ABC viewers are about to board a flight back to the ’60’s, when flying was a glamorous affair, most likely with fewer pat-downs and a bit more leg room. The new drama series Pan Am follows a flight crew working at Pan Am Airlines during the height of the Jet Age. The pilot doesn’t waste any time diving head-first into the drama as we’re introduced to the characters and the gleaming setting.
Once upon a time, people got dressed up to fly. Back before the days when flights were jam-packed with people, security was tightened, and airlines were charging extra for luggage, people considered flying to be the height of luxury. So what better era to stage an airline drama in than the early ’60’s. From the hair, the make-up, and pristine uniforms, to the optimism of a generation of young people living on the verge of huge cultural changes, ABC has plenty to work with in Pan Am. The series appears to be making the most of the setting in the pilot episode, which introduces us to the characters we’ll be getting to know in this series.
Christina Ricci plays Maggie, a woman who wants to see the world as much as she wants to change it. Dean (Mike Vogel) is a newly captained pilot who’s eager to establish himself in his new position. He’s romantically involved with Bridget (Annabelle Wallis), a beautiful flight attendant with a mysterious past. Speaking of beautiful flight attendants, Colette (Karine Vanesse) plays a gorgeous French flight attendant who finds herself falling for an unavailable man. And playing sisters Kate and Laura are Kelli Garner and Margo Robbie. While Kate has more experience as a flight attendant, it’s Laura who managed to get her gorgeous face on the cover of Life magazine in a feature about the airline.
It’s evident from what transpires in the first episode, that Pan Am isn’t merely going to be about working for an airline in the ’60’s. The shifting political climate appears to play a role, as does the many interactions between the crew. With so many young, pretty people working in such close quarters together, drama is inevitable. Factor in the era, when women were becoming more liberated, and the set-up is full of potential. The story also offers a bit of intrigue as Laura is propositioned to perform spy-like duties while also working as a stewardess. Whether or not that becomes a bigger focus in the series as we move beyond the pilot, remains to be seen, but it does offer a shift from the personal drama and gives Laura more to do than merely smile and hand out peanuts while her sister becomes the new face of Pan Am.
Pan Am has a lot of potential to be a great show. The pilot begins strong, and there's lot of visual appeal, between the costumes, the settings and the pretty faces. I’ll be interested to see where the story goes and whether or not this drama becomes another great ’60’s-set series.
Pan Am premieres Sunday, September 25th at 10:00 p.m. on ABC.
Image ©ABC
