- For information about the comic book series entitled "The Incredible Hulk", please see Hulk (comics).
Lou Ferrigno in the 1978 episode "Married" The Incredible Hulk was a American television series that loosely adapted the Hulk comic book character and ran between 1978 and 1982, and starred Bill Bixby as Dr. David Bruce Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk himself.
Premise
The origins of the Hulk in the TV series differed greatly from the original comic book. Banner is this time a geneticist who has been traumatised by the loss of his wife in a fatal car accident, and his guilt over his inability to save her from the burning wreckage. He begins to conduct research into the strange phenomenon which sees humans display supernormal levels of strength, and to understand why others faced with a similar traumatic experience to his own were able to save themselves or their loved ones while under abnormally high emotional distress. He concludes that high levels of gamma radiation from sunspots is the cause, and to prove the theory, he bombards his body with gamma radiation to see if he can instill supernormal strength into his body.
Unbeknownst to him, however, the equipment is upgraded and administers a far higher dose than he intended, altering his body chemistry irrevocably. He initially thinks that the experiment has failed, but later that evening he experiences a flat tire and injures himself with the lug wrench. This triggers the metamorphosis into the Hulk and he proceeds to destroy his car. Whilst trying to reverse the process, the interferences of a nosey reporter called Jack McGee result in the destruction of the research laboratory and the death of a fellow scientist. Banner, now presumed dead, is forced to go on the run whilst trying to find a "cure" for his condition. In a manner similar to the popular series The Fugitive, this forms the basis of the TV series, as Banner endlessly drifts from place to place assuming different identities; whilst at the same time involuntarily using the powers of the Hulk to deal with the problems of the people that he encounters.
Music
One of the distinctive elements of this series that set it apart was the musical score used. In particular, the most famous music is a wistful piano piece called "The Lonely Man". It is typically used at the closing credits that typically show Banner on the road hitchhiking to the next town, burdened as ever with a destructive curse.
Made-for-TV movies
Three episodes of the series appeared first as stand-alone movies, but were later split into one-hour length for syndication. Two were produced as pilots before the series officially began in 1978.
- The Incredible Hulk (pilot) - 1977
- Death in the Family (pilot)- 1977
- Bride of the Incredible Hulk (season 2 premiere "Married" parts 1 & 2) - 1978
After the cancellation of the television series in 1982, three television movies were produced with Bill Bixby reprising his role as Dr. Banner.
- The Incredible Hulk Returns - 1988
- The Trial of the Incredible Hulk - 1989
- The Death of the Incredible Hulk - 1990
External links
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