I love it! I bet it was Bill Bixby's idea -- he often conferred with the show's writers about the scripts, as he had done on "The Courtship of Eddie's Father."
Emperor of the universe I think what helped this show is that the Hulk wasn't a superhero in the traditional sense. There were no supervillians. He helped realistic people in realistic situations.
@JOSHEY20 that’s (EXACTLY) what it does to me as well sending shivers down my spine with added goose pimples on my skin too… (I WAS ABSOLUTELY PETRIFIED) of (THE INCREDIBLE HULK) as a toddler when I first saw Bill as David change into Lou’s Hulk as I watched the show right from the first time I ever watched it along with my mum, dad and younger brother way, way back in and from 1979 onwards to 1982!!!! I thought Lou’s portrayal of The Incredible Hulk (to this day) is (STILL) the (SCARIEST) and (MOST REALISTIC) take on if it was at all possible for a metamorphosis in a human being to ever take place and actually happen like that!!!!…. I’M SO, SO HAPPY MY BROTHER AND I WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL KIDS WHO SAW THE INCREDIBLE HULK TV SHOW DURING THE ORIGINAL BROADCAST OF IT IN LONDON ON BRITISH TELEVISION ON ITV FOR THE LONDON WEEKEND TELEVISION 70s AND 80s ERA!!!!!!!!!!)
Kids today would probably think stuff like this is campy, or "lame". But in the seventies and early eighties, intros like this (and the Six Million Dollar Man) were simply off-the-charts phenomenal.
The ironic thing was McGee chasing the hulk for a murder he didn't commit when he himself was the one who indirectly caused the explosion killing the woman.
@@t_man7259 Mcgee somehow snuck into the laboratory to investigate and hid inside a supply room when Banner and his female colleague showed up. If I remember correctly he unknowingly spilled over some type of flammable liquid before Banner caught him and threw him out. Something ignited it and caused a fire and explosion at the laboratory. Banner hulked out and managed to get himself and his coworker out but she died immediately after from her injuries. Mcgee was still outside at the time and witnessed the whole thing. That's why he thinks hulk is responsible.
maybe if you watched the pilot you wouldn't think that it was just changing the tire that set him off,dude as already mad when he left the lab and the driving rain and getting his fingers smashed by that tire iron did not help matters,that shit hurts i've done that a couple of times in my lifetime.
Great line! Also...."The creature is wanted for a murder he didn't commit."That line always made me emotionally attached. And I wondered if the narrator knew the truth why not tell someone?? Lol
For Latin America (mexican dubbing) that text was translated as :"Don't make me angry. I'm not my self when angry", which is more attractive. Literally, he says "No soy yo cuando me enojo". And don't have that high pitched voice
Mark Froman ... The piano riff in the opening credits bear a striking resemblance to Michael Meyers theme in Halloween which was released that same year. I'm not saying that one copied the other because they came out within a few weeks of each other but it's just an eerie coincidence.
Peter Gonzalez The creature is wanted for a murder he didn’t commit,Stevie Griffin is believed to be dead and the world must believe that he is dead until he can find away to control the raging spirit that dwells within him
*It's been an Hour, waiting at Red-Lobster with that "Pager Blinking Light Thingy".* *I'm staring at the Cashier....."Don't make me Hungry. You wouldn't like me when I'm Hungry".*
"The creature is wanted for a murder he didn't commit."That line always made me emotionally attached. And I wondered if the narrator knew the truth why not tell someone?? Lol
Ugh.....the intro is so good. And the opening speech by Ted Cassidy just enhances it. After all these years, it still resonates with me. As a person who deals with mental health/depression, I really felt for David and I can relate to Cassidy's last few words......the raging spirit that dwells within.
Never realized that was Ted Cassidy before. Maybe the one person beside Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger who could play the Hulk and not make it look completely stupid
i just found out - courtesy of imdb that this was ted cassidy, and that he also voiced tony the tiger and sang, "you're a mean one mr grinch". more than just lurch!
The Hulk TV show always had like a sad theme to it he was a good guy who was trying to control his rage from becoming the Hulk but would always save the day but at the end of the day he always had to leave and hide and start over again Like a Sad Purgatory he was stuck in. I guess he was like an Unsung unappreciated hero. Bill Bixby was a great actor To bad his life ended short. RIP.
yes just as David was getting comfortable something happens most episodes are always have a sad ending when he has to leave especially at times when David has a love interest
David was trying to find a cup of coffee and rest for a bit, but the townies pushed him a little too far. Next thing you know, he's turning green, busting out of his elephant bells, and tapping a keg o'whoopass.
The interesting part about that basic premise is that it was used for years before on Westerns. Kung Fu, for example. Also, Have Gun Will Travel, Wagon Train, & Rawhide. Later The A-Team did it as well as Knight Rider. To name a few big series. All have their star come to a town, heroically clean up the bad guys of said town, and then leave. It was a very standard formula that is still used on some shows to this day. With modification.
Lou Ferrigno and the late Bill Bixby were - and still are, in my book - the very best live incarnations of the incredible Hulk and Dr. David Banner respectively. This was an integral part of my childhood and led me to become a writer.
David is the show name but Bruce is the comics name but yeah they are pretty similar, accident with radiation and having to balance being Hulk and Banner especially
David is the original man's name and Bruce, his middle name, was given to his son. It is the name of the guy in the movie (updated version). Mmmm .. I like DAVID better. BILL BIXBY 💔 ESPECIALLY. There will be NoOoo', NoOoo', NoOoo one like him. They can NEVER replace Bixby.
How the hell did they go from this to that turgid shite they produced in 2000s? I've not watched a full Marvel Hulk movie. Can't stomach it. They ruined the character with the over the top CGI.
He also remarked in the pilot episode that at that point he was furious and madder than he had ever been. So it was the anger and pain that triggered it.
WarthawkBeyond2040 True however i think it would have been a better line to have David (or Bruce) to say Mr. McGee don't make me angry you wouldn't want too see me get angry, the you wouldn't like me when i'm angry was a bit corny still a good line.
@@indranidasgupta8982 How do you know it was use as a joke? seriously i am asking. So i think that the line could have been better if the line wasn't suppose to be taking as a joke, and even if the line was used as a joke having David say the line in another would have been better in my opinion.
Just learned recently that Ted Cassidy, aka Lurch from the Addams Family, did the opening narration and even provided the vocals for the Hulk for the first two seasons before his death. Thanks for making our childhoods memorable Mr. Cassidy.
And let's not forget to thank Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno too. Of course Kenneth Johnson who developed the show and was the head writer deserves a bit a credit as well.
The Americans are geniuses, I was a kid and this series makes me dream again.In France, the incredible Hulk was a huge success, this series is perfect, a masterpiece, Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, the greatest team of all times. A French fan.
@@cymond Vintage and iconic. I didn't watch She Hulk at all but when I heard that they did it I checked it out on RU-vid and have to give them credit for paying a respectful tribute to this show. I never expected them to pay actual respect to The Incredible Hulk series and not mock it.
When I watched this as a child, aged 4, I used to go in front of the TV screen and mimic the hulk. I'd scream out like the hulk and flex my muscles. Everyone in the room busted out in laughter. 😂❤❤
My brother and I would watch in the dark in my older brother's room. The Hulk scared us when we were little five year olds but we loved the car crashes of The Dukes of Hazzard. Dallas was boring but it was bedtime by the time that came on. Ah, '80s childhood.
A lot of credit for Kenneth Johnson. He changed the story to be more realistic. The Hulk was not off the charts strong. It was a modern twist on the Jekyll and Hyde story. I think there should be a lot of credit to go around.
For many of us from this particular era (including myself) not only was the show great, but back at that time television kept you home, and entertained, show after show. Between I H, Dukes of Hazzard, Dallas, Battlestar Galactica, Quincy, 6 Million $ Man, Wonder Woman, What’s Happening, and the list goes on. Every TV 1:10 show was a treat. This TV intro gives me goosebumps to watch! And brings back fond memories of the late 70s
Well I felt really bad that Banner would usually get pummelled every week by bad guys before the Hulk finally shows up. Always glad they always threw him over a counter or into a different room so he had privacy to change. What if McGee caught the whole MetaMorphis on tape and aired it on tv! Then the whole country would have seen it! Oh wait.
@@billc5378 "Always glad they always threw him over a counter or into a different room so he had privacy to change." Yes. lol. But it was kind of important for the over-all arc of the show's plot. In the early seasons, reporter Jack McGee doesn't know that the Hulk is actually a normal guy who transforms. It took him a while to figure that out, and it was of course the reason the Hulk was so hard to track down. He eventually finds out, but before then it's really important that almost nobody directly sees Banner transform.
I may have been born in the 90s but I do remember growing up with this on Sci Fi in the early to mid 2000s as a teenager. So many times I could relate to this and both David Bruce Banner and the Hulk. I at times got bullied by other kids or wasn't treated well by my dad and his side of the family while I have a loving mother and her side of the family are better people. Whenever I tried doing something about the bullies in my life or about anyone jerk in my life. I always felt like I was going to hulk out and go all Lou Ferrigno on them. Sometimes I did but I always felt like I could relate to this franchise.
I can't imagine anyone other than Bill Bixby playing this role. He had a look, an intelligence - a way - about his performances that were second to none. Banner: brave and strong, but also thoughtful, compassionate & caring. These traits transitioned into The Hulk, IMO, flexing, roaring & tossing shit around aside. What more could you ask for in a character? LL
exactly like I’m 12 and when i was 5 i loved this show i had the complete series box set and knew when those green eyes appeared shit was about to get real
Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno will forever be the best and most iconic Banner and Hulk ever whether it's live action or animated. They just won't ever be topped for me I don't care who they cast or whatever overblown CGI stuff they do for The Hulk. Big ups to Jack Colvin and creator Kenneth Johnson as well.
Bill Bixby and Christopher Reeves are for me the great actors to play superheroes. They played their characters perfectly by having their human emotions be seen more the the sci-fi elements. Their theatre background was huge in making their characters very venerable/ humanistic
@@CyricZ Lol well of course he's passed on but I just meant I was hoping it was still the Ted Cassidy voice from this intro and not some other random narrator. Glad that She Hulk actually paid respect to this series, though.
I remember this show when I was a kid! And now, all these years later, "The Incredible Hulk" reminds me of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"! Indeed, both David Banner and Dr. Jekyll are fictional scientists who had managed to unlock their respective inner beasts! Yes, I think that "The Incredible Hulk" in all of his incarnations (including the Marvel comic books about him) was inspired by "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"!
Yes. He was not only the narrator but was also the growling voice of the Hulk in the intro. The great actor Ted Cassidy, better known as Lurch (the butler) in The Addams Family.
steveN111333 Same here but it wasn't the eyes that scared me,it was when the gamma ray machine goes over his forehead!I was frightened of having a x ray for years lol!
The importance and greatness of this show stretches decades and media. The comic series “the immortal hulk” brought in a female version of McGee called Jackie McGee. And she hulks finale starting with a tribute to the 70s show. Say what you will about the show, that intro won me over immediately.
I think now that it was a real Gift to be as innocent as we were back then. Our capability for surprise was outstanding. Life was so deliciously simple those days…
This intro was always both scary and sad to me, especially when juxtaposed against the theme music at around 0:51: 'The creature is wanted for a murder he didn't commit. David Banner is believed to be dead, and he must let the world think that he is dead until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him(Hulk roars)'. IMO this show was one of the greatest screen adaptations of a classic comic book character BTW. Thanks for posting this reminder. Respect to Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby(RIP).
@@billc5378 I really enjoyed Superman too! I'm still suspicious about George Reeves' death. They say it was suicide, but from the research I've done, his career was starting to pick up again but he was in deep debt with some shady people. Him committing suicide didn't make sense, but getting assassinated by some mafia goon types seems more likely, IMO.
Honestly, this show was really good. Sure it had a few episodes every season that were crap, but mostly it was really good. The one thing keeping it from reaching any sort of respectable television drama series standard is the fact that the network flat out demanded that Banner "Hulk out" two times per episode, no matter what the story of that particular episode was about. So the creators sometimes had to come up with desperate (and pathetic) ways for the main character to get into situations where he would become scared/angry/agitated and become the Hulk. I swear, there are episodes that would be damn near perfect, still to this day, if they would have just let him be David Banner throughout the 40-45 minutes, and not hulk out.
You realize the show is titled The Incredible Hulk, right? If he doesn't turn into the Hulk then what would be the point of the title? Might as well call it Banner.
you know its funny i just starting watching this and i was wondering if they did a 100% only bruce banner episode helping people and then an episode that just the hulk with no bruce banner. that woulda been pretty clever.
@@fallthefox699 But you can't show the same series in a prime time tv slot can you! Having the same story outline ( David Banner on the run and that despicable journalist in hot pursuit) with one or two differences (adding in the she hulk perhaps) and with CGI special effects would make it a ratings winner!
God this was literally one of the Greatest openings to a great TV Show I was like 4 or 5 when my father showed me this Show on Tbs it used to rerun all the time it was awesome still is I just can't believe that this gem was only made nearly 40 years ago and it still holds up. My dad grew up with it then I grew up with. I'll be completely honest if it hadn't been for this show I don't think I would've gotten into the comics and Character without it. Such a Masterpiece.
I just found out the narrator was Ted Cassidy the actor who played Harvey Logan in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which is one of my favorite movies of all time. Love how things always connect to something else.
Who’s here after She Hulk S1 finale? I searched for this immediately because I was a bit clueless by the reference, (I’ve not seen this before) and I loved it! 😍
“…Until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within’im” Man, when I was a kid that double frame close-up of Banner/Hulk scared the s*it outta me. EVERY time 🥲
True. A person could learn alot from watching the Incredible Hulk. People often talk about how they have a shitty life or day yet I never came across anyone who has it bad as David Banner. The show makes you value and appreciate life cause all the shit we take for granted in life,David Banner would truly appreciate it.