Focus On: Airwolf Season 2 - A look at the second season of this iconic adventure series

This hub is a continuation of one of my more popular hubs, Focus on: Airwolf: Season I - A quick in-depth look at the classic TV series. You can find that hub here:

http://berniethemovieguy.hubpages.com/hub/Focus-on-Airwolf-Season-I-An-in-depth-look-at-the-show

The saga continues

So, in the first season, we have extablished our core group of characters: Stringfellow Hawke, the loner who flies the supercopter on missions for the firm until his brother can be resued; Dominic Santini, Hawke's best friend and mentor who owns a Hollywood helicopter flying service; and Michael 'Archangel' Coldsmith-Briggs, one of the Firm's head honchos who continuously runs interference for Hawke while assigning him and Santini delicate missions that only they can do since they have Airwolf.

Now we come to season Two. One thing that has been sorely missing in this action adventure is a strong female presence. In the last episode of season one, we were introduced to a possible female add-on, Antonia Donatelli, but for whatever reason, her character wasn't picked up. Instead, in the first episode, we are introduced to Caitlin O'Shaughnessy, played by Jean Bruce Scott. Her character goes head to head with a sadistic sheriff, played by perrennial television baddie Lance LeGault.

Her character evidently resonated with audiences and continued to appear in most of the second season and third.

Caitlin O'Shaugnessy

Caitlin is a helicopter patrolwoman for the Texas Highway Patrol. While pursuing a fleeing biker, she has a run-in with Pope County Sheriff J.J. Bogan (Lance LeGault) that nearly results in her rape and murder. While in Pope County, she meets Stringfellow Hawke. When Hawke runs afoul of Bogan, he's forced to make his escape and uses Airwolf to aid Caitlin in hers. Later, Caitlin manages to find Stringfellow and Dom and Santini hires her to work part time at Santini Air after Caitlin leaves the Highway Patrol. While reticent to show Caitlin where Airwolf is hidden, Stringfellow eventually relents and Caitlin is taught to serve as a back-up pilot for the supercopter in the event that String and Dom are ever incapacitated.

Jean Bruce Scott

Date of Birth: February 25, 1956

Place of Birth: Monterey, CA

Jean Bruce Scott graduated from La Quinta High School in Westminster, California in 1974. She went on to college at California State University and UCLA. She made her TV debut in an episode of Knight Rider and has had recurring roles in TV shows like St. Elsewhere, Magnum PI and the soap opera Days of Our Lives. She has been married to actor Randy Reinholz since 1989. She currently develops and producers plays written by Native Americans.

The Second Season Episodes

Season 2 Special Guests

Several guests from season 1 return for the second season as well. I won't reintroduce those guests, but I will relist them here. Deborah Pratt, David Hemmings, James Whitmore Jr., Christopher Connelly, Lance LeGault and Jeff MacKay all return. Except for Pratt, Connelly and Hemmings, though, everyone else gets to play a different role.

Lance LeGault

Character Played: Sheriff J.J. Bogan

Episode: Sweet Britches

Jeff MacKay

Character Played: Buddy

Episode: Sweet Britches

James Whitmore Jr.

Character Played: Sam Houston

Episode: Sweet Britches

Scroll to Continue

Reasons Why It's Important to Set Goals That Honor God and Reflect His Character

The Spiritual and Physical Benefits of a Christ-Centered Mindset

The Importance of a Consistent Prayer Life

David Graf

Date of Birth: April 16, 1950

Place of Birth: Lancaster, Ohio

Character Played: Billie

Episode: Sweet Britches

Date of Death: April 7, 2001

Probably best remembered for his role as Eugene Tackleberry in the Police Academy series, David Graf was a fine comedic actor whose career ran from the early '80's until his untimely death of a heart attack just 9 days before his 51st birthday. Ironically, his father also passed away of a similar heart condition at the age of 51. Graf's roles included appearances in shows like M*A*S*H, The A-Team, Quantum Leap, Home Improvement. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, JAG and The West Wing. He was an accomplished saxophone player. His widow wrote a stark and riveting one woman stage play chronicling life after his passing entitled "Surviving David".

Eugene Roche

Date of Birth: September 22, 1928

Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts

Character Played: Eddie Donohough

Episode: Firestorm

Date of Death: July 28, 2004

This is actually Eugene's second Airwolf appearance, having first appeared in the pilot as Senator William Dietz. His prolific film career spanned four decades and his roles included both serious dramatic roles and comic foils. He may be best remembered for his role in Webster as Bill Parker, the amiable landlord. He also had recurring roles in All in the Family, Magnum P.I., Soap and Dave's World, among others. His notable guest appearances include Ironside, Kojak, Starsky and Hutch, Lou Grant, Taxi, Quincy M.E., Night Court, Murder She Wrote and Star Trek: Voyager. He died of a heart attack at age 75.

Joseph Campanella

Date of Birth: November 21, 1927

Place of Birth: New York, New York

Character Played: General Eliot Sandhower

Episode: Firestorm

Six decades on screen help define Joseph Campanella's life in Hollywood. He got his start in 1952 playing uncredited cameo roles in the show Suspense. He has appeared on several daytime soap operas, including Guiding Light, Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful. His recurring TV roles have included Brian Darrell in The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, Lew Wickersham in Mannix, Ed Cooper in One Day at a Time and Hutch Corrigan in The Colbys. He's also made dozens of one shot guest appearances, including 21 Jump Street, Mission Impossible, The FBI, Ironside, The Rockford Files, Star Trek: Voyager, Cold Case and CSI. Animation fans would recognize his voice as that of Curt Connors in the animated adventures of Spiderman. He has been married since 1964 and has seven children.

Robin Riker

Date of Birth: October 2, 1952

Place of Birth: New York, New York

Character Played: Dr. Karen Hansen

Episode: Moffett's Ghost

Robin Riker made her film acting debut on an episode of Black Sheep Squadron in the '70's. Since then, her television credits have been extremely prolific. She's had starring roles in shows like Brothers, Get a Life, Shaky Ground, Thunder Alley and The Gregory Hines Show. She also had starring roles on the soap operas Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful. Her notable guest spots include The A-Team, M*A*S*H, Murder She Wrote, Boston Legal, Bones and The Closer. She is married to Cinematographer and Special Effects expert Evan A. Nesbitt.

Barbara Howard

Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois

Character Played: Holly Mathews

Episode: The Truth About Holly

Barbara Howard is probably best remembered for her role as Robin Agretti on the prime time soap opera Falcon Crest. She's had a number of guest roies, though, including stints on shows like Silver Spoons, In the Heat of the Night, The Nanny, Millennium and Early Edition. She was also in the films Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Running Mates and Lucky Stiff. She retired from acting in 2000 and is currently working as a psychotherapist in Illinois.

Rick Jason

Date of Birth: May 21, 1923

Place of Birth: New York, New York

Character Played: Ed Aarons

Episode: The truth About Holly

Date of Death: October 16, 2000

Rick Jason is probably best remembered for his role as Lt. Hanley in the aclaimed TV war drama Combat! from the 1960s. He also made numerous guest appearances over the years including Rawhide, Police Woman, Wonder Woman, Fantasy Island, Dallas, Moonlighting and Murder She Wrote. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed flying, hunting and fishing. Rick attended a reunion with his fellow Combat! co-stars in late 2000 and committed suicide one week later. Authorities attribute his untimely death to depression.

Gregg Henry

Date of Birth: May 6, 1952

Place of Birth: Lakewood, Colorado

Character Played: Robert Villers

Episode: The Hunted

Gregg Henry has built his career on playing people of questionable character both on the big screen and television. He has appeared in movies like Body Double, Star Trek: Insurrection, Payback, Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever and the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy. On the small screen, his prolific career has included episodes of Remington Steele, Moonlighting, Murder She Wrote (a record six appearances), Falcon Crest, Cagney and Lacey, In the Heat of the Night, L.A. Law, Matlock, JAG, Chicago Hope, ER, Firefly, Star Trek: Enterprise and 24 among others. Henry is married to American theater director Lisa James and they live in Los Angeles.

Brett Halsey

Date of Birth: June 20, 1933

Place of Birth: Santa Ana, California

Character Played: Jason Darius

Episode: Sins of the Past

Fans of The Young and the Restless may recognize Brett Halsey as the original John Abbott (although his stint was shortlived). Before that, though, he was featured in the series Follow the Sun in the 1960s and his voice has been heard in the animated X-Men series as Bolivar Trask. Among his numerous guest stints, he could be seen on Fantasy Island, Knight Rider, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Dukes of Hazard, Cagney and Lacey, Tekwar and Cold Case. In 2005, his son Rock from his first marriage was murdered in prison where he was incarcerated on drug offenses. Currently Brett resides in Laguna Hills.

Jason Bernard

Date of Birth: May 17, 1938

Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois

Character Played: Aaron Martin

Episode: Sins of the Past

Date of Death: October 16, 1996

Jason Bernard was a character actor who often played cops, detectives, investigators or judges. On the big screen, he appeared in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (in an uncredited cameo), Blue Thunder, War Games, Star Chamber, No Way Out and Liar Liar (which he'd just finished filming at the time of his death). On television, he may be best remembered for his role as Caleb Taylor in the miniseries V and it's sequel, V: The Final Battle. He also made guest appearances on such shows as Starsky and Hutch, M*A*S*H, The Greatest American Hero, The Jeffersons, Night Court, Beauty and the Beast and he had a recurring role on Cagney and Lacey as Detective Inspector Marquette. A heart attack behind the wheel of his car caused his untimely passing at the age of 58.

John Ericson

Date of Birth: September 23, 1926

Place of Birth: Dusseldorf, Germany

Character Played: Dr. Karl Kruger

Episode: Fallen Angel

John Ericson is a German American character actor who generally plays bad guys. In the 1960s, he had a starring role in the TV series Honey West which starred Anne Francis as a female private eye. Among his many guest appearances, he was on Bonanza, Death Valley Days, Gunsmoke, The FBI, SWAT, Nero Wolfe, CHiPs, Knight Rider, The A-Team and Murder She Wrote. John gained some notariety in 1974 when posed for Playgirl's centerfold.

Barrie Ingham

Date of Birth: February 10, 1932

Place of Birth: Halifax, Yorkshire, England

Character Played: Vladimir Kinskov

Episode: Fallen Angel

Barrie Ingham's career has spanned four and a half decades, starting in 1960 and culminating in 2005. In that time, he has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies. His most memorable film roles have included Doctor Who and the Daleks, Day of the Jackal and The Great Mouse Detective. On television, he was also in the third season of Doctor Who, along with appearances in shows like Remington Steele, The Fall Guy, The A-Team, Matlock, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Murder She Wrote. He has also enjoyed a prolific stage career both in the US and abroad.

Michael Halsey

Character Played: Dunkirk

Episode: HX-1

Michael Halsey has one of those very recognizable faces in Hollywood. He generally plays bad guys and turns up on a number of different shows. Some of his credits include Blake's 7, The Greatest American Hero, St. Elsewhere, The A-Team, Moonlighting, Magnum P.I., Matlock and Angel. This is actually his second appearance on Airwolf. During season one, he played Peter MacGregor Moore in the spisode Echoes from the Past.

Sam Melville

Date of Birth: August 20, 1936

Place of Birth: Fillmore, Utah

Character Played: Mace Taggert

Episode: HX-1

Date of Death: March 9, 1989

Sam Melville is another one of those classic TV actors whose face you know and whose name you don't. He's appeared in a number of small screen guest shots, including Hogan's Heroes, The Fugitive, Mannix, Hawaii Five-O, Gunsmoke, Dukes of Hazard, The A-Team, T.J. Hooker and he had a recurring role as Kate Jackson's ex-husband on Scarecrow and Mrs. King. He also starred in the '70's police show The Rookies as Officer Mike Danko where Kate Jackson played his wife. Sadly, Sam passed away in 1989 of heart failure at the young age of 52.

John Calvin

Date of Birth: November 29, 1947

Place of Birth: Staten Island, New York

Character Played: Hergos

Episode: Flight #093 is Missing

John Calvin's acting history is indelibly a part of Airwolf history. In the pilot, he played Blaze, an arrogant movie star who tried to fly and found out he wasn't as proficient as he thought he was. He also makes an appearance in the oft maligned fourth season of the show. John has been active in movies and TV since the '60's having appeared in shows like Columbo, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Rookies, Charlie's Angels, Eight is Enough, Hart to Hart, Taxi, V, Quantum Leap and L.A. Law, among countless others. He starred in two shows - The Paul Lynde Show and the short-lived Indiana Jones copycat, Tales of the Gold Monkey. His movie appearances include Norma Rae, Primary Target and Critters 3.

Ina Balin

Date of Birth: November 12, 1937

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York

Character Played: Ingrid Kendall

Episode: Flight #093 is Missing

Date of Death: June 20, 1990

Jewish actress Ina Balin (nee Rosenberg) got her start in show business on The Perry Como show. She followed that with stints on Broadway and made her big screen debut in 1959 in The Black Orchid. Other film roles included The Comancheros, The Patsy, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Comeback Trail and That's Adequate (which was her final acting credit). On television, she made appearances on such weekly staples as The Defenders, Bonanza, 12 O'Clock High, Get Smart, It Takes a Thief, Police Story, The Six Million Dollar Man, Battlestar Galactica, Wonder Woman, Hart to Hart, Magnum P.I. and Murder She Wrote. In 1976, the ever-single Balin adopted three young chinese girls and raised them as her daughters. Tragically, Balin passed away in 1990 from pulmonary hypertension, brought on by coronary heart disease. She was 52.

Cathie Shirriff

Place of Birth: Toronto, Ontario

Character Played: Charmaine Beaucaire

Episode: Once a Hero

Cathie Shiriff is probably best remembered as Valkris, the female Klingon lover of Kruge from the opening scenes in the movie Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. She was also the co-host of Jack Palance in the first season of Ripley's Believe It or Not. Other TV appearances include Wonder Woman, Magnum P.I., Taxi and Riptide. On the big screen, she made appearances in All that Jazz and Covergirl.

Soon Teck Oh

Date of Birth: June 29, 1943

Place of Birth: Japan

Character Played: Tommy Liu

Episode: Once a Hero

Character Played: Nguyen Van Minh

Episode: The American Dream

Born in Japan yet raised in Korea, Soon Teck Oh came to the US at the age of 16. He started his acting career in the '60's and has appeared in numerous films and TV shows. Some notable film appearances include The Man with the Golden Gun, The Final Countdown, Death Wish 4, Beverly Hills Ninja, SWAT and Mulan I and II. On television, he also appeared in season 4 of Airwolf, along with appearances on shows like The Wild Wild West, It Takes a Thief, Ironside, Hawaii Five-O, Charlie's Angels, Bring 'em Back Alive, M*A*S*H, Tales of the Gold Monkey, The Fall Guy, Hill Street Blues, The A-Team and MacGyver. In 1995, he founded the precursor to the Lodestone Theatre Ensemble which has made great strides in eliminating southeast asian stereotyping from stage and screen portrayals.

Anne Lockhart

Date of Birth: September 6, 1953

Place of Birth: New York, New York

Character Played: Sgt. Anne Brannen

Episode: Random Target

Anne Lockhart was born into a very prestigious acting family. Her mother, June, was also a star in her own right, having anchored one of TV's best loved sci-fi series, Lost in Space. Anne has a sci-fi credit of her own, though, having played Lloyd Bridges' daughter Sheba in the '80's science fiction classic Battlestar Galactica. She makes three appearances on Airwolf altogether one each in seasons 2, 3 and 4. TV guest spots have included CHiPs, BJ and the Bear, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Incredible Hulk, Knight Rider, The Fall Guy, Quantum Leap and Murder She Wrote. These days, she can often be seen playing extras in TV shows and movies and she does voice work regularly in animation.

Len Birman

Date of Birth: December 31, 1931

Character Played: Kenneth Langhorn

Episode: Random Target

With an acting career spanning nearly forty years, Len Birman is also one of those recognizable guest actors in Hollywood. On the big screen, he was in Silver Streak, but he made his mark more notably for television viewers. He has guest starred on dozens of TV shows and movies such as It Takes a Thief, Mannix, Logan's Run, The Six Million Dollar Man, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Dallas and Sweating Bullets. Birman is also one of the guest actors to return for season 4 of Airwolf.

Martin E. Brooks

Date of Birth: November 30, 1925

Place of Birth: Bronx, New York

Character Played: Prof. Jennings Rudolph

Episode: Condemned

Martin E. Brooks will always be remembered by TV fans as Dr. Rudy Wells (the third actor to play the role) on The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman in the '70's. Soap Opera fans might remember him from Search for Tomorrow and General Hospital. He did a number of guest stints on shows like The Wild Wild West, The FBI, Mission Impossible, McMillan and Wife, Planet of the Apes, Dallas and Knot's Landing. He reprised the role of Rudy Wells in all three bionic reunion movies too. His film and TV career has spanned over 40 years.

James Shigeta

Date of Birth: June 17, 1933

Place of Birth: Honolulu, Hawaii

Character Played: Colonel Tranh Van Zung

Episode: The American Dream

James Shigeta is an accomplished actor and singer, long touted as an Asian American leading man in Hollywood. He has graced both the big screen and the small screen with dignity whether he plays a good guy or a bad guy. Audiences may remember him as Joseph Takagi in Die Hard, but his big screen appearances go back to the '60's when he was, for a time, a romantic male lead. On television, his credits include Ben Casey, It Takes a Thief, Hawaii Five-O, Mission Impossible, Ironside, Little House on the Prairie, The Greatest American Hero, Seaquest and Babylon 5.

John Fujioka

Date of Birth: June 29, 1925

Place of Birth: Olaa, Hawaii

Character Played: Tru

Episode: The American Dream

John Fujioka's name may not be a household recognizable one, but his face certainly is. He has starred in a number of Hollywood blockbusters, notably Pearl Harbor, Mortal Combat, V.I. Warshawski, American Ninja, M*A*S*H and Futureworld, among others. On television, he has starred in Tales of the Gold Monkey and the miniseries Noble House. Guest appearances include McHale's Navy, Kung Fu, The Six Million Dollar Man, Baretta, Wonder Woman, Starsky and Hutch, The Incredible Hulk, The A-Team, Walker Texas Ranger and Chicago Hope, just to name a few.

Nicholas Campbell

Date of Birth: March 24, 1952

Place of Birth: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Character Played: Jason 'Doc' Gifford

Episode: Inn at the End of the Road, Prisoner of Yesterday

Nicholas Campbell has the distinction of being one of only a few actors who appeared on Airwolf as a guest playing the same role more than once. And for that matter in the same season. He has appeared in a number of movies, notably, The Omen (1976), A Bridge Too Far, The Spy Who Loved Me, The Dead Zone and We All Fall Down, to name a few. On TV, he has appeared in Space 1999, T.J. Hooker, Night Heat, Monk and Flashpoint, He also starred in DaVinci's Inquest and DaVinci's City Hall. He's also an accomplished writer and director, having directed five episodes of the DaVinci series.

Randi Brooks

Date of Birth: November 8, 1956

Place of Birth: New York, New York

Character Played: Elena

Episode: The Inn at the End of the Road

Randi Brooks may not be a household name, but she is fairly recognizable to both movie and TV watchers. She appeared on the big screen in The Man With Two Brains, Deal of the Century, Tightrope and Cop. On television, her appearances include Mork and Mindy, The Greatest American Hero, Wizards and Warriors, The Dukes of Hazard, Simon and Simon, Riptide, T.J. Hooker, Magnum P.I. and Mancuso FBI. She was also the principal villain in the Knight Rider pilot and starred as a cop in the shortlived TV show The Last Precinct. She is married and has three children.

Hugh Gillin

Date of Birth: July 14, 1925

Place of Birth: Galesburg, Illinois

Character Played: Sheriff Frank Dudley

Episode: Inn at the End of the Road

Date of Death: May 4, 2004

Most movie and TV fans will recognize Hugh Gillin as that guy who often plays law men and politicians with questionable ethics and character. Occasionally, though, he's been know to play a good guy or two. On the silver screen, He appeared in Back to the Future Part III, Psycho II and III, Airplane II and The Jazz Singer. On the small screen, he could be seen in episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man, M*A*S*H, WKRP in Cincinnati, Hart to Hart, The Facts of Life, The Dukes of Hazard, Mork and Mindy, Quincy ME, Knight Rider, The A-Team, V, Dallas and Quantum Leap. He was 6' 6" tall which gave him a very imposing stature - ideal for playing crooked law men.