Pan Am

:

Season 1
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 25, 2011
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 28
  3. Negative: 1 out of 28
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Critic Reviews

  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Nancy Franklin
    Sep 26, 2011
    60
    The new shows are more concerned with hitting their marks and getting the sociology right than with character, but Pan Am has a bit of style to it, and a note of darkness, and the formula might just work.
  2. PopMatters
    Reviewed by: Renee Scolaro Mora
    Sep 26, 2011
    60
    Set in 1963, Pan Am's production is highly stylized, neat, and dreamy, perfectly suited to the nostalgia it is eager to evoke.
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Sep 23, 2011
    60
    There's soap here, and the liberated-woman part sometimes feels like a reach. But the show is fun, it makes flying look like fun, and yes, that line of stewardesses does look good enough to stop an airport.
  5. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    Sep 26, 2011
    50
    Beneath all the visual dazzle of the premiere episode, a bit of the groundwork is there, but Schlamme and Orman need to build on it very soon.
  6. Uncle Barky
    Reviewed by: Ed Bark
    Sep 23, 2011
    50
    Beyond selling the glamour of it all, Pan Am may be very hard-pressed to come up with weekly storylines that impel viewers to climb aboard.
  7. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Phillip Maciak
    Sep 22, 2011
    50
    The show's extravagant, aggressive joy about the friendly skies sometimes makes even that pinnacle of historical romance seem like a Lars Von Trier film in comparison.
  8. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Alessandra Stanley
    Sep 22, 2011
    50
    If only for the costumes and '60s music, Pan Am is amusing to see at least once, but if it has any instructive benefit at all, it's as a mood indicator for these times, not those.
  9. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    Sep 16, 2011
    50
    It's a handsome study in perfect mediocrity.
  10. Variety
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Sep 23, 2011
    40
    Even so, the disjointed, choppy approach leaves this meticulously outfitted production looking overdressed for the occasion, and while there are enough moving parts to potentially turn up something interesting, turbulent takeoffs seldom bode well for the rest of the trip.

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best TV Season of 2011
30
#30 Most Discussed TV Season of 2011
83
#83 Most Shared TV Season of 2011

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 87 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 87
  3. Negative: 6 out of 87
  1. JennetP
    Oct 3, 2011
    4
    As a state department brat who flew hundreds of Pan Am flights back in the day (first class until mid-60s budget cuts sent us to coach), IAs a state department brat who flew hundreds of Pan Am flights back in the day (first class until mid-60s budget cuts sent us to coach), I should be a complete sucker for this show. But, aside from the uniforms and the logos, the show gets most things wrong. The actors, for starters, are all too young and/or unsophisticated; the women lack elegance, and the men lack distinction. I can no more imagine a Pan Am stewardess hiding in the galley from her mother than I can imagine Jackie Kennedy flipping off a reckless cabbie. Despite near-constant girdle checks, the stewardesses are clearly products of a women's movement that hasn't happened yet; the pilots shave their chests, and the set design (clubs, restaurants, hotel rooms) are proudly postmodern. Even the aircraft interiors, which would be so easy to get right, succumb to the anachronizing impulse, appearing much more airy and uncluttered (very 21st-century Zen) than their mid-century models. So what? Well, this show is much more about style than about characters, stories, or ideas, so it ought to have done a better job. It's either going to need MUCH stronger writing and a few new cast members or a style makeover. Or an audience that doesn't care, of course.… Full Review »
  2. TruthBeTold
    Nov 6, 2011
    1
    The BEST thing about this show is the uniform! The Cast is HORRIBLE! The Writing is weak! I can't believe this show is still on TV! Charlie'sThe BEST thing about this show is the uniform! The Cast is HORRIBLE! The Writing is weak! I can't believe this show is still on TV! Charlie's Angels was much better than this show. If they intend to be around next Season, the Writers must step their game up and they need more Crew on-board the flights ,,, at least 10 Crew members. It's just a STUPID show!… Full Review »
  3. Grapevine
    Sep 27, 2011
    10
    I loved it. It was very much a pilot episode- you get to know all the characters involved and there's not much to it other than that, but it'sI loved it. It was very much a pilot episode- you get to know all the characters involved and there's not much to it other than that, but it's so well-made and interesting! Loved how glamorous and yet realistic it is.
    The production and overall looks of everything is very very good. Very good graphics, wardrobe and everything.
    It's all in very good taste.
    To be honest , i never liked Mad Men all that much, it was so boring. Watched about 3 seasons of deathly boredom. This is the same decade and it's youthful and good. I really loved it.    … Full Review »
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