pbar wrote:
It's still good though, that the writers had enough ideas to keep coming up with new stuff and not be forced to revisit old ground. It would have been all too easy to have done so.
I couldn't agree more. If there is anything television viewers and critics have in common, it is that both parties have suspicious minds. Had the Hulk writers revisited old ground too often, it would have made a lot of people question the motive(s) for doing so. They would have to wonder: Are they bringing back seemingly one-shot characters because there's more to explore about them, or because they are desperately trying to boost ratings, or because they are running out of fresh ideas? Or more than one of the above?

For TV shows in general, I think writers and producers tend to be very particular about which (one-shot) characters they decide to bring back. One reason is that certain stories only work once, and as soon as everything is resolved with the person/persons concerned, bringing them back is considered pointless. That has been undoubtedly the case for a lot of characters who entered and exited David Banner's life throughout the Hulk series. But the specter of Jack McGee was certainly a major factor, just as how Lt. Gerard was undoubtedly why most of the characters that Dr. Richard Kimble met in The Fugitive were never seen in the series again.

Sincerely,
Michael