Newbury Comics in Faneuil Hall, Boston. They have a Box Set discount rack, so naturally I scooped it right up. So far the episodes I've watched have included David's ill-conceived attempt at a cure by drinking horse tranquilizers in some Indian's shed , and also Rick Springfield guest starring as a kung-fu using cop.
God, I miss the seventies.
Well thanks for coming into the "I StillLove the Hulk TV Show" thread, then.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]I make it no secret that I can't stand mindless, none verbal Hulks, and because of it, I tend to bash the television version, not the show which I love, but the portrayal of Hulk. Not because Lou Ferrigno didn't do an exceptional job with what he was given, because he DID case in point watch this clip of Elaine's death from the pilot. Extremely powerful and sad all around. Lou nails the emotion...
I've been watching this on Netflix lately(along with Marvel's animated shows) and prompted me to seek it out on dvd. The complete series is ~$30.00 on amazon right now and I couldn't pass it up. My whole family loves this show.
I remember when this show aired over here (Sweden). I think it was perhaps a couple of years after the US release, I was about 13-14 probably.
Hadn't read that much Hulk stories, and mostly from his guest appearances in Spiderman and some few other Marvel comics (read mostly DC stuff as a kid). But I knew the basics about the character and was quite excited when watching this for the first time.
The pilot was really awesome and dramatic, and to see Banners eyes turn light green/white the first time just before turning Hulk was something you'd never experienced before. The musical score was great too.
However, I got a little disappointed realizing that all the Hulk scenes would be in slow motion, and quite often rather similar (throwing villians around without hurting them and then running away). And back then I was one of those who never spotted the slippers..
But, as been pointed out a zillions times in this thread: The show's biggest asset was of course Bill Bixby. He did an incredible portrait of David Banner (yeah, not Bruce. MAD did a joke about this at the time concerning the rumors that the name Bruce wasn't "manly" enough for a TV show. My biggest superhero was Batman/Bruce Wayne though, very confusing for a kid).
Watching the show today on reruns, it's just sad to see such a great actor get defeated by the frakking cancer at that far too early age. He truly was one of the reasons the Hulk TV show became a hit.
Of course it comes out cheezy at times today, all episodes aren't that great, it might not be true to the original comic etc. But if you watch it with 70:s glasses, and focus on Bixby's great performances it's still enjoyable.
BTW, I recently watched Pumping Iron again. Haven't seen it since before I first watched the Hulk show, and actually didn't remember Lou Ferrigno was in it (but the ego tripped diva that Arnold was back then still remained in memory..)
Well, Dirty Harry analyzed all of this best IMHO. He picked out many good points regarding differences between back then and today:
Originally Posted by Dirty Harry
Don't feel bad, Shivsguy616. You are correct in stating that the show, in many ways, has NOT aged well. To be a frothing-at-the-mouth TV Hulk fan you'd almost have had to grow up as a youngster in that more innocent time period. And The Incredible Hulk TV series, like any series whose setting takes place during the years in which it is filmed, looks goofy to succeeding generations. In those days there was no Internet. Kids like me had no means of digging up every tiny detail of every aspect of a TV show before even a single episode had aired. Nor were there many outlets for finding out ANYTHING about what effects were used or how they were created (Starlog I think, any others?). Us 70's kids just sat back and were awed and enthralled that something in primetime television could be airing that appealed to us - and as a bonus Mom & Dad could (and often did) sit there and enjoy it with us every week as well.
Back then Lou's Hulk was amazing, cool, powerful and often scary (especially during the 1st season, before advertisers and network execs insisted that Lou's facial appliance makeup be toned down so as not to frighten the kiddies quite as much). You might think it's silly or impossible to believe but trust me, MANY a youngster dove behind the couch or ran out of the living room when those white eyes filled the screen! Honest! By today's standards Lou physical presence might not be as impressive, considering the seemingly endless parade of 'roided-out body builders and WWF-type personalities that grace the small (and big) screen. Remember, when this show debuted only a handful of people in the world could tell you who Lou Ferrigno or Arnold Schwarzegger were. Hard to believe now perhaps, but the sport of bodybuilding was practically invisible to mainstream America back in 1977. Arnold's leap to movies and Lou's weekly TV exposure as The Incredible Hulk helped to propel the sport into the spotlight it has enjoyed ever since.
Nowadays I find myself watching the series for Bill Bixby's amazing, sincere, fearless performances more than anything else. Plus I still LOVE those Hulk-Outs! They are one of the coolest parts of the show - for me at least. The writers really managed to put Banner into some fairly amazing (and sometimes hilarious) situations to trigger the metamorphosis. Kudos to them for some ingenious scripting and hats off to Bixby for being enough of a trooper to allow himself - week after week - to be punched, kicked, shot, electrocuted, bitten, crushed, drowned, run into and run over!!
And for Nivek... the show was NOT an simple clone of The Fugitive. By Kenneth Johnson's own admission TIH was a re-tooling of basic elements from the classic French novel Les Miserables. That it also happened to resemble The Fugitive was after the fact, but David Jansen's series was NOT the mold from which the "Banner on the run" theme sprang from. Not being knowledgeable about and having never seen any episodes of The Fugitive, perhaps that show's creator also used Les Miserables as his inspiration??
I grew up watching this show and I still love it. It's one of the few sucessful comic to tv show translations. I also like the serious adult tone it took, I doubt a modern one would go this route.
When i watch the show, now, i can't help but look down at the Hulk's feet as in alot of the scenes Ferrigno has on green shoes.....lol....smh............never noticed it as a kid.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.