Pan Am...did anyone watch?

[Theodore Jay Miller]

I watched part of the first episode, then didn't bother with the rest; I just didn't get into it.

For one thing, I couldn't tell the women apart. I suck at facial recognition, and with a bunch of young Caucasion women all in those stewardess uniforms, I was just lost.

 

[Keith1701]

Watching it on DVR tonight, I hope that it was good.

 

[lennier1]

I've always had a soft spot for romanticized versions of the 60's.

Right now the show's biggest problem is how it's trying to do too many things at once.

 

[J.T.B.]

Oh and does anyone know what $350 in 1963 would equate to today?

Proably around two grand. Was that a fare?

Justin

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Yup. I chuckled. Can't even get from my home to my folks' place in Arizona for $350.

Mark

 

[Marc]

Oh and does anyone know what $350 in 1963 would equate to today?

Proably around two grand. Was that a fare?

Justin

Well for the plot line anyway might do a search to see how close it was to the mark.

okay done some research.

On airliners.net there's a discussion and some-one quotes a fare of $375 single, $675 return NYC - London in in the 1950s.

Converting $US350 in 1963 to 2010 prices gives the airfare of $2465.

And I doubt in 1963 they have the same level of taxes and charges added on to the price today.

The service to Paris was a twice daily non-stop and you can find a menu sample

http://www.everythingpanam.com/Menus.html

I doubt even in first class today you'd get an option for fillet mignon.

 

[Cmdr_Blop]

I saw Pan Am and loved it. I would say it's a "family-friendly" Mad Men, that just deals with the airline industry and focuses on the female characters, but the style and production values are the same, IMO. This is going to be the one show I devote myself to this TV season.

I'm also super-glad that this show is on NOW, at a time when air travel is literally a hellish experience, and when we're paying outrageous prices for utter crap-arse service... now people can and will see what REAL air travel used to be like... and what true customer service was and meant.

 

[Trekker4747]

I doubt even in first class today you'd get an option for fillet mignon.

On First Class today you'd be lucky to get a packet of crackers in first-class.

 

[FPAlpha]

I'm also super-glad that this show is on NOW, at a time when air travel is literally a hellish experience, and when we're paying outrageous prices for utter crap-arse service... now people can and will see what REAL air travel used to be like... and what true customer service was and meant.

This is how the show was advertised and sold and while i'd guess the reality wasn't always this "romantic" it's a TV show with a theme.

So far i really like it.. the style, the themes and the small intelligence subplots are nice to break up the personal stuff. Will definitely watch it more.

 

[Warped9]

The French stewardess, Colette...

She's played by a French Canadian actress from Quebec. I'm French Canadian and my parents are from Quebec. It's trivial, but there it is.

My wife is full-on Qubecquoise and we live in Alberta. Twenty seconds into the pilot episode, I hear "Hé, c'est Karine Vanasse - tabarnane!" from her. A known actress from Quebec in a big network show is pretty rare, really...
Mark

My mother recognized her from some of the French TV shows she watches.

Liking this one so far. They go really far to make it look like the 60s, but there's only so much you can do, even with all the added green screens, on a TV budget. Anyone seen this yet?

http://www.fxguide.com/featured/pan-am-retro-green-screen-world/

Mark

Cool! And goes to show you it's not just SF and genre shows that are using lots of cgi.

 

[JRS]

I would really like to watch this..but I guess I have to wait for the DVD
I did see the opening theme from Youtube though, came off bit cheesy. Better choice of song might have helped

 

[Warped9]

I admit a great part of the appeal for me is its romanticized retro setting, setting it apart from everything else we see on television.

 

[Marc]

not sure if was cross promotion (not sure of the U.S networks invovled) but on Monday night's Jeopardy, there was category relating the Pan Am (the airline) with the questions presented by actresses from the show.

 

[Trekker4747]

I admit a great part of the appeal for me is its romanticized retro setting, setting it apart from everything else we see on television.

That's sort of the appeal for me too.

not sure if was cross promotion (not sure of the U.S networks invovled) but on Monday night's Jeopardy, there was category relating the Pan Am (the airline) with the questions presented by actresses from the show.

Well, if it wasn't a cross-promotion it'd be one amazing coincidence.

 

[BigFoot]

^ Yeah no kidding.

 

[Keith1701]

It was better than I thought it'd be: Which was a TV version of that Gwen Paltrow flick about stewardesses.

I enjoyed it as welll!!!!

 

[Trekker4747]

And, for what it is worth, both "Pan-Am" and "Jeopardy" are produced by Sony Pictures.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Saw the second ep, this is a solidly-written show. The dynamic between the sisters is good, and I love Christina Ricci's Donna Reed routine, with just a touch of sarcastic bite.

The one false note is Laura's motive for fleeing her wedding - just so she can go globe-trotting? If Mommy Dearest approved the groom, presumably the guy is loaded. A rich hubby can finance globe-trotting vacations and you won't have to bother serving coffee to strange men "and that sort of thing." And how liberated is she, really, if she can lose her job and her globe-trotting pass if she gets married or gets fat?

Either Laura is a dimwit or there's something more significant behind what she did. I'm still rooting for her to be a lesbian. Collette already has the "adventurous stewardess" territory staked out, so we don't need another of that type. And I hate dimwit characters; I can't sympathize with them at all.

For Laura to be gay would be even more interesting in contrast with her "black sheep" sister Kate, who would of course be called upon to keep the secret (and is she liberal minded enough to accept Laura anyway?) I see Maggie as more the accepting type.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Onto the 3rd episode, and the show is really starting to come together. I have to say I really like the spy angle. It makes the show into more of a show about the era and the culture of the era, with some international intrigue thanks to the traveling that they do.

 

[Warped9]

Onto the 3rd episode, and the show is really starting to come together. I have to say I really like the spy angle. It makes the show into more of a show about the era and the culture of the era, with some international intrigue thanks to the traveling that they do.

Agreed. I really like Colette, but the way Kate went with her gut to help that German courier was cool. Kate put flowery words and principles into action.