Bill Bixby was a very nice person, and on three TV series, he played good people. Bixby starred on My Favorite Martian, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, and The Incredible Hulk. He always brought a positive attitude and warmness to his roles. He treated people with compassion, and respect, and that wasn't acting, it was him. The role he played as Dr. David Banner was a lot like David Carradine in Kung Fu. Banner moved from town to town, seeking peace and avoiding trouble, but trouble always found him. Banner was trying to find a cure to becoming the Hulk, but that cure always eluded him. Almost every episode was about Man's Inhumanity to Man. Usually Banner and the Hulk were the ones dealing with people who were monsters for one reason or another. And Banner usually found a way to help people, in spite of being a fugitive, and having no control over the Hulk. It was interesting to watch Banner get into and out of trouble every week, sometimes with the help of the Hulk, and sometimes in spite of the Hulk. A great series, which always had good family values.

I so much wanted to step up to a 7 in my rating, but I couldn´t.This legendary series who met an abrupt ending in the very early 80´s is kind of flat in many ways nowadays, full-filling 4 seasons and a very short fifth.It begins excellent. A scientist (David Banner) is determend to find out the secrets of the extra ordinary strength within ordinary people in stressed situations. (Himself got the dark story of a wife killed in a car accident himself involved, trying to rescue her out of a burning car, but fails.)With A dedicated partner, they soon finds out that Gamma Rays is a key. (After interviews with people who succeded in situations David didn´t.)After hours, David gives himself an unaccidental strong shot of gamma rays in the laboratory, wich changes his inner chemistry forever.The split is on.Some evenings after that, with troublesome searchings for answers, one David Banner is on the run, forever for what it seems. (Accused for killing himself, in shape of that alter-ego.)Then it´s time to take the highway for a couple of thousand miles!Some fifth of the episodes are just re-written -or borrowed - material from shows of the same era. But when It´s good, It´s real good. And entertaning. Bill Bixby was formidable as a struggled and haunted man when the episodes was written in a kind of introspective way, beside the shallow scripts. The pilot and the rest of season 1 plus S2 (who starts excellent) is the juice of this show.The drops then comes very, very continious. After a few minutes you see clearly if this is a "between" episode, with a dull script and a go-on-to-the-next feeling.Though I like the whole 1970's package a LOT, in style and in some other culture stuff, this flaws is endureable.Bill Bixby was a very dedicated actor, who struck family tragedy during the recording years 1977-1981. The muscle man Lou Ferrigno (who played David Banner´s green alter ego of the Hulk) once said that he clearly saw Bixby's energy faded a lot in the last third of the show.Did it for the paycheck.Bixby left us in the early 90´s, and will always be David Banner to the audience. Hitch-hiking David Banner.

I remember watching this series growing up, and feeling so bad for poor David Banner, who was played to perfection by the late Bill Bixby; without him, this series would not have worked, and would likely be forgotten. He was able to convey the melancholy plight of this man remarkably well, and was aided immeasurably by Joe Harnell's haunting and poignant piano theme "The Lonely Man", which suited his performance perfectly. The sight of David walking away alone on another road, duffel bag over his shoulder, as he hitchhikes or walks into the next episode is so powerful it can make the viewer cry, yet Bixby portrayed David with dignity and respect to balance out the pathos.It should be mentioned that Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno was highly effective in his performance and huge body made him perfect casting. Creator Kenneth Johnson was inspired to present this premise seriously, and ground the plots and action in reality. The contribution of these men should not be overlooked! A great pity this series was canceled without proper closure, but it is available on DVD, so can be viewed and appreciated by all.

I faithfully watched this show as a kid and I've come to appreciate it more as an adult.Bill Bixby plays the role of David/Bruce Banner perfectly. As a kid I always wanted to be like him and as an adult I really admire his acting.The only real complaint I have is the action. The Hulk is far from super human in most scenes (he mostly grows and throws chairs, which just about anybody could do). And they use the worst trick in the 70's TV play book; slow motion. The Six Million Dollar Man started it, and The Incredible Hulk copied it, having the Hulk do everything in slow motion. It's less than impressive and actually makes the action scenes less interesting than the conflicts that David/Bruce gets into.But the plots were well written, and the show had a lot of lasting drama that has remained with me years later. Great show.