Pan Am

:

Season 1
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 25, 2011
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
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User Reviews

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  1. Lucky14
    Oct 7, 2011
    4
    Pan Am is no Mad Men. As of now it's entirely too lighthearted and cute for me to take seriously. I was hoping the glossy exterior would be a facade and the girls' private lives would hold the real drama, but the style of the pilot suggests they want to slop the icing on thick all-around. The bulk of the pilot's drama takes place in flashbacks which seem to be the product of aPan Am is no Mad Men. As of now it's entirely too lighthearted and cute for me to take seriously. I was hoping the glossy exterior would be a facade and the girls' private lives would hold the real drama, but the style of the pilot suggests they want to slop the icing on thick all-around. The bulk of the pilot's drama takes place in flashbacks which seem to be the product of a screenwriting roundtable of romance movie cliches. And no, they did not forget the swelling orchestral accompaniment. Ricci is a good fit here, as is her ginger co-stewardess. The espionage aspect interests me greatly, as does the globe trotting. There hasn't been a show on air to satiate that weekly adventure itch since Alias. The melodrama with the mother in the second episode was too much. However intriguing the spy angle is, it's not enough of the show to justify my watching it. I would have much rather seen an espionage thriller revolving around stewardesses than a girl-powered melodrama with the 60's airline as its backdrop.… Expand
  2. 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), 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 canAs 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.… Expand
  3. catstravaganza
    Sep 26, 2011
    5
    Like cotton candy - tastes great but mostly air. Beautiful production values and costuming but the storyline is lackluster. Here's to hoping it gets more nutritional value.
  4. lpnny77
    Sep 26, 2011
    4
    I feel like this show has great potential. It has beautiful production and costume, and some potentially interesting story lines. I also think the premise is pretty brilliant. I was at times put off by the acting, the story seemed overall pretty boring, and I felt like everyone was trying too hard. I will hang in past the pilot to check it out hoping it settles into a groove, but I am aI feel like this show has great potential. It has beautiful production and costume, and some potentially interesting story lines. I also think the premise is pretty brilliant. I was at times put off by the acting, the story seemed overall pretty boring, and I felt like everyone was trying too hard. I will hang in past the pilot to check it out hoping it settles into a groove, but I am a little skeptical.… Expand
  5. Teaser38
    Oct 10, 2011
    5
    Too many characters. Too unfocused. Pretty people with problems in 60's. Very pretty, but so what? Should appeal to the "Desperate Housewives" set, but not for me. Don't expect Madmen here.
  6. forneil
    Oct 30, 2011
    6
    Every week when this shows up on my que on hulu, I always watch it last. I feel that it's less important and less interesting (almost if I don't care if I watch it or not). It's a good show, just isn't anything we are all used to. Has potential though!
  7. mdearth24
    Dec 11, 2011
    6
    The only interesting part of this series is the involvement with the C.I.A and that is what keeps me watching. All of the other plots and stories are pretty pointless and I usually find myself flicking through the channels when they arrive on screen. But either way the acting is pretty good and the flashbacks are half decent, providing us viewers with some character development.

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  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.
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  2. Salon
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    Sep 26, 2011
    80
    Pan Am is nostalgic bonbons for the mind, made with the finest ingredients.
    Read full review
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    Sep 26, 2011
    75
    Right now Pan Am doesn't seem to know exactly what it wants to be; it's experimenting with tone, and seeing what works and what doesn't. That's the kind of attitude that, if done right, should lead to an interesting series. [30 Sep 2011, p.62]
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