"The Incredible Hulk" (1978) TV series 1978-1982

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

10 March 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry

Plot:

A fugitive scientist has the curse of becoming a powerful green monster under extreme emotional stress.

Plot Keywords:

Stress | Green | Scientist | Incredible Hulk | Fugitive

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Lou Ferrigno	...	The Incredible Hulk / ... (82 episodes, 1978-1982)
Bill Bixby	...	Dr. David Bruce Banner / ... (81 episodes, 1978-1982)
Jack Colvin	...	Jack McGee (56 episodes, 1978-1981)

(more)

Series Directed by
Frank Orsatti		(12 episodes, 1978-1981)
Reza Badiyi		(8 episodes, 1978-1980)
John McPherson		(7 episodes, 1979-1980)
Jeffrey Hayden		(5 episodes, 1978-1979)
Barry Crane		(5 episodes, 1979-1981)
Kenneth Johnson		(4 episodes, 1978-1980)
Kenneth Gilbert		(4 episodes, 1978)
Michael Vejar		(4 episodes, 1981)
Chuck Bowman		(3 episodes, 1978-1981)
Alan J. Levi		(3 episodes, 1978-1979)
Sigmund Neufeld Jr.		(3 episodes, 1978)
Nicholas Corea		(3 episodes, 1979-1980)
Joseph Pevney		(2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Larry Stewart		(2 episodes, 1978)
Patrick Boyriven		(2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Dick Harwood		(2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Jack Colvin		(2 episodes, 1981)

Series Writing credits
Nicholas Corea		(13 episodes, 1978-1981)
Jill Donner		(12 episodes, 1978-1981)
Karen Harris		(12 episodes, 1978-1981)
Andrew Schneider		(8 episodes, 1979-1981)
Kenneth Johnson		(7 episodes, 1978-1980)
Reuben Leder		(5 episodes, 1981)
Chris Bunch		(4 episodes, 1980-1981)
Allan Cole		(4 episodes, 1980-1981)
Richard Christian Matheson		(3 episodes, 1978-1979)
Thomas E. Szollosi		(3 episodes, 1978-1979)
Migdia Chinea-Varela		(2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Frank Dandridge		(2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Justin Edgerton		(2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Jim Tisdale		(2 episodes, 1978-1979)
James D. Parriott		(2 episodes, 1978)
Deborah Dean Davis		(2 episodes, 1979-1981)
Daniel B. Ullman		(2 episodes, 1979-1980)
Craig Buck		(2 episodes, 1979)
Sam Egan		(2 episodes, 1979)
Diane Frolov		(2 episodes, 1981-1982)

Series Produced by
Kenneth Johnson	....	executive producer (80 episodes, 1978-1982)
Nicholas Corea	....	supervising producer / producer (53 episodes, 1978-1981)
Robert Bennett Steinhauer	....	producer / supervising producer / ... (46 episodes, 1979-1982)
Chuck Bowman	....	supervising producer / producer (35 episodes, 1978-1979)
Jill Donner	....	producer (28 episodes, 1980-1982)
Stephen Caldwell	....	associate producer (26 episodes, 1978-1980)
Alan Cassidy	....	associate producer (25 episodes, 1979-1981)
Karen Harris	....	producer (23 episodes, 1980-1982)
James G. Hirsch	....	producer (11 episodes, 1978-1979)
James D. Parriott	....	producer / supervising producer / ... (11 episodes, 1978)
Jeff Freilich	....	producer (9 episodes, 1979-1980)
Andrew Schneider	....	producer (2 episodes, 1981-1982)

Series Original Music by
Joseph Harnell		(80 episodes, 1978-1982)

Series Cinematography by
John McPherson		(24 episodes, 1978-1980)
Eddie Rio Rotunno		(2 episodes, 1979-1981)
Vincent A. Martinelli		(2 episodes, 1980)

Series Film Editing by
George Ohanian		(9 episodes, 1978-1981)
Jack W. Schoengarth		(9 episodes, 1979-1980)
Robert K. Richard		(8 episodes, 1978-1981)
Alan Marks		(8 episodes, 1979-1980)

Series Casting by
Ron Stephenson		(23 episodes, 1979-1980)

Series Art Direction by
Louis Montejano		(12 episodes, 1979-1981)
Frank Grieco Jr.		(10 episodes, 1979-1980)
David Marshall		(2 episodes, 1979)

Series Set Decoration by
Robert Wingo		(25 episodes, 1979-1981)

Series Costume Design by
Brienne Glyttov		(25 episodes, 1979-1981)
Charles Waldo		(2 episodes, 1978)

Series Makeup Department
John Naulin	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Mark A. Burley	....	unit production manager (24 episodes, 1979-1981)
Robert Bennett Steinhauer	....	unit production manager (2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Mike Frankovich Jr.	....	unit production manager (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Forest	....	second assistant director (26 episodes, 1978-1981)
Wolfgang E. Marum	....	first assistant director (11 episodes, 1979-1981)
John Liberti	....	first assistant director (11 episodes, 1979-1980)
Gene Marum	....	first assistant director (3 episodes, 1978-1979)
Jan R. Lloyd	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 1978)
Thomas A. Bliss	....	dga trainee (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Glenn Forbes	....	set dresser (unknown episodes)
David L. Snyder	....	assistant art director (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Claude Riggins	....	sound (27 episodes, 1978-1981)
Kyle Wright	....	sound effects editor (15 episodes, 1978-1980)
Bernard F. Pincus	....	sound effects editor (8 episodes, 1979-1980)
Pat Somerset	....	sound effects editor (2 episodes, 1979-1980)
Barney Cabral	....	adr editor (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Greg C. Jensen	....	special effects coordinator (1 episode, 1978)

Series Stunts
Don McGovern	....	stunts (22 episodes, 1978-1982)
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts (11 episodes, 1978-1979)
Frank Orsatti	....	stunt double: Bill Bixby / stunts (10 episodes, 1978)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts (2 episodes, 1978-1980)
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Manny Perry	....	stunt double: Lou Ferrigno (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Pat Campea Jr.	....	dolly grip (10 episodes, 1978)
Owen Marsh	....	camera operator (unknown episodes, 1978)
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Phil Benjamin	....	casting (2 episodes, 1978-1979)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jerry Herrin	....	costume supervisor (1 episode, 1978-1979)

Series Editorial Department
Steve Johnson	....	colorist (72 episodes, 1978-1981)

Series Music Department
Walter Ulric Elliott	....	music editor (11 episodes, 1978-1979)
Rick Gleitsman	....	music editor (9 episodes, 1980)
Celia Weiner	....	music editor (4 episodes, 1979-1980)
Arnold Schwarzwald	....	music editor (2 episodes, 1979-1981)
Don Davis	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	production driver (3 episodes, 1978)

Series Other crew
Kenneth Johnson	....	developed for television by / developer (80 episodes, 1978-1982)
Stan Lee	....	consultant (80 episodes, 1978-1982)
Rich Sephton	....	cars and motors (80 episodes, 1978-1982)
Jill Donner	....	executive story consultant / story editor (21 episodes, 1979-1980)
Karen Harris	....	executive story consultant / story editor (21 episodes, 1979-1980)
Andrew Schneider	....	story editor (21 episodes, 1979-1980)
Edward L. Jeffers	....	location manager (unknown episodes)
Art Scholl	....	pilot (unknown episodes)
Thomas D. Tannenbaum	....	senior vice president in charge of production (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Marvel Productions
• Universal TV

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1978-1982) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Studios USA Television
• Televisie Radio Omroep Stichting (TROS) (1979-1983) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Universal Home Video (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (season 1)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 2 and 3)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• World Beyond Video (video)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles

Runtime:

60 min (87 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Australia:PG | Netherlands:6 (DVD rating) | Argentina:Atp | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Marvel Productions

Trivia:

In most episodes, David Banner turned into the Hulk twice. The first transformation typically occurred 20 to 30 minutes after the start of the show, while the second transformation took place during the climax.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the Hulk breaks through a brick wall, (typically at the end of the show) the clothing that he wears changes between his approach to the wall, and to the view of him running down the alley, and this is repeated in several different episodes, which clearly looks like the same stock footage being re-used.

Quotes:

Jack McGee: Human interest stories do not make front page.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Supernatural: Free to Be You and Me (#5.3)" (2009)

Not like the comic book? Who cares?

A primary complaint about this TV show is that it wasn't like the comic book. Whether or not the TV show was like the comic book is irrelevant. The Hulk performed physical feats in the comic that would have been impossible to duplicate when this series was running, and comic books are so simplistic and often violent, they never would have allowed it on prime time TV.

That said, the Incredible Hulk was a good TV show with strong acting by Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno that was, mostly, harmless fun for the whole family. The Hulk represented a kind of "Elephant Man" character, who certainly looks scary, but is genuinely kind and gentle and wants to help people in trouble (sort of a one man A-Team). I don't remember him ever seriously hurting anyone, and most of the physical parts involved him bending gun barrels so they couldn't be fired or turning cars over on their roofs. With the kind of strength the Hulk had, he could have torn people in half, but he settled for bending steel piping around them and leaving them helpless for the police to take to jail. He was gentle with animals and young people as well as old.

The story is a very sad one: Bixby, playing scientist David Banner, is stuck in a life on the run from an obsessed reporter who wants to become famous by photographing the Hulk. Banner and the Hulk represent the ultimate misunderstood hero/antihero: someone who is a better person than most of us are, yet is persecuted because of other people's misunderstandings.

Harmless fun for the whole family, and some good lessons for youngsters about kindness and not judging others for their appearance.