Bill Bixby’s TV acting career began in 1961 with an appearance on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Other television roles followed in The Danny Thomas Show, Ben Casey, Bachelor Father, Checkmate, Alcoa Playhouse, The Andy Griffith Show, Twilight Zone, and The Lieutenant.

His first semi-regular TV role was as PR agent Charles Raymond on the first season of The Joey Bishop Show. Then in the fall of 1962 he was cast as reporter Tim O’Hara in My Favorite Martian, the role bringing him popular recognition from TV audiences. While working on the series, he would observe behind the scenes production techniques in the editing room, to learn about the craft of directing.

Bill Bixby performed in the Los Angeles company of The Fantasticks and in Under The Yum-Yum Tree (1962), later reprising his role (Dave Manning) in that show in an Off-Broadway production in May 1964. He appeared on Broadway in 1967 in the comedy The Paisley Convertible and also starred on stage in The Owl & the Pussycat (1966) in Los Angeles. Bill Bixby would continue appearing in regional Ohio and Chicago theatres in productions of There’s a Girl in My Soup, The Paisley Convertible, Come Blow Your Horn, Send Me No Flowers and Sunday in New York.

But television proved to be the medium of choice for Bill Bixby. Continuing to guest star in dramatic roles as well as comedy, Bill Bixby appeared on many TV series of the 60s including That Girl, Combat! Ironside, Love American Style, Insight, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and It Takes a Thief.

In 1969 Bill Bixby took on a starring role in the popular TV series The Courtship of Eddie’s Father which ran for 3 years. Not wanting to further the stereotype of TV fathers being either bumblers or ‘all-knowing’, Bill Bixby interpreted the role of Tom Corbett with a keen sensitivity and honesty that served to reflect a more realistic on-screen father-son relationship with young co-star Brandon Cruz. The role earned him an Emmy Nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Bill Bixby began his directing career on "Courtship" helming several episodes of the series.

Concurrent with "Courtship", he appeared in several TV movies, Congratulations It’s a Boy! (1971), The Couple Takes a Wife (1972) and Shirts/Skins (1973).

Also at this time, Bill Bixby appeared in two productions of the Hollywood Television Theatre for PBS, the first play being, Big Fish, Little Fish (1972) and then the controversial adult comedy Steambath (1973).

In 1973 Bill Bixby starred in the dramatic series The Magician playing Anthony Blake, a professional illusionist who took time from his performing career to help characters in jeopardy. Skilled in the art of magic, Bill Bixby performed all the magic illusions on the series without benefit of camera tricks. During the run of The Magician, Bill Bixby hosted and performed in the Magic Man special in 1973. He also hosted another 90 minute late-night special, It’s Magic! in 1975, for ABC-TV.

In 1974-75 Bill Bixby was a regular panelist on the celebrity game show revival of Masquerade Party. During the 70s Bill made appearances on variety shows including the special, Married is Better, The Family and Other Living Things, The John Byner Comedy Hour and also on a PBS special about learning disabilities called The Puzzle Children.

That same year he also was nominated for an Emmy as Best Lead Actor in a Single Appearance in a Comedy or Drama for his guest appearance the "Police Buff" episode of The Streets of San Francisco. Bill Bixby also starred in the 1977 western TV Movie, Invasion of Johnson County and had a role of a minister in the TV movie The Great Houdini

Bill Bixby had featured roles in The Love Boat and Fantasy Island (the pilot).

The following year Bill Bixby received a Director’s Guild of America nomination as best Director of a Drama Series for episode 3 of Rich Man Poor Man: Book II. He directed other TV series of the 70s including Room 222, Love American Style, Charlie’s Angels, Mannix, Barbary Coast and the TV movie Three on a Date.

In 1977 Bill Bixby was approached to do a TV movie based on the comic book characters in The Incredible Hulk. He agreed to take on the role of Dr. Banner, (a research scientist who received an overdose of radiation which causes him to metamorphasize into a hulking green-skinned creature when angered) only because the TV movie sought to explore the characters on an adult level. The film proved popular and another TV movie was produced which led to The Incredible Hulk TV series. Playing Dr. David Banner as a sensitive but lonely fugitive seeking a cure for his disorder as he traveled the country, proved highly successful and Bill Bixby achieved critical praises for his dramatic work on the series.

In addition to directing episodes of "Beantown", Bill Bixby continued directing television series during the 1980s and 1990s, such as Mr. Merlin, Wizards and Warriors, and Sledge Hammer (where he met Ray Walston on the set, as Ray was doing a role in a different episode of Sledge). Bill later directed the TV movies, Baby of the Bride, Another Pair of Aces and The Woman Who Loved Elvis.

He continued to guest star in TV movies such as International Airport and Sin of Innocence.

Branching out into hosting programs such as PBS children’s anthology series Once Upon a Classic, Nickelodeon’s 1982 series Against the Odds, a 4 part series The Book of Lists (1982) and the daytime series True Confessions (1986), Bill Bixby continued hosting specials, including The World of Hanna Barbera, (1979), Exploring Psychic Powers (1989) and An American Story (1991) He also served as a facilitator in live investigative specials, The Elvis Files (1991 & 92) and The Marilyn Files (1992).

In 1988 Bill Bixby reprised his role as Dr. David Banner in a series of TV Movies which he co-produced that continued the story of the scientist seeking to cure his transformation into the hulking creature (The Return of the Incredible Hulk). Bill Bixby directed the second and third installments: The Trial of the Incredible Hulk and The Death of the Incredible Hulk.

A familiar screen presence to decades of television viewers, Bill Bixby’s series roles conveyed characters with warmth and integrity. His thirty year career in television holds a number of classic roles for audiences to enjoy.

Bill Bixby’s screen credits can be found on the

Alcoa Playhouse

The Courtship of Eddie’s Father

The Incredible Hulk

Laugh-In

Mitzi and a Hundred Guys

Murder Is Easy

Rich Man, Poor Man

Steambath

Television Annual 1978-79

The Twilight Zone

An Interview on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood

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