The 60s can be defined by one word: pop. From the music to
the fashion, the world suddenly seemed a riot of colour, innovation, and
kitsch- something reflected by the telefantasy of the period. ITC produced
cool, camp spies like Jason King and The Prisoner, a programme that for many
defines the style of the era; America gave the world small-screen James Bonds
in The Man From UNCLE and Mission Impossible; and science fiction brought hope
into people’s living rooms with Star Trek and Doctor Who.
The 70s, on the other hand, were beige.
I’ll admit that’s a gross generalisation, but this is the
decade of the Winter of Discontent, strikes, blackouts and shades of brown.
Public Information Films told children they were destined to die if they
stepped outside the door and the shabby world of Top of the Pops beamed some
tacky glam into the nylon living rooms of the nation. Thatcher started to gain
popularity. With such disheartening surroundings, it’s no wonder that the television
of this era took a distinctly darker tone.
In this series of articles I’ll be exploring what are for me
the most upsetting, melancholy and utterly dispiriting shows to come out of the
grey world of the 1970s- however I’m only going to feature shows that began
airing between 1970-79, and therefore the dingy world of Callan, much as I love
it, isn’t welcome here.
So, for starters: Kung Fu and The Incredible Hulk.
KUNG FU (1972-75)
A martial arts western might not sound like an instant
success, but Kung Fu was incredibly popular during it’s initial run, and
spawned a movie and two follow-on series that didn’t quite capture the public’s
imagination in the same way the original did. It follows the story of Kwai
Chang Caine, a half-Caucasian half-Chinese kung fu master, who travels America after
leaving China with a death warrant on his head. The series’ premise is already
melancholy: a man forced to wander the land, without a friend in the world,
unable to stay lest he bring danger on the people he comes to care for. His
friends or allies frequently meet sticky ends, or he meets racism and prejudice
at every turn. One key example is the episode King of the Mountain, in which
Caine manages to find some semblance of happiness in a young woman and a
surrogate son- only for the chance to be snatched away by his pusuers and his
own training. The look of concealed despair on Caine’s face is heart-breaking;
and followed by the lonesome theme music it gives a sense of the true tragedy
of his position- unable to love due to his vows, and unable to rest because of
his position. An endless wanderer, walking on forever into the sunset of the
opening titles.
Like another seventies tv series, in fact….
THE INCREDIBLE HULK (1978-82)
This series, possibly the famous and most successful version
of Bruce (although here David) Banner’s story, follows the scientist as he
travels over America pursued by a reporter and doing good when he comes to rest
in a town. Another show following the wandering template, Banner’s struggle is
all the worse because of the tragedies before the show started: a widower,
presumed dead, unable to find a cure and forced to travel under an assumed
name. Banner seems to be a guy just trying to use his curse to help people-
which makes him a much more sympathetic character, as does his mild mannered
personality. This makes the Hulk seem a torment, as David Banner goes so
against his own philosophy it must be internal torture of the worst kind,
especially as he can find no cure. His situation is similar to Caine’s, as in
he’s forced to run from the law and unable to form connections or stay in one
place. And, of course, they share the same kind of iconic, tragic music…
