The Official "The TV Show wasn't all that" Hulk thread

[Nivek]

This is a more negative themed thread to keep negative opinion of the late 70's/early 80's Incredible TV show from distracting the positive thread.

Comments like this one in the other thread inspired this, and here is my response to it as well.

Comics have had horrible elements. Some of them in the original ones.

Banner turning into a grey monster. Banner turning into Hulk because of the night. Banner in control of Hulk. Robin-Rick. Multiple personalities. Grey Hulk, green Hulk, Red Hulk.

No thanks. The TV series picked up only the best elements.

I still could live with interesting characters like Ross and Betty. But the TV series, specially the pilot and episodes made by Kenneth Johnson, was by far the most serious realistic interpretation of a comic book character ever made. One if the really few to take the character to another level.

If you think those are "horrible elements" you might want to re-examine why you dig the character. Thats a pretty Smallville-ish level of disrespect to the character to note what you listed as negatives. Especially to say this show, which notably has a negative history of plagiarism, was a realistic interpretation. It was a self-admitted Fugitive rip-off. Those comic elements? Unless he was being chased by an Army (which happened in all of 3 episodes in 5 years), it didn't parallel the comics all that much.

I loved this show as a child in the early 80's, but the more I found out about it's production and Kenneth Johnsons lack of respect over the years, I've seen it for what it really was. And it breaks my heart and kinda pi$$es me off to see "Hulk fans" elevate the show above the damn true source material.

So rant on Hulk fans. I've known for years some of you feel like I do, that some Hulk fans just dig the TV show and feel the comics themselves are silly, and it infuriates you because outside of Batman fans and the old 60's show, Hulk fans can't relate to anyone about feeling slighted about a successful TV adaption that overwhelms the source material in public recognition. Here is the place for it.

 

[Odin's Lapdog]

The show was very very very very repetitive and the hulk did play a very simple role in it.

It was more geared towards banner's reaction to the hulk than the hulk's reaction to banner or anything else.

I'm personally more a fan of the 90s cartoon myself, I thought they got a large majority of elements right in it, especially in their first series. The second one was meh but had cool scenes of grey and green fighting one another for control of the transformation which i thought was great.

The 70s show was a drastic oversimplification of a highly complex character but it worked in the same way baywatch worked.

Repetitive programmes were a big sell back in the days. Baywatch, Knightrider, Diagnosis Murder, Airworlf, Saved by the bell.

all have an eerie feel of deja vu to them.

One thing i hated about the show were the completely mundane reasons why there was a hulk transformation in the first place, although other people perhaps thought this was a humanising trait of banner. Maybe because people could relate to things like that.

Transforming into the hulk because of a telephone call is a lil bit much for me though....

Saying that, Ang lee used it as well so...

 

[Nivek]

Another thing...

I know some of you love this show and hold it close to your heart like anyone who is Nostalgic for the past always does. Do not look at this as an attack. This is just a place where some of us who dont feel like walking on eggshells about getting people bent out of shape can come and discuss the problems the TV show has given die-hard Hulk fans over the years.

I know it ticks me off whenever I've had fans refer to the TV show as the real Hulk, and thought elements like the Hulk jumping was stupid, as is Rick Jones, Gamma Bombs, Hulk NOT being portrayed as almost regular sized guy, ect. I've heard alot of stupid comments over the years from self-described fans of the character who seem to want more from a show that never had an interest in keeping the character to his roots.

 

[DoctorJones]

I've never watched a full episode of the old show, I enjoyed the first season of the 1990s cartoon though, which had Ferrigno's voice. I guess from what I've seen of the old show, I like Bixby and the theme tune, but gosh, it sounds silly from all the "117" reasons to bring on a roaring green bodybuilder.

 

[Nivek]

I agree Odin's Lapdog, not only was the show repetitive, but it lifted scenarios directly from other shows and movies from the time. Hell, Spielberg sued over the use of his Dual footage in the show and won.

One thing that always irritated me, when I hear newer fans talk about the show, but cannot reference what happened in them. Most notably was someone about 7 or 8 years ago giving me a highly embellished version of the two Prometheus episodes where they swore up and down the Hulk talked in it, fought the army a couple times, and had a big escape at the end where he jumped away. Well, as anyone who's not watched the episode on Acid can tell you, none of that really happened. I'm not sure if it was "Rose Colored Acid tripping Glasses" or the guy just watched it in Fast Forward over the Meteor, Demi-Hulk, and blind girl (how many we're in this show?) stuff, but the guy was telling me I was wrong, and made it into a personal attack when I was just honestly trying to correct him.

 

[Odin's Lapdog]

noboby really wants to remember things as they were....

 

[HulkStomps!]

Well, I always thought the live action TV show was good for what it was worth. I do consider the show to be the most successful TV live acton adaptation of a comic book character.

Now that being said, I always resented the TV show for limiting such an awesome character. I always understood that they didn't have the budget and technical means to give us our comic book Hulk, but now more than ever, it angers me to hear people who's first experience of the Hulk, from the TV show, wanting Hulk to still be portrayed that way in present day film!

Running only...(likely in slow motion), Never leaping... unless down from a second story building. Never talking...only growling and roaring. Not bullet proof...rather to be hurt and run away. (also in slo-mo.) And unable to pick up cars, buses and etc, or tear down buildings...only to pick up the backs of cars. (the lightest part of the vehicles.) and occasionally punch through a wall.

Hardly "Incredible",... just pertty big & strong Hulk.
Why is it that the TV show fans never seem to go and reserch and appreciate the comic book and cartoon versons that came well before the TV show? Thus, is why I'm glad the show did well, but when I see the show, I always think to myself, "that aint MY Hulk!" As great as Lou looked in the show, that Hulk was so weak and pathetic!

I realize what makes the TV show so great was what Bill Bixby brought to it. He truly was great. But thats really about it.

 

[EmeraldBeast]

Well, I always thought the live action TV show was good for what it was worth. I do consider the show to be the most successful TV live acton adaptation of a comic book character.

Now that being said, I always resented the TV show for limiting such an awesome character. I always understood that they didn't have the budget and technical means to give us our comic book Hulk, but now more than ever, it angers me to hear people who's first experience of the Hulk, from the TV show, wanting Hulk to still be portrayed that way in present day film!

Running only...(likely in slow motion), Never leaping... unless down from a second story building. Never talking...only growling and roaring. Not bullet proof...rather to be hurt and run away. (also in slo-mo.) And unable to pick up cars, buses and etc, or tear down buildings...only to pick up the backs of cars. (the lightest part of the vehicles.) and occasionally punch through a wall.

Hardly "Incredible",... just pertty big & strong Hulk.
Why is it that the TV show fans never seem to go and reserch and appreciate the comic book and cartoon versons that came well before the TV show? Thus, is why I'm glad the show did well, but when I see the show, I always think to myself, "that aint MY Hulk!" As great as Lou looked in the show, that Hulk was so weak and pathetic!

I realize what makes the TV show so great was what Bill Bixby brought to it. He truly was great. But thats really about it.

As a Hulk fan for almost 4 decades I have seen, read and endured numerous changes made to our beloved green guy. What I appreciated when the show came out was the fact that they attempted to do the show at all. What worked was the fugitive theme the show had and for what its worth, the Hulk showing up maybe twice gave you a dose (ever so small) of action. The running away from things being the Hulk killed me. What was that about? As I grew older, the show got cheesier and while I still loved the character, seeing Lou running in green slippers wasnt cool, lol. The budget for the show was pretty high for its time and I felt so much money was wasted as they never really explored all of the Hulk's true powers. They were so not dedicated to the comic. For all its worth the six million dollar man was more exciting. What I can pull away from that show was Bixby's performance was as consistant as you will get from an actor. Lou was Lou, cheese. Funny thing is while he did the voice in the cartoon, he couldve done that in the series. Brainless writers. And yes it was so, so, so ,so, sooooo redundant. Best things from the show: Bixby and the theme music. Does the Hulk get to slap Lou around in this movie?

 

[HulkStomps!]

Does the Hulk get to slap Lou around in this movie?[/QUOTE]

Heehee! That'd be Great!t:

 

[EmeraldBeast]

Does the Hulk get to slap Lou around in this movie?

Heehee! That'd be Great!t:[/quote]
I could see it now, Lou posturing and Hulk back slapping the **** outta him as he walks by, lol. Pricelesst:

 

[OneKnight]

The pilot was great.
The second movie was great.
The two part episode with the evil Hulk (The First) was great.

 

[EmeraldBeast]

The pilot was great.
The second movie was great.
The two part episode with the evil Hulk (The First) was great.

The evil hulk was a joke

 

[OneKnight]

Your opinion.

 

[Nivek]

The "First" Frye Creature Hulk was pretty silly, you had big ol' Bodybuilder Lou playing the Hulk, then some tall skinny guy painted Green with a Pompadour wig playing a simular creature. At least the Demi-Hulk guy had a build to him, Durock at the time wasn't all that impressive.

 

[Nivek]

One thing that bugs me the most is that when it comes down to it, there we're other Marvel TV shows that had the characters "misrepresented" as Hulk, like the Spider-man and Captain America shows. But Spidey and Cap fans don't weight heavily on these old shows like Hulk fans do.

 

[Ahura Mazda]

Those shows were never as popular as the Hulk live TV show. I never thought the show was an accuarte representation of the Hulk, barely even a loose representation of him once I got to know him in the comics but the show was enteratining and I did watch it as a kid.

 

[Cracker Jack]

My Hulk is the Savage Hulk from the 70's and 80's. To me it the only “real” Hulk. I know what you’re thinking but TO ME he’s the real Hulk. Those comic hold a special place in my heart and in my memories of growing up. I loved the adventure. The Hulk was looking for his place in the world (kinda like the teenaged kid who was reading his story) and Banner was looking for a way to control or get rid of his alter ego (anger). (kinda like teenaged kids) Nuff said

When the show first came on I had a Hulkgasm. The pilot was good up until the part (If it didn’t happen in the pilot forgive me) where the Hulk got shot and wounded. I was speechless. The Hulk go hurt by a gun? After that I continued to watch the show, it was The Hulk after all, but it was just ho hum. Every week it was the same thing. Banner would trip and fal and change into the Hulk. He’d growl and run away. The only episode that I remember because it was good and had a good story was the two parter “married.” After awhile the show got real silly, real fast.

 

[Limey Git]

Every week it was the same thing. Banner would trip and fal and change into the Hulk. He’d growl and run away.

I don't know why, but this just gave me one of those "spit-coffee-over-the-keyboard" moments. Thank you, sir.

 

[Nivek]

Your right CJ, Hulk got wounded by a rifle in the pilot. It was in that questionable Richard Keil-as-Hulk SCENE BY THE LAKE.

 

[Ahura Mazda]

I must say that moment botherred me as well.

 

[Doc Samson]

My Hulk is the Savage Hulk from the 70's and 80's. To me it the only “real” Hulk. I know what you’re thinking but TO ME he’s the real Hulk. Those comic hold a special place in my heart and in my memories of growing up. I loved the adventure. The Hulk was looking for his place in the world (kinda like the teenaged kid who was reading his story) and Banner was looking for a way to control or get rid of his alter ego (anger). (kinda like teenaged kids) Nuff said

When the show first came on I had a Hulkgasm. The pilot was good up until the part (If it didn’t happen in the pilot forgive me) where the Hulk got shot and wounded. I was speechless. The Hulk go hurt by a gun? After that I continued to watch the show, it was The Hulk after all, but it was just ho hum. Every week it was the same thing. Banner would trip and fal and change into the Hulk. He’d growl and run away. The only episode that I remember because it was good and had a good story was the two parter “married.” After awhile the show got real silly, real fast.

My thoughts exactly, it wasn't so much that it was "bad" to me, its just that it wasn't the Hulk to me at all, and it got very repetitive. I mean, I hear all the time that the limitations of the time had alot to do with it, but I beg to differ, Kenneth Johnson himself has said numerous times that he went out of his way to limit as many of the comic book influences as he could.

Besides that, the overall tone of the show (with some notable exceptions) was just as slow as Ang's movie, many episodes even more so. On average the Hulk showed up twice, once near the beginning, once near the end, and almost never for more than 3-5 minutes, in which time he proceeded to wrestle or throw the bully a few feet away, hit his most muscular crab pose, then jog down the street. When people insist this was so much more action packed than Ang's movie, I have to say I'm curious as to how?

Now I will say Bill Bixby gave a fantastic turn as Dr. Banner, that is never in doubt, and hopefully Norton can come close to matching that, those elements of the show were very good. But the Hulk himself, just never came close to capturing the awe that the character is capable of. I had the same feeling when the Burton Batman films and the X-men films came out. They were decent, but they weren't truly comic adaptations either IMO

 

[Cracker Jack]

I don't know why, but this just gave me one of those "spit-coffee-over-the-keyboard" moments. Thank you, sir.

LOL Thanks. It makes my day to know that you need a new key boards and in a roundabout way, The Hulk is responsible t:

Honestly, some of the things that caused Bnner to turn into the Hulk were laughable. A hot iron fell on my hand.............. Hulk-out. I fell against a hot stove ..........Hulk-out, thrown into a garbage can ......................Hulk-out. Sheesh! I was waiting for the old got anchovies on my pizza......................................Hulk-out

 

[Cracker Jack]

Your right CJ, Hulk got wounded by a rifle in the pilot. It was in that questionable Richard Keil-as-Hulk SCENE BY THE LAKE.

The Hulk gets shot by a rifle and it makes him bleed. Lame Lame Lame.

 

[Cracker Jack]

, it wasn't so much that it was "bad" to me, its just that it wasn't the Hulk to me at all, and it got very repetitive.

100% agree

 

[Bannerless Hulk]

CJ, in the trailer, every time I see the Hulk running toward the camera with his mouth agape, I think of your avatar.