Ageing weapon of mass entertainment lands

Who’s afraid of the big Airwolf? Not lovers of blasts from the past. Waar Was Jy? is not just the title of a hit song by the disbanded kwaito kings, Skeem.

It’s also probably what most grandchildren across the country are asked when they sit down to watch Fox Retro with their oupas and gogos.

This month, the TopTV channel resuscitated another firm favourite of old timers and ou toppies, Airwolf. The 1980s drama has an afternoon slot, thus replacing Remington Steele.

Here’s the lowdown: there is a division of the CIA that is kept on the hush. It is called The Firm – but it doesn’t have AZ, Nas and Foxy Brown making appearances – and this division is home to a destructive helicopter – a weapon of mass destruction that would have made Bin Laden blush in those days.

This ’copter is called Airwolf. The person who came up with the creation is Dr Moffet (played by David Hemmings) who is, quite literally, a mad man. Duh. When the Airwolf takes off for the first time, Moffet pulls a fast one and makes off with the chopper, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

But it’s up to Stringfellow Hawke – yes, the character played by Jan-Michael Vincent is really called Stringfellow – recruited by The Firm, to bring Dr Moffet, and anyone else in the way of peace in the good ol’ US of A, down.

If we’re being honest, it doesn’t seem like many TV junkies of yesteryear treated Airwolf like the management company rapper, AKA is signed to – they didn’t show love. I promise I won’t hit you with a long and weird punchline like the previous sentence again. At least not for the next week. Scout’s honour.

The reason for me saying the show wasn’t shown love is because it only ran from 1984 to 1987 before it was cancelled. Then a fourth season of Airwolf was shot, get this, in Canada, with a whole new cast.

Ouch.

• Airwolf airs on Fox Retro (TopTV channel 181) on weekdays at 3.05pm.