How ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Conquered Seventies TV

If Kenneth Johnson, executive producer of CBS’s The Incredible Hulk, had gotten his way, the show’s title creature would have been bright red and played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The green Lou Ferrigno (and somber Bill Bixby, as Dr. Banner) he ended up with worked out pretty well, though, with the unexpectedly adult-leaning superhero series running for five hit seasons, from 1978 to 1982 – a harbinger of the multimedia domination Marvel Comics’ characters would achieve decades later.

No one used the term “showrunner” in the Seventies and early Eighties, but that was Johnson’s role on some of the era’s most indelible genre shows: He also created and exec-produced The Bionic Woman and V, among others. In this interview for the new Hulk-themed Rolling Stone cover story, Johnson looks back at his biggest, greenest achievement.

How did you get involved with the Hulk?
Frank Price, who was running Universal Television at the time, called me one day and said, “We’ve just acquired the rights to the Marvel Comics superheroes. Which would you like to do?” and I said, “Gee… none of them, Frank!”

What were some of the other ones offered to you?
The Human Torch, Ms. Marvel, Captain America…. I don’t get along well with primary colors and spandex; I really saw myself doing more realistic kind of stuff. But my wife had given me a a copy of Les Miserables, so I had Jean Valjean and the fugitive concept in my head. I found myself thinking, Maybe I could take a little Victor Hugo and borrow a little from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and try to turn this ludicrous thing called “The Incredible Hulk” into an adult drama built in the traditions of Greek tragedy. So I went to Frank and said, “OK, look. I’ll do the Hulk if it’s my casting.” I also said, “Oh, by the way, I want something in return: I don’t think Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe has ever been done successfully.” He said, “That’s fine. Do the Hulk and then we’ll do Ivanhoe.” So, I wrote the pilot for The Incredible Hulk in about seven days, and ask me if Ivanhoe ever got made [laughs].