CBS’s Legendary 82-Episode Sci-Fi Action Series is Officially Free to Watch on Streaming
Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno's 1978 series The Incredible Hulk, one of the few pieces of 1990s-and-earlier mainstream media to treat a Marvel character with genuine dramatic seriousness, is now streaming free on Tubi. Created by Kenneth Johnson, the primetime CBS drama followed scientist David Banner, who transforms into the Hulk whenever he loses his temper after a gamma radiation accident, and spends the series on the run after being mistakenly believed dead. Its reputation as a thoughtful, adult-oriented take on the character, praised by Marvel co-creator Stan Lee himself, makes its free availability notable for fans of the wider Marvel screen canon.
The show launched with two TV movies in 1977 before running five seasons and 80 episodes from 1978 to 1982, followed by two further TV movies in the late 1980s and a 1990 finale, The Death of the Incredible Hulk, which is not included on Tubi. Ferrigno played the Hulk on screen, a role that defined the character for a generation despite now-dated special effects. The article also notes a debated bit of trivia: Bruce Banner was renamed David Banner for television, which creator Johnson attributed to disliking the alliteration, though Lee and Ferrigno have both claimed CBS executives objected to the name Bruce for other reasons.
- The Incredible Hulk (1978-1982) is streaming free on Tubi.
- Series starred Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno across 80 episodes.
- Character was renamed David Banner for TV, for disputed reasons.
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The Incredible Hulk began as a CBS television series in 1977, based on the Marvel comic book character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It starred Bill Bixby as scientist David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, the creature Banner turns into when he becomes angry, following an accident involving gamma radiation. The show ran for five seasons and 80 episodes between 1978 and 1982, alongside several TV movies made either side of that run.
Unlike many screen adaptations of superhero comics from that era, the series was known for treating its subject matter seriously, focusing on drama and human stories rather than action or spectacle. This approach won it praise at the time, including from Lee himself, and it has remained a point of reference for how Marvel characters can be portrayed on screen.
The programme has periodically resurfaced through home video and streaming releases over the decades, with access varying depending on rights and platform availability. Marvel material from this pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe period is generally less widely seen than more recent films and shows, which is part of why renewed access to it draws attention from fans of the character's screen history.