The Incredible Hulk on TV: The Series and Its Legacy

The Incredible Hulk on TV was a CBS drama introduced in 1977, followed by a weekly series that began in 1978. Bill Bixby played scientist David Banner, and Lou Ferrigno played the Hulk, the form Banner becomes after exposure to gamma radiation. Reporter Jack McGee pursues the Hulk as Banner searches for a cure. The television premiere and the weekly debut have separate dates, a useful distinction when looking for the beginning of the series.

The Paley Center for Media dates the CBS television premiere to November 4, 1977. Total Television places the weekly debut on March 10, 1978, after two television movies. Both dates describe a beginning, but they refer to different stages of the television production. A listing for the first movie can therefore appear before a listing for the start of the weekly series without the dates describing the same broadcast.

The original television story also has a continuation beyond the weekly series. Three later NBC television films appeared in 1988, 1989 and 1990, with Bixby and Ferrigno returning in the first. For a viewing sequence focused on their version, begin with the 1977 premiere and the second television movie, then move to the weekly series before the later films.

Bill Bixby played Dr. David Bruce Banner, Lou Ferrigno played the Hulk, and Jack Colvin played Jack McGee in the 1977 premiere. The Paley Center identifies the three performers and their characters in its record for that broadcast. Bixby and Ferrigno portray the two forms at the center of the story, while Colvin plays the reporter whose pursuit becomes part of the continuing premise.

David Banner and the Hulk are connected roles performed by separate actors in The Incredible Hulk television series. The distinction helps when reading a cast record: Bixby is credited as Banner, while Ferrigno is credited as the Hulk. McGee is a separate character, and his pursuit of the Hulk gives the television premise a continuing thread alongside Banner's search for a cure. Those names identify the principal performers without assuming that every later screen version uses the same cast.

Kenneth Johnson produced, directed and wrote the 1977 television premiere, according to the Paley Center. Those are credits for the opening production, rather than a credit list for every episode that followed. When looking up the series, the premiere record gives you a starting point for both the cast and Johnson's documented work on its first television production.

The supplied record credits the television character as Dr. David Bruce Banner, but it does not establish why David became his usual first name. The Paley Center uses the full name for Bill Bixby's role in the 1977 premiere. Bruce remains part of the credited television name, so the record supports a distinction between the character's full name and the shorter name used when discussing him.

David Banner identifies Bixby's character in the television story, while the full premiere credit is Dr. David Bruce Banner. A cast credit can establish that name without explaining the decision behind it. For that reason, the documented name is a firmer answer than an account of the production's reasoning that the supplied sources do not support. Readers comparing adaptations can use the performer and production year alongside the character name.

The naming question also affects searches for the original performance. A search for David Banner and Bill Bixby points toward the television character, while The Incredible Hulk is the title used for the series. The Paley Center's premiere record connects those terms to the November 4, 1977 broadcast. Use the full credit when precision matters, and avoid treating the record as an explanation of why the name was chosen.

The series began with two television movies, followed by the weekly debut on March 10, 1978. The Paley Center dates the first television premiere to November 4, 1977, and credits Kenneth Johnson as its producer, director and writer. Its record identifies Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno and Jack Colvin in the roles associated with the television story. The first broadcast is therefore the starting point for the screen version, even though the weekly series began later.

The Paley Center lists the second movie as A Death in the Family, also known as The Return of the Incredible Hulk. Its record gives a broadcast date of November 28, 1977, although other episode listings differ. Keeping the date attributed to the Paley Center makes clear which record supplies it. The alternative title matters when checking a listing, because both titles refer to the same television production in that record.

Total Television places the weekly debut after the two movies, on March 10, 1978. For a sequence based on those milestones, start with the November 4 premiere, look for the second movie under either of its recorded titles, and then continue into the weekly series. The later NBC film The Incredible Hulk Returns has a similar title, so checking the year helps distinguish it from the second movie.

The Incredible Hulk television series followed David Banner's search for a cure while reporter Jack McGee pursued the Hulk. Total Television describes Banner's transformation and McGee's pursuit, while NBC Universal episode descriptions on Apple TV document Banner's continuing search for a cure. These elements give the television premise a continuing problem to follow across episodes, even as Banner encounters different situations during his travels.

The transformation and the pursuit describe different pressures on Banner. His search for a cure concerns the condition that turns him into the Hulk, while McGee follows the Hulk as a reporter. Those threads help explain the series without requiring the outcome of a particular episode. When choosing an episode, a viewer can follow its individual story while recognizing the circumstances that connect it to the wider television series.

Homecoming offers a documented episode to identify beyond the opening movies. The Paley Center records its CBS broadcast on November 30, 1979, and lists Diana Muldaur as Dr. Helen Banner. The episode title, date and cast credit provide a way to locate that entry without relying on an account of its later plot developments. Use those details alongside the series title when checking an episode listing.

Mariette Hartley's 1979 Emmy and Bill Bixby's direction of Bring Me the Head of the Hulk are documented distinctions in the series record. The Television Academy lists Hartley as the winner of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for The Incredible Hulk. That identifies the performer, program, award category and year without requiring a claim that one episode is the best choice for every viewer.

Hartley's award is a record of an individual performance in The Incredible Hulk television series. The supplied award entry does not establish a particular winning episode, so the credit should stay with the program rather than being assigned to an episode title. If you are looking for recognized performances associated with the series, the Television Academy record gives you a specific award to check alongside the central cast.

Bill Bixby also directed Bring Me the Head of the Hulk, which aired on CBS on January 9, 1981, according to the Paley Center. The directing credit is separate from his performance as David Banner. It gives viewers interested in Bixby's work another way to select an episode after the opening productions. Search by the full episode title and broadcast date to distinguish this credit from his acting role.

The television story continued in three NBC films broadcast in 1988, 1989 and 1990. Total Television records The Incredible Hulk Returns on May 22, 1988, with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno reprising their roles. Their return connects that film to the television version introduced in 1977. For viewers following the original cast, the NBC films belong after the opening movies and the weekly series.

The Trial of the Incredible Hulk aired on NBC on May 7, 1989, followed by The Death of the Incredible Hulk on February 18, 1990. Those dates place The Incredible Hulk Returns first among the three NBC films, with Trial and Death following in broadcast order. The sequence can be established from the titles and dates without explaining the individual films' endings. Check the year as well as the title when selecting an installment.

The Return of the Incredible Hulk and The Incredible Hulk Returns refer to productions at different points in this television history. The first is an alternative title for the second 1977 movie in the Paley Center record, while the second is the 1988 NBC film listed by Total Television. The similar wording can make a search confusing, so use the year to identify the production you intend to watch.

The television series tells a separate story from The Incredible Hulk (2008), directed by Louis Leterrier. Bill Bixby plays David Banner in the television version, while Edward Norton plays Bruce Banner in the theatrical film. Lou Ferrigno appears in both productions, but that casting overlap does not establish shared story continuity. The television premiere can be watched as the beginning of its own version of the character.

Lou Ferrigno's roles provide a performer connection between the television series and the 2008 film. He played the Hulk in the 1977 television premiere, while the supplied film record credits him as the Hulk's voice and as a security guard in the theatrical production. Those credits identify appearances in both adaptations. They do not require the two stories to be treated as one continuous narrative.

For the theatrical film's cast and story, visit the incredible hulk. The marvel movies hub provides a route to the wider film franchise. If your interest is Bixby and Ferrigno's television version, start with the November 4, 1977 premiere, continue through the second television movie and the weekly series, and then look for the three NBC films in broadcast order.