from his nightmare. At the lab that day his colleague Elaina knows just what has happened and is concerned for him. He shrugs her off, the doctors told him the dreams would come back sometimes. He is more concerned with his work, studying the adrenal system and the strange phenomenon that occurs when people show bursts of amazing strength when a loved one is threatened... and why it didn't happen for him that night all those years ago. **Bixby does a great job here, and the motivation for this character is still the strongest of any Banner before or since. He's really likeable, and very much a tragic figure the way things play out.**


David and Elaina interview a woman who had her car flip over just as Banner did, and struggled to life it to open the door in just the same way he did, and found herself able to lift the car enough to get her son out to safety before it exploded. **This scene, and this woman who delivers this performance, is just mesmerizing.**

At some point, a "nosy reporter" from a newspaper that sounds like a tabloid named "Mr. McGee is snooping around. Nobody in the project wants him around. **Jack McGee is the unsung hero of this series. He is simultaneously sympathetic and detestable, and he is always, always just one step behind Banner. We'll see how the rewatching goes, but he stands out very clearly in my memory as a formiddable neneis who you ALMOST wanted to succeed. Very well-played by Jack Colvin.**


After an idle comment from a coworker about communication disruption due to gamma waves from sunspot activity, oh a whim Banner compares the time frame of his interview subjects with a chart of spikes in Gamma wave radiation and finds a correlation. **Somehow I never remembered this plot point. Kind of interesting.**

Banner decides to dose himself with a little bit of Gamma radiation, you know, see what happens. He doesn't know the dentist's chair with the bullseye shadow it casts over his face has been tweaked to go up to 11. Actually, way beyond 11, more like 33 or something. He gets way too much Gamma. **Okay so radiation like this would kill anyone no matter what, but it's a bit easier to believe when the guy's sitting in some experimental chair than say in the comic when he literally gets hit by a bomb explosion that doesn't kill him. Still, he should have known. The chair just looked evil. It ends up in the credits and so becomes very iconic.**


That night there' a horrible rain and lightning storm, and he gets a flat tire and is already pretty pissed off and frustrated. So he cuts his hand taking off the lug nuts and WE'RE OFF! David Banner starts his career as the Hulk by beating up his own car. **Lou Ferrigno is actually really good as the Hulk. The thing they did with his eyebrows and his eyes makes him look almost demonic, even though he is probably the most benevolent interpretation of this character.**


In a scene that echoes the original Frankenstein, Hulk nearly scares a young girl into falling into a lake and drowning, but ends up saving her life even as her father tries to shoot him. Later he sits by the lake and chills and turns back to David. David goes to Elaina for help, and they smartly go to a secure lab with a big, reinforced chromium steel isolation chamber. And plunk the freaked-out doctor inside, and try to recreate the transformation, although Elaina would prefer to just try and cure him. With initial failure, the pair accidentally discover it is anger that triggers the Hulk when Banner has a nightmare and completely destroys the isolation chamber breaking out, before Elaina can calm him.

Banner is fearful she could have been killed but Elaina doesn't believe the Hulk will kill. She feels his behavior is similar to how Banner's behavior would be if he were hyptonized, i.e. he won't really do something against his nature. **Kind of interesting way to express that plot point.**

The two attempt an x-ray based cure but it doesn't work. The next morning the police come around asking about Banner's beat-up and exploded car, and he sucks at lying and stammers some bullcrap. McGee is standing right there for the conversation with a cast of a giant foot taken from the scene. Banner and Elaina manage to stave off the police, but McGee sneaks inside after he sees that destroyed isolation chamber.

When Elaina and Banner arrive McGee hides in a chemical storage closet. Banner discovers him and goes to take him outside and he accidentally knocks over a bottle of something which looks like Windex and explodes like C4, with Elaina still trapped inside the building. Banner Hulks out and pulls Elaina from the fire and McGee sees the Hulk emerge with her, but doesn't see him transform and presumes Banner killed.

Hulk carries Elaina into the forest but she is fatally injured and dying. As Hulk stares down at her, without comprehension, Elaina confesses her long-held secret love for David, and dies. Hulk howls in rage and loss. **I fucking cried.**

A warrant is issued for the Hulk for the murders of Elaina Marks and David Banner, with McGee as both witness and the guy who runs the story: "Incredible 'Hulk' Kills Two." And he's going to stay on the story, and see the Hulk brought in...

Banner visits the graves of Elaina and himself, David Bruce Banner. "I love you Elaina," he says, "and I think you loved me too, although you never said it."

Banner hits the road, disappears, hitchhiking, hunted and alone, and haunted, searching for any relief from the monster he has inside, and the guilt he carries for the deaths of the women who loved him. Deaths for which he believes he is more responsible, than he actually is...

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Really one of the very few successful comic adaptations to TV that wasn't animated. As I recall, throughout its run it didn't pay too much attention to comic continuity, and really couldn't, with its budget.

If I keep watching, my memory informs me I should be ready for a steady stream of corrupt ranch owners, mine owners, union busters, Sheriffs, and all manner of other people in roles of authority who are looking to hurt some innocent member or faction of the local populace somehow. Just as Banner gets confortable, or gets an inkling of a cure, these evil folks do something to Hulk him out and it's time to move on. Rinse and repeat.

Still the premise was great way to adapt it for TV, the characters were well-played and memorable, and the whole affair seemed to hit a lonely, melancholy vibe at times that I rarely remember the comic approaching.

And the score! The music in the Incredible Hulk comes from an earlier time when more orchestration was used in TV scores. It's by a guy named Joe Harnell, apparently, and it includes the Lonely Man theme, which is so good it should live forever:

Lonely Man Theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d4C1ZQKmw4

Opening Credit Sequence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOXpKUu6pUg

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Also I guess someone posted the whole thing on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zFA0OFYuLQ
 

Imbarkus

As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
I suppose the subset of people who post on GAF and are also old enough to be returning to this party is pretty small after all.
 

Krowley

Member
I remember it very well, and fondly.

It was a big deal when I was a little kid and I've watched some not so long ago. Many of the episodes still hold up. It had a great atmosphere, and for me, the show defines the hulk as a character more than the comics do, mostly because I was so into it when I was a kid.

edit// It probably is the most successful live action comic adaption for TV. I certainly can't think of anything off-hand that worked better.

Better than the flash, better than smallville, better than wonder woman, or the old bat man, or the 70s spider-man live action show

Maybe the Adventures of Superman with George Reeves might be better, at least in some ways.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
I used to watch reruns of this as a kid all the time.

It's what started my love for Hulk, and it reminded me of Godzilla which I love.
 
I watched this all the time as a kid. I always really liked Bill Bixby, and coming back to it now, I was surprised at how dramatic it is. I think it still holds up pretty well.
 

Imbarkus

As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
I was always impressed with the CG in this show.

image.php


Color Green?

Maybe the Adventures of Superman with George Reeves might be better, at least in some ways.

You know I haven't seen those but I did just watch all the Max Fleisher Superman shorts they had on Netflix this weekend, and apart from some normal wartime era racial stereotypes, they hold up pretty well too.

I'm like you, though. The Incredible Hulk is from my own childhood. It's hard to be objective. Even as I read comics, this show defined the Hulk for me somehow more indelibly.
 

Stitch

Gold Member
The movies are fun and some of the episodes are great but there are also lots of stupid episodes.

And it's often just the same thing. Banner arrives in a new town, someone gets in trouble, Hulk beats the crap out of the bad guys, Banner leaves the town, lonely man theme, The End.
 
I suppose the subset of people who post on GAF and are also old enough to be returning to this party is pretty small after all.

They don't have to be that old to have watched it when it aired.
The show was popular as hell & was shown in reruns for decades after.

It's also available for streaming & netflix & other streaming sites I assume.
 

Imbarkus

As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
The movies are fun and some of the episodes are great but there are also lots of stupid episodes.

And it's often just the same thing. Banner arrives in a new town, someone gets in trouble, Hulk beats the crap out of the bad guys, Banner leaves the town, lonely man theme, The End.

Yeah we'll see how this goes. Hopefully a good series to rewatch while I'm paying half attention. Episodes 1 and 2 proper so far are a murder plot against an heiress, hatched by a fiendish stepmother and her evil doctor friend.

They don't have to be that old to have watched it when it aired.
The show was popular as hell & was shown in reruns for decades after.

It's also available for streaming & netflix & other streaming sites I assume.

Good point. I don't remember seeing it in reruns. It's been 35 years since I last watched this show. The whole series is on Netflix now.
 

DiscoJer

Member
It was a good show, but at the same time, very formulaic. You had all these shows essentially copying The Fugitive, where the main character drifts from town to town gets into trouble and solves problems. They kept adding twists as to how the main character handled the problems.

The Hulk was certainly the best of them, certainly holds up better than say, airwolf, where instead of getting mad, the main characters goes and gets his helicopter gunship.
 

Imbarkus

As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
Yeah I didn't have the boner for Airwolf everyone else had at the time, either. I wad more of a Blue Thunder guy. I made a custom Blue Thunder out of legoes and didn't take it apart for like 3 years.

If I stick with this, I'll see if I can't point out some standout episodes, see if they jog everyone's memories. I seem to recall his girlfriend from the pilot coming back somehow...

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Also, I gotta throw these obscure old TV shows out there just in case anyone else watched these as a kid. So, if you did, let me know:

Cliffhangers - 3 serials every week, Cowboys in the center of the Earth, Lady Reporter vs. Vast Conspiracy, Dracula in the Modern City

Manimal - Dude can, like, turn into any animal. Mostly favors a panther and a hawk, due to budget issues, though.

Masquerade - Love Boat meets Mission Impossible. Spy agency recruits new squad of "regular joes" each week.

Automan - Police computer guys invents an actual "Computer-guy" who looks like Tron and can turn into a car that only turns in exact right angles.
 
You might be right about the age thing and appreciating the Hulk show.

The best way to do it is by referencing this clip from family guy
http://youtu.be/R0p9jwHFr8U

I was around then but not a Hulk fan, though I would watch it most of the time since there was usually nothing better on. I was more of a Buck Rogers/ Adventures of Superman/ Six Million Dollar Man/ Battlestar Galactica/ Dr Who kid in the late 70's early 80's
 

Freshmaker

I am Korean.
The series is stupid fun for the most part. The award winning shows were nigh unwatchable IMO.

The central plot makes no real sense. Banner turns into the Hulk, fine.

There's a tabloid reporter with no credibility snooping around. So Banner runs. He leaves his lab that gives him the best chance for curing himself to randomly wander the US looking for other radioactive teets to zap himself with.

That aside, part of the fun is to notice how many times they recycle actors. Dr Polaski plays at least two different roles during the run of that show for example.
 

Imbarkus

As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
BUCK ROGERS represent! Quality programming, also still holds up. And me and my brother used to run around and play Battlestar Galactica hardcore. "By your command!"

The Incredible Hulk was for my mom and me. She dug the pathos and the drama, I like how the big green guy always threw the bad guy really far to finish the fight. :)

Love sweet Lou.

Third episode really brings this home. Most puppy-dog-eyed Hulk. Makes you want to throw him a frisbee or something.
 
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