A Child in Need

While working as a grounds keeper David befriends a boy who he suspects is a victim of child abuse. Needless to say the boy is indeed such a victim and David's alter ego surfaces to teach the abuser a lesson he'll never forget.

Season 1 of The Incredible Hulk had some solid stories but they didn't follow any particular pattern (except for the transformations of course). Season 2 opted for a lot of social commentaries to drive forward the story lines. On his endless quest for a cure David encountered an alcoholic and substance abuser ("Alice in Disco Land"), delved into the world of violent sports ("Killer Instinct"), got to know the hardship of life in the ghetto ("Like a Brother"), the powerlessness of ordinary folks against big evil corporations ("Vendetta Road"), the lengths people will go to to boost a dying resort community ("The Antowuk Horror") and other things. A Child in Need explored the (then) risky topic of child abuse.

Banner discovers that the child's father is beating him and his mother and the school nurse is unwilling to report the situation to the authorities. When he clearly hears the beatings going on from outside he's only greeted with closed doors from the entire neighborhood.

This is a first class episode from this solid adventure series. The subject matter is handled gracefully and (in spite of a rather too feel good ending) makes an impact. Bixby is terrific as Banner and the Hulk scenes are outstanding.

A definite must see episode if you like The Incredible Hulk.

Rewatching after 40 years, my favourite superhero when I was a kid. Now Rewatching it I realised how great this show was. This episode is really way ahead of its time. I mean abuse is accepted as the normal thing in a small town and let's face it have we moved on that much? We still in 2023 all know people who don't want to get involved and abuse is still going on. I basically watched this in tears now that I have a 7 year old boy and 4 year old girl. Incredible acting from all involved, wipes the floor with any of the rubbish nowadays. My childhood memories from watching this show are fresh again.

David is working at a school as a groundskeeper and he happens to see a kid crying and also notices some bruises on the child's arms. The boy claims he fell down, but David's suspicion turns to alarm when he hears that this is regular occurrence. He informs a nurse but she doesn't want to get involved as she fears losing her job - in a similar case before she reported a child abuser case and she lost her job for it.

The boy's mother is also beaten and is ready to frame the hulk for the beatings when he turns up to save the boy from his abuser dad (Sandy McPeak)- no matter what, David is ready to help the boy ...

A Child in Need tackles a serious issue of child abuse, one of the string of episodes to take on social issues. Like the other notable social issue Episode, Alice in DiscoLand, this one is gripping stuff, intelligent and quite groundbreaking for its time. It helps that Sandy McPeak, who plays the abusing father, comes across as real and not just a cartoon character. When we first meet him, he's so amiable and normal, but in reality he just switches in to a monster. Nice twist in regard to why he hits his family. And no one in the small town -like the neighbours -wants to help; they just turn a blind eye. Ends on a positive note, which is a good thing- and this is a superhero TV programme. Good vs evil, and the Hulk appears in the opportune times, breaking through walls and ripping through shirts.

As far as 1970's TV goes, this is one of the better Hulk episodes. I can't help but look these people up and see how things turned out. Mark's dad sure looks like Vic Morrow. Best line of the episode came over the police radio, "This Is An All Points Bulletin.....Suspect Is A Large Muscular Man With Green Skin"....That is also a discription that could well have identified Mark's dad when Louie F came through the dining room wall.

David Banner is working as a grounds keeper at an elementary school when he befriends a young boy named Mark Hollinger(played by Dennis Dimster) who shows signs of physical abuse. David visits his home, where the mother(played by Sally Kirkland) also shows the same signs, as the father Jack(played by Sandy McPeak) is a raging, abusive man that David is determined to stop, even after the Hulk emerges and Jack turns his fury on him... Excellent episode is the series at its best, with a believable, intelligent script and superb performances. The climatic revelation of Jack's own past abuse was an unexpected but stunning twist that adds another touch of realism to a complicated case. A triumph for all concerned.