The Incredible Hulk: The Television Series Ultimate Collection

It's difficult for an actor in one successful television series to be accepted by audiences as another character (just ask Jason Alexander, Michael Richards, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus), but Bill Bixby reinvented himself three times. Following My Favorite Martian, he achieved further primetime success in The Courtship of Eddie's Father, before taking on the iconic role of David Banner in The Incredible Hulk. This live-action 1978 series owed more to The Fugitive than it did to Marvel Comics, as Banner, a research scientist blasted with too much gamma radiation that transformed him in times of stress into a mean green, rage-filled machine (a Mr. Hyde-like alter ego, played by Lou Ferrigno), criss-crossed the country in search of a cure, pursued by investigative reporter Jack McGee, seeking the biggest story of his career. This six-disc set contains 18 of the series' benchmark episodes, including the two-parters “Prometheus,” “The First,” and “Mystery Man,” in which an amnesiac Banner must save his nemesis's life. Boasting delightfully cheesy acting and special effects throughout, this extra-less set will be a nostalgic kick for fans of the series, as well as a family-friendly alternative for children too young for Ang Lee's way-intense, angst-filled Hulk. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)