Television: 'The Incredible Hulk' (1978 to 1982)

'The Incredible Hulk' ran from 1978 to 1982 (with two pilot tv movies in 1977) and is a classic example (the first, in fact) of how to translate a ridiculous comic book character to television. The secret, as show creator Kenneth Johnson knew, was to make it psychological and to strip out as much of the extraneous material as possible. The only surviving aspects were the surname Banner, the angry version of the Hulk creature itself, and the term 'gamma radiation'. Those concepts were merged with the lonely running man formula coined by 'The Fugitive' and formed the basis of an incredibly and briefly popular phenomenon.

The Hulk was a fascinating - and melancholy - exercise in formula, a grand psychological exercise in portraying the monsters in everyone and not just David Bruce Banner. That was why Bill Bixby signed up to play Banner, a coup in what should have been a silly comic book show. That was the arena that the show excelled in, but it was also the curse that ultimately broke the show's own back. As with most formula shows, the formula either has to change over time or cripple the show fatally. On this occasion the formula stayed exactly the same and doomed the whole enterprise, if running for four seasons can be called a failure.

When the formula worked, though, 'The Incredible Hulk' was a majestic cheesy mass of excellence. Normally we would join the story en media res, with a new job for Banner and a seemingly acceptable standard of life. Then the problem would develop, an abusive person or criminal or domestic conflict, before finally Banner would become involved and the Hulk emerged. After that either inflamed or resolved the situation, Banner / Hulk would reappear and fix the situation before fleeing the scene with down-on-his-luck reporter Jack McGee on his tail. And that would be it. For four and a bit seasons. Banner never stops hating the Hulk, and fearing his actions, and in fact McGee gets more character development than the lead! Viewed in isolation any sequence of episodes is awesome, but as a whole it becomes problematic. Having said that I love the show, even in the campness of Lou Ferrigno busting out of his clothes and roaring madly. Never were so many bad people thrown over so many things, even when you include Mr T in 'The A-Team'.

Oh, if only there could have been development over the series. If only David Banner could have come to partly accept that the Hulk wasn't a killer or to be feared. If only he could have considered that curing himself would be akin to murder? If only he could have taken solace from the incredible list of women he romanced over the course of four years, the player that he was. Formula can't run forever. And if only not every episode hadn't finished on a down-note.

It was a great cheesy show, hammy to the fifth level, and silly beyond belief. Still, I liked it.

O.