The Darkest and Most Violent Sci-Fi Series of the 1980s is Now Free to Stream
Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Updated
Ask someone to name the most popular action shows of the 80s, and chances are you'll hear it Miami Vice, The A group, Knight Rider, Magnum P.I., and maybe even The Fall Guy before they recall one of the most popular games of the decade: Airwolf. Even if you've never seen a single episode of the helicopter action series, you know exactly what it's about.
Now, thanks to the Roku Channel, you can watch the entire series and see both how dark and big Season 1 was and how quickly the entire production collapsed.
Airwolf is pure 80s Awesomeness
Airwolf stars Jan-Michael Vincent as the equally wonderfully named Stringfellow Hawke, a military test pilot. Through a series of double crosses, Stringfellow finds himself in charge of an experimental helicopter with the entire government and shadowy organizations on his mind.
Season 1 features Hawke working for and against The Firm, an apparently corrupt organization that happens to be at the bottom of many evils, in a series of missions that take place to reflect the real world locations of the Cold War. In the dark, Hawke is forced to make decisions without good feedback, and the episode's focus on the geopolitical game gives it more energy than you'd expect from a helicopter show.
Season 1, in retrospect, was the high point Airwolfand the next two seasons he got into the hockey action in a very consistent manner Knight Rider than a Tom Clancy novel. That and Ernest Borgnine, who played Hawke's friend and supporter, Dominic Santini, was removed from the show in a very dramatic way. They killed his character until there was no doubt that he was not coming back.
Worst of all, after the first season, the amazing aerial dogs were noticeably shorter and less cinematic. But in the show's defense, when that theme song kicks in, and Hawke throws the fatal arrow, it's as good as the 20th time.
Airwolf Was An Overnight Hit And An Overnight Failure
As the series grew in popularity, Jan-Michael Vincent, already a multiple Golden Globe winner, found himself, almost overnight, as the highest-paid star on television. CBS knew that without him, there was no show.
Haunted by his own demons fueled by a sudden fainting spell, Vincent's drinking made him unable to work with him. In a rare move, the entire show was canceled and then sold to the USA network for a complete, top-to-bottom remake with new characters.
That's why most Airwolf fans pretend the series ended when Jan-Michael Vincent left. The USA didn't even get a real helicopter at auction, forcing the last round of episodes to rely on old photos, or, in some funny cases, a stuffed toy. And yet, even though the show is divided behind the scenes, there is no great example of 80s action.
Airwolf combined Cold War paranoia, hokey action, bombastic synth effects, and a smart man leading the way in an unrepeatable 80s package. Other shows have tried, incl Street Hawk (Airwolf on a motorcycle), but they all crashed and burned. Miami Vice again The A group have been remade for the big screen, but no one has dared to bring back Stringfellow Hawke and his pilot plane.
Airwolf is now streaming on The Roku Channel, but be sure to catch it before Season 4.
