Inside TV+Movies with Daniel Fienberg

ABC's 'Pan Am' finale looks to a future that may never come

Will 1964 be a good year for these fictional stewardesses? Probably not.

By Daniel Fienberg Monday, Feb 20, 2012 1:32 AM

A scene from the finale of ABC's "Pan Am"

Credit: ABC

Because of Kurt Cobain's suicide note, "It's better to burn out/Than to fade away" is the most remembered line of of Neil Young's "Hey, Hey, My, My (Out of the Blue)," but the variation "It's better to burn out/ Than it is to rust" is every bit as evocative.

My favorite network pilot of the fall of 2010 was FOX's "Lone Star." It died spectacularly after only two airings, doing the sort of inconceivably low ratings that have taken their place as the stuff of industry legend.

On one hand, that failure was a TV-level tragedy (not to be confused with actual tragedy) because I like to see good things succeed, especially when those good things suggest different storytelling avenues from the ones normally followed on network primetime.

On the other hand, I'll always have a pristine memory of the "Lone Star" pilot, which I loved, and the second episode, which I quite enjoyed. I never had to worry about the predictable, hypothetical lag from episodes four through six. I never had to twiddle my thumbs through hypothetical episodes seven though 10 as the producers responded to low ratings by tinkering and stunt-casting. I never had to sit through the desperation of episode 13 with its hypothetical absurd cliffhanger to try to force FOX into renewal.

"Lone Star" burnt out, but it did so with authority. Kyle Killen lit the match and America and FOX licked their collective fingers and snuffed it out.

Poof.

My favorite network pilot of last fall was ABC's "Pan Am." I didn't love it, but I marveled at its high production values, stellar direction and charismatic cast and perhaps because I was comparing it directly to NBC's "Playboy Club" and indirectly to a lackluster crop of new fall shows, I admired its aspirations and its potential scope.

Unlike "Lone Star," "Pan Am" didn't instantly burn out. In fact, it premiered to nearly 11 million viewers and a robust 18-49 rating. It wasn't an instant hit, but ABC got people in the door, which seemed like a minor miracle.

Instead, "Pan Am" rusted. The show changed. Viewers tuned out. ABC kept airing the show opposite powerhouse dramas and major events and it kept getting clobbered.

Five months later, "Pan Am" is probably done. Sunday (Feb. 19) night's episode was only the season finale, but barring some sort of overhaul of what constitutes "success" and "failure" on network TV, it will also be its series finale.

Given what "Pan Am" has been for most of its truncated season, I'm not going to mourn the show's passing for very long. The cast never ceased to be charismatic and talented and the production values remained pretty admirable, but "Pan Am" lost any sense of its identity many months ago. The jumble of half-hearted Season 2 pitches in Sunday's finale only confirmed that lack of direction moving forward.

Neither "Lone Star" nor "Pan Am" will see a back-nine, much less a second season, but with "Lone Star" we saw only the fall, but with "Pan Am," there was a complete decline and fall, all in accelerated motion.

More on the "Pan Am" finale after the break...

What happened to "Pan Am" was a form of simultaneous burn-out/rust unique to network TV and its particular scheduling and production cycle.

Take something like "Terriers" on FX. In terms of audience, the show was as immediate a failure as "Lone Star." However, Shawn Ryan and Ted Griffin had already been given full latitude to make their 13-episode season before it premiered and FX never would have considered pulling it midway through its first season. The show was exactly what its creative force wanted it to be and the 13 episodes of that series are, if not perfect, fully realized on every level. When you get to finale of "Terriers," you know for certain it's the conclusion of the 13-episode arc that you started with the pilot. I don't know the proper variation on "res ipsa loquitur," but the show speaks for itself.

If "Pan Am" were to speak for itself, I don't know what voice it would speak with. Jack Orman created the show, but Tommy Schlamme was a powerful creative force from the beginning. Then Steven Maeda was brought in as showrunner for the second half of the season, but his arrival wasn't a bloody coup, just a shift in direction or control. So I can't say whether Orman or Schlamme or Maeda would ultimately be considered the voice of the show, or whether the voice of "Pan Am" is actually the voice of some executive on ABC's drama development side, or possibly a creative executive at Sony Picture TV. Probably that's why "Pan Am" seemed to have less of a narrative identity with every passing week and why the main characters, strongly, but simply written and established in the pilot, became fuzzier and less sure of their wants and needs as the season unspooled.

In pilot form, "Pan Am" was about a specific brand and a specific moment in history, particularly what that brand and that moment meant for young women, what it represented. Did I totally buy the proto-feminist message of the opening episode? No, but I bought that the creators did and I bought that the characters on the show did.

Then, almost by the second or third episode, "Pan Am" became a show about cute girls giggling about boys in foreign countries, while occasionally Kelli Garner's Kate delivered a mysterious package, as part of her spy lift. ABC obviously wanted romance, so a largely uninspired back-and-forth/will-they-won't-they ensued with Michael Mosley's Ted and Margot Robbie's Laura, in which even the writers seemed to forget the degree of their chemistry from week to week. And since ABC obviously wanted more romance, Mike Vogel's Dean and Karine Vanasse's Colette went back and forth and back and forth and the writers lost the thread there as well. Early episodes emphasized the sense-of-place in the locations the characters were flying, but somebody must have decided that faking Paris and Haiti wasn't working and "Pan Am" became a claustrophobic series of beautifully decorated interiors. Early episodes played around with time and storytelling. Later episodes became linear and usually sluggish.

This is why it's better to burn out than it is to rust. With the "Lone Star" burn-out, we never saw the creative confusion or the network panic (assuming either would have happened). The show was there and then it was gone. With "Pan Am," we saw the flop-sweat all the way up to the finale.

If you felt like there was no momentum to Sunday's "Pan Am" finale, there wasn't and that was the fault of the writers, but ABC didn't really help matters.

The "Pan Am" finale aired on February 19 and it followed on the heels of the January 22 episode. Who waits a month between airing penultimate and final episodes? ABC. The only episode in the interim was last Sunday's episode, which was "new," but intended for the middle of the show's run. Viewers may have been confused by the backtracking, but it was also illuminating, since it filled in a bunch of gaps that made very little sense to regular viewers, including the end of Dean's really uninteresting affair with Erin Cummings' Ginny, the minimal repercussions of Maggie (Christina Ricci) outing that affair to protect her own job, at least one step in the relationship between Kate and Goran Visnjic's Niko and the circumstances behind Laura's nude photos, which came completely out of nowhere in the penultimate episode. Why was "Romance Languages" delayed? Dunno. ABC didn't like the episode? The episode wasn't completed in time? ABC was desperate to leap ahead to episodes featuring "Twilight" co-star Ashley Greene, as if she were the magical talisman needed to draw in fresh eyes? I have no answer.

And even though ABC aired the out-of-sequence episode, the network didn't care if anybody watched, since it was put opposite the Grammys on CBS.

And what of the finale itself? Well, it seems odd to me that you build all season to the moment on the cusp of the Kennedy assassination, which ended the true penultimate episode. Then, having done that, you skip to a month later so that nothing that came of the assassination or the loss of innocence would have any impact on the characters. Why set the show in 1963 at all if that's your plan? Why build episodes around Maggie's obsession with Kennedy? You choose an era and then decide that really and truly you don't want to bother with that era's defining moment?

Hmmm.

Then you have an episode that develops to all of our main characters in a room together celebrating New Year's Eve and toasting what a terrific year 1963 was and I could only think, "Ummm... I've watched 'Pan Am.' I know what happened to these characters this year. None of them have any reason to be celebrating 1963 as a great year."

But the finale was all about sweeping the mess of the first season under the rug and trying to make a pitch to ABC that a second season would be clearer.

Laura and Ted now know they're in love and even though Greene's Amanda is having Ted's baby, she's a lesbian anyway, so that'll work itself out, wackily. You want a goofy romance about a flight attendant who pals around with Andy Warhol, a lesbian and a pilot with daddy issues? Bring *this* show back, ABC!

And who cares that the series started with the notion that real Pan Am stewardesses really were, indeed, used by the CIA in the 1960s? It's time to get Kate out of her uniform and turn her into a legitimate spy! You want a show about a sexy female spy in 1964? Bring *this* show back, ABC!

And Maggie? She's a smuggler. For some reason. And can she speak Portuguese or not? I'm totally lost.

And I guess that Colette learning she's Jewish and not getting to marry a prince means that it's smooth flying for her and Dean, though Dean's going to be grounded for a few months, though boy that Haiti trouble flared up and then was extinguished with no commitment or urgency.

And what of poor Sanjeev? What.EVER.

The "Pan Am" finale wasn't a culmination of the season I watched regularly. It was a poo-poo platter just begging ABC to find some storyline it liked enough to justify a renewal.

Realistically, what are the chances of a renewal? Well, ABC isn't officially calling "Pan Am" cancelled, because that's not what networks do. For the most part, nothing is "cancelled" until May. Even "H8r" isn't cancelled.

Why would ABC want "Pan Am" back? The drama does reasonably well in terms of Live+7 DVR numbers and in a brief free iTunes promotional window, a lot of people downloaded "Pan Am." There has also been talk that the show has done well overseas.

And why wouldn't ABC want "Pan Am" back? Remember the 11 million viewers who watched the premiere? Last Sunday's episode drew under 2.7 million viewers. That was against the Grammys. The previous new episode drew under 4 million viewers. That was against the NFC Championship. It was also under 4 million for the airing before that. But that was against the Golden Globes. You'd have to go back to early January to find a "Pan Am" episode that ABC wasn't sacrificing against some behemoth and even that episode barely limped over 4 million viewers. DVR numbers and iTunes numbers are nice, but they don't cover for ratings that low.

How low are they? NBC looks at "Pan Am" ratings and thinks they're probably just a bit too low.

So barring an aggressive campaign of a currently unimaginable sort, "Pan Am" will probably end with Sunday's episode.

The end comes as pilot casting season is in full effect and I urge casting directors to pick "Pan Am" clean.

Margot Robbie is a star. She's gorgeous, but more than that, I think she handled the writers' confusion about her character like a pro through the entire season, but absorbing every screwy character detail and making it believable.

Karine Vanasse is utterly charming. If no pilot knows how to handle her Quebecois cadences, the writers on "Once Upon a Time" should craft a character for whom a French accent would be both magical and organic.

Kelli Garner's had a stretch of being one of the best parts of unsuccessful shows and I'd beg casting directors not to give up on her, though maybe after "My Generation" and "Pan Am," she'd do well to leave ABC for a bit.

Michael Mosley and Mike Vogel will find new homes in no time (Vogel already has, actually) and even Christina Ricci could be a valuable part of some show with tighter direction than she often received here.

I hope that all of the production designers, costume designers and art directors from "Pan Am" get the respect they deserve and that the special effects team, especially the folks who worked on the early episodes, can get value from having this show on their reel.

I guess I've written this much about "Pan Am" -- an inexcusable amount, really -- because of how much potential I thought it had after its pilot and how interesting a test subject it is for all of the different ways that a show can go sideways or backwards from a very good pilot to presumed cancelation after 13 episodes. For all of the creative shakeups, network mismanagement and far-from-invisible tinkering that took place, "Pan Am" never became a bad enough show for me to give up on it and even after a finale that was made for ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee and not, in any way, for viewers, I'd still return if "Pan Am" somehow got a second season.

Is it better to burn out than it is to rust? I don't know. Sometimes watching something rust has its own fascination.

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.

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Next 85 Comments

Dutch Engstrom

Lon Star was not a good show, at all. Glad that one died a quick death.
February 20, 2012 at 2:54AM EST Reply to Comment
- James However, Awake is at least a great pilot with an interest premise. It's a spectacular hour of television.
  February 20, 2012 at 2:59AM EST
- OBriens_Bangs The subsequent scripts and unaired episodes of Lone Star were just plain boring. You would have been sadder to see that than the end of Pan Am.
  February 20, 2012 at 4:27AM EST
- Ken I loved Lone Star and was very sad to see it go. I liked the darkness and the shades of grey and quickly wanted to see how it would all unfold. Curious why you thought it was so bad.
  February 20, 2012 at 6:17PM EST
- joe_witty Prediction: "Awake" will be asleep in six hours.
  February 23, 2012 at 11:01AM EST
Lisa

Youre awfully hard on ABC for scheduling these eps now. Even Steve Meada acknowledged to the LA Timed that he appreciated they haven't yanked it off the air. The numbers the show was getting it could have been pulled off the highly important Sun lineup before Jan. in fact I remember you remarking in October that you couldn't see ABC airing it in Nov Sweeps and at that point the show was getting high 1s. ABC clearly wanted the show to work and by Dec it was obvious it wasn't going to. ABC did right by the few fans of the show and aired all the eps and not even buried on a Saturday. Surely no one would have faulted them for pulling this weeks ep off Sunday after last weeks disastrous .7. I'm sure their affiliates aren't thrilled that their local news will probably be in last place tonight in many markets for Feb sweeps. You also say ABC shouldn't have aired these eps against all these high rated events. Well if ABC didn't program they'd essentially have to take off Jan and Feb because between the Globes, NFC, Grammys there's no week. ABC aired their entire lineup vs those weeks and ONCE held up unbelievably well vs week after week of crazy comp that any show wouldn't want up face let alone a first year show. The fact is ABC was actually doing something that critics and fans lament when they don't. They were letting a show they had great faith in run all its eps (plus one) in its original timeslot-not buried in Summer it Saturdays and like I said they were likely taking a hit at 10. Hell, by Airing it tonight they were literally telling their audience to go watch Celeb Apprentice. A rerun of ONCE would have done better.

Also you suggest Kelli should leave ABC. Why? This was a great part that showed great range tie her. The show didn't work like 80 perfect of all shows don't. If the next great part is on ABC she should grab it. Seems like Lana Parilla finally got a show to work after years of short running shows.
February 20, 2012 at 3:00AM EST Reply to Comment
- Lisa - It goes both ways. There's no question of that at all. ABC aired 13 episodes of "Pan Am," which ABC did not NEED to do. The show could have been pulled in late October and nobody could have argued with that as a decision.
  
  And I didn't say ABC shouldn't have aired episodes against the highly rated events. I just noted that the last three episodes have aired against the Grammys, NFC Championship and Golden Globes as context for the competition the show has faced each new airing for a month.
  
  What I *did* say is that ABC did the show no favors. And while airing the show regularly did *regular* viewers the favor of keeping the show on the air, it made it impossible for the show to ever even conceivably hold onto casual viewers or gain new viewers. So it became a zero-sum game for ABC, basically airing the show as a way of proving to the studio why it won't run the show anymore...
  
  As for Kelli Garner and ABC... That was just a joke. About how she's had to short-lived ABC dramas in a row. But it was just a joke. She should, indeed, take whatever role makes her excited this pilot season, regardless of the network...
  
  -Daniel
  February 20, 2012 at 3:08AM EST
- Lisa Well what are they to do? They spend a crapload on the pilot. They cast it well. They spend a crapload to promote it, all to much success. The pilot does really well where Playboy and even Mad Men have small audiences. So they got people to the party. Yet clearly lots of people didn't like what they saw as there was an immediate drop for ep2 and ep 3( my fave by far and I believe Alan's as well) was already under a 2, after premiering with a 3.1. It only went down from there, yet the net still promoted the show, didn't yank it off for sweeps, brought in another show runner to try to get the show up attract more people. When it was clear that it just wouldn't work by Dec they clearly made the decision to just run all the eps and even brought the cast and crew back in Jan to shoot ep 14. I just feel broadcast nets (especially ones not CBS or FOX) get beat up on a lot and I just don't know how ABC can be faulted here at all. They clearly loved this show, tried to make it work, and even when it was clear it wouldn't, they aired all 14 eps while definitely taking a hit. This to me is just the unfortunate part of the biz- most shows fail.
  February 20, 2012 at 3:22AM EST
- Lisa - I don't know if the qualitative shift within the show was a decision by the showrunners to make the show more accessible or if it was a decision by ABC or if it became too hard for the writers to maintain what was begun on the pilot. I do know that as the show progressed, it became structurally and thematically dumbed down at every turn. So is ABC to blame there or not? I don't have a CLUE. I'm not in those rooms and I'm not blaming ABC for any of that.
  
  In any case, I don't think I positioned what happened on "Pan Am" as being clearly ABC's "fault" or anybody's "fault." It was something that happened for a WIDE variety of reasons. And, as you say -- and as I can only acknowledge so many times -- ABC aired the run of 13 when it could have pulled the plug after five episodes.
  
  -Daniel
  February 20, 2012 at 3:33AM EST
- TMB Unfortunately, all shows like 'Pan Am' and 'Terra Nova' clearly illustrate is why should producers, networks et al invest so much money into a scripted series when most of them fail (implode, rust, whatever adjective you feel like using) and it's so much cheaper to produce reality programming? With each passing year I see more Surviving Undercover Apprentice Idols and less of the quality dramas I grew up watching...that's too bad.
  February 23, 2012 at 11:10AM EST
James

Dan, did you see the "Pan Am for dummies" cartoon. I've got a great subject idea for your podcast:Network Notes Destroying Pilots. It seem that the reason so many network dramas suck nowadays is because of the development process. Hence Pan Am for dummies which is a cartoon by an anonymous Pan Am writer. short version paraphrasing: ABC Executive: Our audience is just too dumb for smart tv. Please dumb down Pan Am. Writer: But, you've hired the director of West Wing and Executive Producer of ER. Well, good luck with your extra dumb Pan Am. The youtube video is no longer available. I guess ABC asked the writer to take it down.
February 20, 2012 at 3:11AM EST Reply to Comment
- James - I watched a minute of it, enough to feel sad and then stopped...
  
  -Daniel
  February 20, 2012 at 3:17AM EST
Phil

Maggie took Portuguese classes after the incident in Portugal.
February 20, 2012 at 3:16AM EST Reply to Comment
- Phil - The incident was in Brazil! That much I actually *do* remember.
  
  But I forgot that there was a post-episode language follow-up. And since we established she's a fast learner, I'm glad she was able to get up to the chapter on "Knowing when black market smugglers are trying to screw you over..."
  
  -Daniel
  February 20, 2012 at 3:20AM EST
- Phil Well, now you know!
  February 20, 2012 at 3:22AM EST
mgrabois

I was out of the country from September thru November and never got to see any of the episodes, although they're all on my DVR (I was able to set up a season pass before I left). I'm getting down to the last few series (Parenthood, Desperate Housewives, CSI, Body of Proof, Terra Nova), and knowing what you know now from watching the whole season, would you recommend I keep it and watch it (eventually)? Or should I just delete it to make room on my DVR?
February 20, 2012 at 3:49AM EST Reply to Comment
- Watch a few episodes. Know that it doesn't get *better*. But if you enjoy those few episodes, there'd be no reason not to keep watching.
  
  -Daniel
  February 20, 2012 at 3:52AM EST
- Tausif Khan I read Dan's comment first so I thought "Know that it doesn't get *better*" was in relation to this:
  
  "Laura and Ted now know they're in love and even though Greene's Amanda is having Ted's baby, she's a lesbian anyway, so that'll work itself out, wackily."
  February 20, 2012 at 4:34AM EST
- amg I agree...it definitely doesn't improve as the episodes progress, but for me it was enjoyable enough anyway, for what it was. A perfectly reasonable way to spend an hour of tv.
  February 20, 2012 at 6:06PM EST
- Aerin Well, I love the show and do not agree with the criticisms expressed here AT ALL. I've thoroughly enjoyed every minute of every episode, and I was stunned and very upset to hear that it was canceled. For me, it was in the same league as Mad Men, The Good Wife, and West Wing. So I would say, by all means give it a try!
  March 6, 2012 at 1:17AM EST
Marie

I don't write this stuff down so I may be wrong but I swear in an early episode Colette knew she was Jewish? I also thought 2 episodes, or more, ago Richard talked to Kate about being full blown CIA. And as you mentioned: the Maggie does/doesn't speak Portuguese issue.

So my question is this, as I've also noticed the problem in Once Upon a Time: why can't/don't shows seem to keep track of their own mythology? It seems a simple thing, one that is respectful to viewers that, inexplicably, keep up with a show regularly.

Is it laziness or trying to change the story line for new viewers? I'm really curious as this is lately driving me batty. (More than it should or is reasonable, in fairness.)
February 20, 2012 at 4:09AM EST Reply to Comment
- Erika Herzog yeah i thought Collette was aware she was Jewish as well.... i don't remember the whole French Resistances thing -- would have tied it to the CIA spy storyline (which i didn't remember doing). but i haven't really been paying attention to much of the logic around PAN AM because it was so mushy. it was pretty obvious that there were a lot of contradictions of logic early on. so i never really bothered with the logic.
  
  though the thing with her brother and the photo did get me pretty verklempt. i've heard a few stories like this in the jewish genealogy community and it's always heart-wrenching.
  ...
  February 20, 2012 at 4:30AM EST
Erika Herzog

"flop-sweat" was such a great descriptor! loved that!

thank you for taking the time -- even if it was an inexcusable amount -- to parse out what happened with PAN AM this season, Daniel.

i am thinking back on TV this year and just marveling at how many shows had enjoyable female casts. PAN AM, PRIME SUSPECT, HOMELAND. BORGEN (though i'm not sure it can be lumped in with American TV). even HART OF DIXIE (guilty pleasure).

i know that PAN AM and PRIME SUSPECT were definitely not perfect shows but i enjoyed them a lot (do you hear that network executives?!?). i looked forward to the humor and the characters. and imperfect and long-tail as these shows were, on a cable network they would have done much better, ratings wise -- and probably coherent vision wise....

so it's a shame PAN AM and PRIME SUSPECT are kaput but i'm glad all of these actors have won me over, cause i can't wait to see what they do next.

by the way, i think the "regular" way of measuring ratings is not very reflective of long-tail viewing -- or real numbers of any sort. seriously who nowadays under 30 watches shows via the traditional viewership streams anymore? most kids i know haven't bought a physical CD in their lifetime but they are cranked into a huge amount of music. the same goes for tv and movies. it's just all whack.
...
February 20, 2012 at 4:25AM EST Reply to Comment
- Diana I really enjoy Pan Am. With all the violence and foul laungauge on TV this show has such innocence to it. I really look forward to it and I do think if it did have an earlier time slot it would have much better ratings. I do think the story line started out a little slow but after a few episodes it really took off and I found myself excited for the next episode. It is definately a different senerio then all the reality tv shows, crime shows, mecical shows and offers some diversity in the series area. I would be really sad to see this show cancelled. I think the finale was great. Left the viewers with alot of wondering what the next season will bring. Greys Anatomy is a series that I have also watched since day 1 and I think Pan AM definately has the potential to end up as popular as Greys!
  February 21, 2012 at 10:25AM EST
Tausif Khan

"but I marveled at its high production values"

This is something I have question about. Do all ABC shows go to the same special effects house? Because when V, Once Upon a Time and Pan Am used special effects it always looked like their characters were standing on some sort of stage and a green screen image was imposed on a green screen

V= Anna's space ship
Once Upon a Time= Queen's castle
Pan Am= Airport area before the crew boards the plane

Say what you will about plot development and characters of Fox and NBC shows but even their worst shows have really good graphics. Grimm has done some really dull story telling but visually the stories they have been telling look and feel real on some level.

The level of terribleness of special effects on ABC shows are really awful and somewhat appalling.

Placing this into historical context Firefly debuted in the fall of 2002 almost 10 years ago and it had better special effects then any ABC show has in the 2011-2012 season. (Jane Espenson worked with Zoic on both Firefly and BSG it would be great if she could get them to do some work on Once Upon a Time).
February 20, 2012 at 4:45AM EST Reply to Comment
- dan Tausif - "Once Upon a Time" and "V" are/were both Vancouver-based productions and could very well use the same effects house for all or some of their effects. "Pan Am" was not Vancouver-based and probably used a different effects house. And, honestly, I thought the effects on "Pan Am" were far superior to the effects on those other two shows. But your results may vary!
  
  -Daniel
  February 20, 2012 at 12:34PM EST
- M What about the music? Is there some sort of ABC mandate for all their dramas to be scored with cutesy background music during lighter scenes? I know Sepinwall has complained about this and usually it doesn't bother me, but the background music on Pan Am was really distracting. In last night's episode when Maggie was discussing the smuggling at the airport I could barely concentrate on the dialogue because the music was so intrusive.
  February 20, 2012 at 4:09PM EST
Euroviewer

The first ep gave me the shivers a bit. Loved the production values. Unfortunately as you stated too the show was totally directionless. At the moment the show is aired on the BBC and also in the Netherlands so I think if foreign sales are good there might be a small chance they will renew.
February 20, 2012 at 9:23AM EST Reply to Comment
Jeannette

I loved Pan Am. Would definitely watch another season. I fell in love with the characters and now I want to know what happens next. Its like reading a book and stopping in the middle. :-(
February 20, 2012 at 10:38AM EST Reply to Comment
- Edwin Pan Am is a smart show that ask viewers to know some history..that alone should get it a second season against the vast wasteland that is modern tv
  February 20, 2012 at 11:03AM EST
- Ken Agreed. The characters where all very charming and the chemistry was believable... and yes. Colette was so incredible. She had this sadness and vulnerability in her expressions but always showed such incredible strength. Sad that the writers couldn't do more with such talent.
  February 20, 2012 at 6:23PM EST
- jack Emphasis on 'some' history, Edwin...apparently you didn't need to know anything about the Kennedy assasination.
  
  Agree on the vast wasteland of modern TV, though.
  February 23, 2012 at 11:13AM EST
- Sandra I would Love to see it back!
  May 12, 2012 at 9:06PM EST
M

I think you're being way, way too kind to this show. You don't know why ABC pulled Romance Languages? How about because it had Ginny breaking a window with her face and a creepy little boy breaking into Colette's room at night? You can lament the tweaks and changes to the show all you want, but one thing always remained consistent: the writing was terrible.
February 20, 2012 at 11:31AM EST Reply to Comment
Cami

I luv Kurt cobain!!!!!!!!!!! He's amazing & hot!!!!!!!!!!
February 20, 2012 at 11:32AM EST Reply to Comment
JedyKnight

I liked this show. I didn’t thought it was good, it wasn’t, but it wasn’t really bad either.. was somewhere between slightly above average and underachiever... the writing was violently bipolar, going from interesting nostalgia driven to cheesy and dumb.. But I like the cast, mostly the girls... and it had really great production value. Now, watching it week by week, it was a nice light pleasure that was always combined with some frustration; since it seems any time a character was going to an interesting journey, it was suddenly re-routed. It was a constant characterization zig zag, and sometimes (aside from Kate's spy adventures) the show seemed almost plot-less.
Having said all that, if they told me lighting a candle will help the show come back, I would, if only for the eternal hope they could evaluate all they did and learn from their mistakes.
PAN AM, if this was your last flight; I don’t regret having met you.

February 20, 2012 at 1:09PM EST Reply to Comment
tangi

Just discovered your website while surfing the net to find reviews of the Pan Am finale. Thanks for your insights/analysis. In spite of its flaws, I really enjoyed the show and was hoping I could follow its characters for another season. I must say that with each passing year I'm more reluctant to get invested in new shows since most get yanked pretty quickly. I do appreciate that ABC aired all he episodes. Sad to see the show go.
February 20, 2012 at 1:51PM EST Reply to Comment
tigger500

Never understood why Christina Ricci even did this show. She's infinitely more talented than this drivel.
February 20, 2012 at 3:06PM EST Reply to Comment
Texan

Yes, I agree, the storyline suffered as time went by - too bad as the show initially had tons of potential. I kept watching though as I thought the visual appeal of the beautiful women in that time and those places was so striking. I hope ABC brings the show back with a refocus on a smarter, more cohesive storyline.
February 20, 2012 at 3:20PM EST Reply to Comment
Razorback

I stopped watching once I realized it was going to get cancelled. I liked the show but I'm not going on some journey that will have no real payoff.

And that is especially coming off watching TERRIERS having heard so much about how it was a self contained season and how it has a payoff that makes only having one season still worth catching... and then realizing that was total horsepoop and that it ends hollow and I now ignore anyone's advice if they told me to watch it!
February 20, 2012 at 3:44PM EST Reply to Comment
- Bk The end of Terriers was perfect for the themes of the show.
  Probably just went over your head.
  February 20, 2012 at 7:16PM EST
towatei

Karine Vanasse was the best part of the show for me. Her Colette was smart, touching and always classy. The way Karine Vanasse managed to bring out all the right emotions at the right times in the Berlin episode (I think it was episode 3) was amazing. And she did really great during the show's run - even though her character was really backsided at times. She is a gifted actress and I hope she gets a part in a new TV show real soon.
February 20, 2012 at 4:25PM EST Reply to Comment
Phil

Get new writers and save the show for crying out loud. You have a first rate cast that makes people care about them. That's worth a lot.
February 20, 2012 at 7:18PM EST Reply to Comment
- Joan I agree! And ABC, give a new show half a chance and quit per-empting it for anything and everything! This show is quality TV as opposed to "reality" TV (which I never watch, by the way).
  March 17, 2012 at 11:52PM EST
roy

my half-sister makes $83/hour on the computer. She has been fired but last month her pay was $7790 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read more on this site… LazyCash10.com

February 20, 2012 at 7:45PM EST Reply to Comment
stl

I liked Lone Star a lot and it didn't deserve what it got. I would pay good money for good TV - for shows like Life, Cane, Dirty Sexy Money, My Own Worst Enemy, Moonlight, Life on Mars, Eastwind, Jericho, and now Pan Am since it got better. Get a cable station together that can give me shows like that and I'll pay for it!!
February 20, 2012 at 9:29PM EST Reply to Comment
stl

And V - the new V was great! I can't be the only one who liked it.
February 20, 2012 at 9:31PM EST Reply to Comment
Ammar

I feel like if they left off the show at such a high climax, it would be utterly unreasonable for them to cancel the show. In my opinion it wasnt a show i couldnt miss, but one that i most certainly had to watch.

To make my point clear- keep the show running, it might have a great outcome.
February 20, 2012 at 10:18PM EST Reply to Comment
AnneC

I personally loved this show. You have to ask yourself why do you watch television any more? If you want fast-paced stories you go to Youtube. If you want current information you go to the internet on CNN or something. People watch TV for the same reason they go to the movies....to be entertained and escape the real world, even for just one hour. If you truly can forget about the real world for an hour, then that makes a good show, because you were engulfed in what was going on. This show did that for me. No the plots weren't awesome, but I always wanted more. If you want awesome effects or graphics, watch a sci-fi show. If you want dull entertainment to make yourself feel better, watch the Jersey Shore. This show for me was great because it brought back the nostalgia of what good shows used to be. The Brady Bunch never had incredibly moving story lines, but everyone still loved it. A 6th grader has a higher IQ than all the Kardashians combined, but people still watch it. I truly enjoyed watching this show, because, while I may have seen the outcome a mile away, it was produced in a very entertaining way, and I loved that. I hope they bring it back for another season, even if they move it to a crappier time slot.....I just want to see more!
February 21, 2012 at 12:35AM EST Reply to Comment
- jessC i completelly agree with you...this is a really good show...the can make some changes if they want with the story to pace it up or give it more 60's spice...even if they change the time..I'll still watch it...please give it another season =(
  February 23, 2012 at 1:07AM EST
Sharon Stephens

Not for minute do I believe that Amanda is having Ted's baby, but it will be interesting to see how Laura and Ted work this out. Kate evolution as a spy, Colette learning of her family, and our scrappy Maggie showing the War Hero Pilot a thing or two about smuggling. To echo Daniel Fienberg, BRING THIS SHOW BACK. We need escapism even if the plot lines are less than perfect. Keep this cast together and give us a second season!
February 21, 2012 at 3:40AM EST Reply to Comment
Andrea

I agree. I loved the pilot, since it promised international intrigue and stories based on the real stewardesses of Pan Am. But I was really disappointed to find that they turned it into just another soap. What a waste of an opportunity. Each of the four women, who had so much potential, turned into what I dislike about how TV portrays heroines:
Maggie's intellect disappeared and now she's only "strong" because she's loud and can stand up to the men. Very lame.
Laura's decision to ditch marriage for a Pan Am career is undermined by the lame nude photo plot (so very ABC) and her completely underdeveloped romance with Ted.
Collette had so much potential! Instead she's been reduced to the tragic boohoo-please-care-about-this-plot character as she randomly just realized her Jewish/holocaust background by the finale.
Maeda said, "It was hard to portray the glamour of the spy world without making it too dangerous. We're not Alias." So they were just going to have Kate prance around on the show pretending to do some actual espionage? Wow.
And don't even get me started on bringing in miss Twilight to play the "manipulative lesbian" archetype. I know ABC wants to go with the market that sells, but please. Why can't we have optimism, glamour, AND substance?
Rant over.
February 21, 2012 at 3:46PM EST Reply to Comment
meoskop

Spot on. I watched all of Pan Am, one of the few shows I did watch this year. What brought me back each week was the cast and a hope that someone would decide what the show was about. Pan Am could have been Mad Men's optimistic little sister, but the Historical Moment Of The Week choices fought with the whiplash shifts in characters and their motivations. Kate had the most character continuity but her storyline made the least sense when combined with the rest of the show. I will always regret the various shows this could have been.

No way Ted's going to be a dad. I'm too much of a soap vet to believe that one.
February 22, 2012 at 1:32AM EST Reply to Comment
hi, just me

Don't they owe us a Sanjeeve flashback ?
February 22, 2012 at 5:20AM EST Reply to Comment
hi, just me

Oh, look, there goes Juan Trippe !
February 22, 2012 at 5:57AM EST Reply to Comment
judy

First, thank you Daniel for your insights; your article helped me to understand a few things! Truly, I was Quite!! 'confused' with the last 2 airings, I thought for sure that I was watching something out-of-order Or missed something! Ugh.
I was so excited when this show lst aired!! For me, it was just kinda personal. I started Flying around the world already in 1966 as a young child. I remember so how when going on a flight meant actually Dressing UP, very well groomed, on your best behavior and little girls wore patent leather shoes...Always!! :) It was SPECIAL!! And of course growing up one of the first career goals was either to become a go-go dancer or stewardess; ahh those were the 'days'.
For me, the show's story line just went all over the place and I did not find that necessary. I thought the women were cast perfectly and not hard to almost fall in love with each character. Could Never decide my favorite. Laura is truly a beautiful actress and Kate as well, I thought they did their characters justice, even with such all over the place story lines. Colette, I would have No problem watching her in a movie!! As for Maggie, boy, the last 3 episodes were just too 'out there crazy' and felt she got shafted since she just totally Lost herself; her intellect and passion for politics gave her character something that was quite REAL for those wacky, growing, intense, confusing times of desiring to become a 'liberated' woman (they were all just learning back then) and yet,being a Traditional Woman was still so very much part of our culture. I think they went too FAST with the story line and characters. They could of taken some more time with developing them; each girl was so different from one another. Sorry, the guys, well, I thought they were 'okay' and in the end, I kinda liked Ted the most; there were just too much hopping around with Dean in the love department and the way they did the last 2/3 episodes it just did not meld well at all from a viewers standpoint.
I know this doesn't mean much for the men watching the show, but I LOVED the clothes both the women and men wore when not in uniform!! The Fashion and the hairstyles were just wonderful. I do wish that since this was about Flying Around the World that we could of at least on an occasion or Two felt that we were Transported! to another country through more scenic views...something!(hope that makes sense).
Is this REALLY the END of Pan Am??? If so, the network REALLY missed an opportunity to telecast a unique and interesting show of a time in history that I am sure many would love to Remember or Learn about. Sooo MUCH could of been done with this story line and they had the wonderful actors, the beginning of each wonderful characters and THEN???--it just got ALL jumbled up/confusing/a little wacky/lame/characters completely off track/back tracking--without the viewer understanding........A MESS. What a WASTE of Potential.
Uhh, with Praying that they could somehow Get-Back-On-Track.....I WOULD watch MORE!!!
I'm Sad if it is Over; Sad for what Could Of Been.
February 22, 2012 at 8:18AM EST Reply to Comment
- chez crisden i am so rooting for this
  show. it can return if the
  writers wanted it to.
  March 7, 2012 at 1:47PM EST

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Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Dutch Engstrom Lon Star was not a good show, at all. Glad that one died a quick death.

James However, Awake is at least a great pilot with an interest premise. It's a spectacular hour of television.

OBriens_Bangs The subsequent scripts and unaired episodes of Lone Star were just plain boring. You would have been sadder to see that than the end of Pan Am.

Ken I loved Lone Star and was very sad to see it go. I liked the darkness and the shades of grey and quickly wanted to see how it would all unfold. Curious why you thought it was so bad.

joe_witty Prediction: "Awake" will be asleep in six hours.

James - I watched a minute of it, enough to feel sad and then stopped...-Daniel

Phil Maggie took Portuguese classes after the incident in Portugal.

Phil Well, now you know!

Watch a few episodes. Know that it doesn't get *better*. But if you enjoy those few episodes, there'd be no reason not to keep watching. -Daniel

Tausif Khan I read Dan's comment first so I thought "Know that it doesn't get *better*" was in relation to this:"Laura and Ted now know they're in love and even though Greene's Amanda is having Ted's baby, she's a lesbian anyway, so that'll work itself out, wackily."

amg I agree...it definitely doesn't improve as the episodes progress, but for me it was enjoyable enough anyway, for what it was. A perfectly reasonable way to spend an hour of tv.

Jeannette I loved Pan Am. Would definitely watch another season. I fell in love with the characters and now I want to know what happens next. Its like reading a book and stopping in the middle. :-(

Edwin Pan Am is a smart show that ask viewers to know some history..that alone should get it a second season against the vast wasteland that is modern tv

Ken Agreed. The characters where all very charming and the chemistry was believable... and yes. Colette was so incredible. She had this sadness and vulnerability in her expressions but always showed such incredible strength. Sad that the writers couldn't do more with such talent.

jack Emphasis on 'some' history, Edwin...apparently you didn't need to know anything about the Kennedy assasination. Agree on the vast wasteland of modern TV, though.

Sandra I would Love to see it back!

Cami I luv Kurt cobain!!!!!!!!!!! He's amazing & hot!!!!!!!!!!

tigger500 Never understood why Christina Ricci even did this show. She's infinitely more talented than this drivel.

Bk The end of Terriers was perfect for the themes of the show.Probably just went over your head.

Phil Get new writers and save the show for crying out loud. You have a first rate cast that makes people care about them. That's worth a lot.

Joan I agree! And ABC, give a new show half a chance and quit per-empting it for anything and everything! This show is quality TV as opposed to "reality" TV (which I never watch, by the way).

roy my half-sister makes $83/hour on the computer. She has been fired but last month her pay was $7790 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read more on this site… LazyCash10.com

stl And V - the new V was great! I can't be the only one who liked it.

Ammar I feel like if they left off the show at such a high climax, it would be utterly unreasonable for them to cancel the show. In my opinion it wasnt a show i couldnt miss, but one that i most certainly had to watch. To make my point clear- keep the show running, it might have a great outcome.

jessC i completelly agree with you...this is a really good show...the can make some changes if they want with the story to pace it up or give it more 60's spice...even if they change the time..I'll still watch it...please give it another season =(

hi, just me Don't they owe us a Sanjeeve flashback ?

hi, just me Oh, look, there goes Juan Trippe !

chez crisden i am so rooting for this show. it can return if the writers wanted it to.

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Dutch Engstrom

Lon Star was not a good show, at all. Glad that one died a quick death.

James - I watched a minute of it, enough to feel sad and then stopped...

-Daniel

Phil

Maggie took Portuguese classes after the incident in Portugal.

Watch a few episodes. Know that it doesn't get better. But if you enjoy those few episodes, there'd be no reason not to keep watching.

-Daniel

Tausif Khan I read Dan's comment first so I thought "Know that it doesn't get better" was in relation to this:

"Laura and Ted now know they're in love and even though Greene's Amanda is having Ted's baby, she's a lesbian anyway, so that'll work itself out, wackily."

Jeannette

I loved Pan Am. Would definitely watch another season. I fell in love with the characters and now I want to know what happens next. Its like reading a book and stopping in the middle. :-(

jack Emphasis on 'some' history, Edwin...apparently you didn't need to know anything about the Kennedy assasination.

Agree on the vast wasteland of modern TV, though.

Cami

I luv Kurt cobain!!!!!!!!!!! He's amazing & hot!!!!!!!!!!

tigger500

Never understood why Christina Ricci even did this show. She's infinitely more talented than this drivel.

Bk The end of Terriers was perfect for the themes of the show.
Probably just went over your head.

Phil

Get new writers and save the show for crying out loud. You have a first rate cast that makes people care about them. That's worth a lot.

roy

my half-sister makes $83/hour on the computer. She has been fired but last month her pay was $7790 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read more on this site… LazyCash10.com

stl

And V - the new V was great! I can't be the only one who liked it.

Ammar

I feel like if they left off the show at such a high climax, it would be utterly unreasonable for them to cancel the show. In my opinion it wasnt a show i couldnt miss, but one that i most certainly had to watch.

To make my point clear- keep the show running, it might have a great outcome.

hi, just me

Don't they owe us a Sanjeeve flashback ?

hi, just me

Oh, look, there goes Juan Trippe !

chez crisden i am so rooting for this
show. it can return if the
writers wanted it to.

Be the first to know - sign up now to get an instant e-mail alert
whenever something big happens in Movies, TV or Music