This Iconic Superhero Series Premiered 48 Years Ago Today

On March 10, 1978, CBS released the first episode of The Incredible Hulk, starring Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as his green counterpart.

Despite modest reviews from critics, the show was a strong ratings performer in the U.S. and developed a fierce cult following. It revitalized the reputation of comic book stories in mainstream media, directly paving the way for blockbuster movies in the decades to come.

'The Incredible Hulk' Was A Pioneering Superhero TV Show

The Incredible Hulk told the story of Dr. Banner, a widowed scientist who traveled the country under false identities after being presumed dead. Wherever he went, he was tailed by an ambitious reporter named Jack McGee, who was never far away from discovering his secret: when Banner gets angry, he turns into a feral, savage creature called the Hulk.

The series was inspired by the Marvel Comics strips of the same name, which was consistently popular throughout the '60s and '70s. But where comics had previously been reserved for a very niche audience, The Incredible Hulk offered a mainstream gateway to the same world.

In the years since its conclusion, The Incredible Hulk has been credited as one of the most influential television shows ever. While its story was relatively simple and its practical effects were nothing to lose sleep over, the show triggered a cultural interest in superhero that endures today.

Blockbuster franchises like the MCU simply wouldn't have been possible without the accessible, mainstream approach to superheroes that The Incredible Hulk offered. In fact, the MCU's cinematic version of The IncredibleHulk borrowed several ideas from the show, including the details of Banner's origin story.

Prior to The Incredible Hulk, superhero television shows had been confined to lighthearted, genre-driven stories that didn't appeal to mainstream audiences. There were silly shows like Nicholas Hammond's The Amazing Spider-Man or Adam West's Batman, but nothing with the grounded storytelling of The Incredible Hulk.