Pan AM (ABC 2011, Christina Ricci, Margot Robbie)

Period drama series Pan Am takes us back to the glamourous early 1960’s (1963 to be precise) before the decade got really swinging but the scent of cultural revolution is in the air. With global travel now a real possibility and air travel the height of sophistication Pan Am is the biggest name in flight. It’s a heady world of pilots and air hostesses and adventure.

Leading the way is new pilot Dean, definitely Mr Charisma (at least he thinks so) and one of a new breed of pilots who didn’t earn their chops in the war. His co-pilot Ted, from a very wealthy family, is hiding a few dark secrets. Meanwhile air hostess Maggie is a bohemian away from the job but all buttoned up and proper on it – she is working for the airline to expand her horizons and see the world. The other air hostesses include flirty Colette who always seems to choose the wrong man and sisters Kate and Laura (a beauty queen turned runaway bride!).

As is all too common these days the Network didn’t play fair with the show, cancelled after 14 episodes but the final 6 airing over a disjointed three month period. There was also a strange scheduling hiccup which saw Romance Languages air as episode 11 when it was intended to air as episode 7, this being a continuing story style of series meant that the storyline then made little sense!

production details
USA | ABC – Sony Pictures Television – Jack Orman Productions – Shoe Money Productions | 14×60 minutes | AIRDATES: Sunday 25 September 2011 – 19 February 2012

Creator: Jack Orman | Executive Producers: Jack Orman, Thomas Schlamme and Nancy Hult Ganis

cast
Christina Ricci as Maggie
Michael Mosley as Ted
Mike Vogel as Dean
Margot Robbie as Laura
Karine Vanasse as Colette
Kelli Garner as Kate

THE EPISODES
1. PILOT (25 Sep 2011)
2. WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS (2 Oct 2011)
3. ICH BIN EIN BERLINER (9 Oct 2011)
4. EASTERN EXPOSURE (16 Oct 2011)
5. ONE COIN IN A FOUNTAIN (23 Oct 2011)
6. THE GENUINE ARTICLE (30 Oct 2011)
7. TRUTH OR DARE (6 Nov 2011)
8. UNSCHEDULED DEPARTURE (13 Nov 2011)
9. KISS KISS BANG BANG (4 Dec 2011)
10. SECRETS AND LIES (8 Jan 2012)
11. DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS (15 Jan 2012)
12. NEW FRONTIERS (22 Jan 2012)
13. ROMANCE LANGUAGES (12 Feb 2012)
14. 1964 (19 Feb 2012)