''Pan Am'' is an American
period drama television series created by writer
Jack Orman
Jack Orman is an American television writer, producer and director. He worked extensively on '' ER'', eventually becoming an executive producer.
Early life
Orman grew up in Paradise Valley, Arizona, and earned his bachelor's degree in communicat ...
. Named for the iconic
Pan American World Airways,
the series features the
aircraft pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
s and
stewardesses
A flight attendant, also known as steward/stewardess or air host/air hostess, is a member of the aircrew aboard commercial flights, many business jets and some government aircraft. Collectively called cabin crew, flight attendants are primar ...
of the fictional Pan Am ''Clipper Majestic'', operating in the early 1960s at the beginning of the commercial
Jet Age. The show stars
Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci ( ; born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. Known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge, Ricci predominantly works in independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box office hits. She has receiv ...
,
Margot Robbie,
Karine Vanasse, and
Kelli Garner as the crew's stewardesses; and
Michael Mosley
Michael Hugh Mosley (22 March 1957 – 5 June 2024) was a British television and radio journalist, producer, presenter and writer who worked for the BBC from 1985 until his death. He presented television programmes on biology and medicine a ...
and
Mike Vogel as the pilots.
''Pan Am'' premiered on
ABC on September 25, 2011, and ended on February 19, 2012. ABC canceled the series on May 11, 2012. That same month,
Sony Pictures Television had conversations with
Amazon about picking up the series for a second season because of its critical success internationally, having won Best Series at the ''
Rose d'Or'' TV awards. Unable to reach a deal with Amazon, the producers officially ended the series on June 20, 2012.
Cast and characters
Main
*
Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci ( ; born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. Known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge, Ricci predominantly works in independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box office hits. She has receiv ...
as Margaret "Maggie" Ryan,
the flight crew's idealistic and liberal-minded
purser, who is not afraid to test the rules and her Pan Am superiors. From
Tacoma, Washington, Maggie worked as a waitress in a seedy diner after dropping out of college during her freshman year. She joined Pan Am by creating the impression she was fluent in
Portuguese because her former employer was from Brazil.
*
Margot Robbie as Laura Cameron,
a stewardess newly out of training, and Kate Cameron's younger sister. Laura appears on the cover of
''Life'' magazine in her Pan Am uniform, making her a minor
celebrity and a source of irritation for her older sister. Having run away from her own wedding in
New Haven, Connecticut, several months prior, she struggles to grow up and prove to her sister she can stand on her own two feet. Although her face is not seen, Robbie briefly reprises the role of Laura on a Pan Am flight serving a cocktail, in
Quentin Tarantino's ''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is a ...
'', in which she also plays actress
Sharon Tate
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover ...
.
*
Michael Mosley
Michael Hugh Mosley (22 March 1957 – 5 June 2024) was a British television and radio journalist, producer, presenter and writer who worked for the BBC from 1985 until his death. He presented television programmes on biology and medicine a ...
as Ted Vanderway,
the crew's
first officer (co-pilot). A former
United States Naval Aviator and test pilot, he was
honorably discharged from the navy after a naval tribunal blamed him for the crash of an aircraft he was piloting even though his father (whose company manufactured the aircraft) admits to Ted in private that there was a mechanical problem. Though he is engaged to his childhood friend Amanda, Ted slowly develops a relationship with Laura.
*
Karine Vanasse as Colette Valois,
a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
Pan Am stewardess. Orphaned during the
German occupation of France during
World War II, she still harbors resentment toward the
German people. It is later revealed that her parents were
French Jews who had been killed at
Dachau
,
, commandant = List of commandants
, known for =
, location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany
, built by = Germany
, operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS)
, original use = Political prison
, construction ...
shortly after she was left at an orphanage. Furthermore, she has a brother who was placed for adoption; by the end of the series, Colette plans to search for him.
*
Mike Vogel as Dean Lowrey,
a
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
pilot recently promoted to
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
on Pan Am's international routes and one of the youngest airline captains in the industry. A former
Air Force pilot, he had been romantically involved with the crew's former purser, Bridget, and is now pursuing a relationship with Colette. Dean also finds himself in a secret relationship with Ginny, the mistress of a Pan Am vice president.
*
Kelli Garner as Catherine "Kate" Cameron,
an experienced, trilingual stewardess and Laura Cameron's older, head-strong sister. During the pilot episode, Kate is recruited by the
CIA and starts taking early assignments as a
covert operative
A covert operation is a military operation intended to conceal the identity of (or allow plausible deniability by) the party that instigated the operation. Covert operations should not be confused with clandestine operations, which are performe ...
. She demonstrates a flair for espionage that impresses her handlers. In the final episode, she is offered a promotion from courier to agent.
Recurring
*
David Harbour as Roger Anderson, a
British MI6 agent and Kate's
covert intelligence operations contact in London. It is revealed in the series finale that Anderson is a
double agent for the
KGB.
*
Jeremy Davidson as Richard Parks, Kate's CIA
handler
Handler or The Handler may refer to:
People Occupations
* Handler, offensive player in Ultimate (sport)
* Animal handler, person who conducts animal training or is a wrangler
* Handler, a sport coach, agent or promoter
* Agent handling, person ...
and mentor, based in New York. In the series finale, he recommends that Kate be sent to Langley for training as one of the CIA's first female field officers.
*
Annabelle Wallis
Annabelle Wallis (born 5 September 1984) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Jane Seymour in Showtime's period drama ''The Tudors'' (2009–2010), Grace Burgess in the BBC drama ''Peaky Blinders'' (2013–2022), Mia Form in th ...
as Bridget Pierce, an
English stewardess and former Pan Am purser. She was dating Dean Lowrey before she resigned from Pan Am and vacated her flat in
London following her deactivation as an
MI6 courier. She recommends that Richard recruit Kate into the CIA as a courier. After Kate kills the intelligence dealer who was planning to sell a list of CIA/MI6
assets, Bridget reclaims her job at Pan Am and hopes to reclaim Dean as well.
*
Goran Visnjic as Niko Lonza, a
Yugoslavian diplomat attached to the
United Nations, serving in the
United States. He becomes involved with Kate, and finds himself torn between his love of his homeland and the advantages of his new country. Visnjic appeared in a three-episode arc beginning with the series' fifth episode.
*
Scott Cohen as Everett Henson, a Pan Am vice president whose mistress, Ginny, has a secret affair with Dean.
*
Chris Beetem
Chris Beetem (born Christopher Lapinski; August 8, 1969) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in films such as '' Black Hawk Down'', '' Every Day'' and ''Mr. Popper's Penguins''. Beetem is also known for his roles ...
as Congressman Christopher Rawlings, a Republican congressman who carries on a brief affair with Maggie, despite their political differences; Rawlings is a
right-wing conservative and Maggie is a
left-wing liberal.
* Darren Pettie as Captain George Broyles, a veteran Pan Am pilot who smuggles alcohol and tobacco on the side during his flights. Despite being punched in the face by Dean for this activity, he lures Maggie into becoming his business partner. He also saves Dean from termination by giving the investigating board an endorsement from Juan Trippe.
*
Kal Parekh as Sanjeev, the crew's
Indian flight engineer
A flight engineer (FE), also sometimes called an air engineer, is the member of an aircraft's flight crew who monitors and operates its complex aircraft systems. In the early era of aviation, the position was sometimes referred to as the "air me ...
.
*
Jay O. Sanders as Douglas Vanderway, Ted's father and president of a major aeronautics corporation. After Ted is discharged from the US Navy, Douglas has
Juan Trippe hire him into Pan Am.
* Piter Marek as Omar, a
Wahran
Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
prince who befriends Colette after boarding a flight to Rome with no money or luggage. On the rebound from her relationship with Dean, Colette accepts Omar's advances and nearly becomes engaged to him; however, he reluctantly breaks things off after Colette consents to a background check which reveals her Jewish heritage (implicitly, something Omar's family would not accept).
*
Veanne Cox as Miss Havemeyer, an uptight,
authoritarian
Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic votin ...
Pan Am supervisor who is always at odds with Maggie.
*
Erin Cummings as Ginny Saddler, a mistress of Pan Am vice president Everett Henson. Without his knowledge, she becomes romantically involved with Dean; however, Maggie exposes their secret affair to Henson. When Dean urges Ginny to end their affair, she takes it hard enough to smash her face through a window in Rome.
*
Colin Donnell as Mike Ruskin, a columnist for ''
The Village Voice'' who befriends Maggie on his trip to Berlin and publishes her scathing article on Congressman Rawlings.
*
Ashley Greene as Amanda Mason, Ted's childhood friend and later love interest and fiancée. At a party, she unexpectedly kisses a desolate Maggie. When Ted later confronts Amanda, she admits that she feels more comfortable around women, and Ted refuses her proposal of an open marriage. In the final episode, she reveals she is pregnant.
Production
Sony licensed the rights to use the Pan Am name and logo from
Pan Am Systems, a
New Hampshire–based railroad company that acquired the Pan Am brand in 1998.
Nancy Hult Ganis, a Pan Am stewardess from 1968 to 1976, was one of the show's executive producers and is credited as the series developer; she conducted research for the series at the Pan Am Historical Foundation and at Pan Am's archives at the
University of Miami. In addition, Ganis advised the actors, props department, production designers, and costumers in making details for the show as accurate as possible. The program featured the trademark, sky-blue Pan Am uniforms worn by stewardesses. Costume design was overseen by Anne Crabtree, who ensured attention to detail. The department made the replicas based on an old uniform which was thoroughly studied. Twenty craftsmen worked to produce each outfit.
[ The technique was the same used by Pan Am in the sixties, and Crabtree remarked that the process was very "old school." At the time, girdles were mandatory to improve posture; some of the cast members found them "extremely restricting" during filming. Crabtree said that male costumes were inspired by ]James Dean
James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...
and Steve McQueen
Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...
.
Although the series depicts the characters in various cities around the world, the show was filmed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and other locations around New York City. The pilot was filmed partly at Gold Coast Studios in Bethpage on Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
. A life-size recreation of a Pan Am 707 707 may refer to:
* 707 (number), a number
* 707 (band), an American rock band
* AD 707, a year in the 8th century
* 707 BC, a year in the 8th century BC
* The 7 July 2005 London bombings, a terrorist attack
* 707th Special Mission Unit, a military ...
jet was used, which ''Entertainment Weekly'' magazine stated was "the biggest star of the series—in all senses." The 707 model was kept in a hangar near the Brooklyn waterfront.
The pilot episode cost an estimated $10 million. The series was produced by Sony Pictures Television, and was optioned by ABC in May 2011 for the 2011–2012 schedule. ABC commissioned five more scripts in November 2011. The broadcaster later added a fourteenth episode to the series. In the middle of the season, Steven Maeda was hired as ''Pan Am''s new showrunner
A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
, with the mandate to "serialize and embrace the soap aspect" of the show.
In November 2011, there was media speculation that the series had been canceled by ABC, based on a comment from Karine Vanasse about the future of ''Pan Am'' and its absence from the mid-season schedule. The network denied the rumors; it planned to complete fourteen episodes and delay any announcement regarding a second season to a later date.[ The series was canceled on May 11, 2012.
]
Promotion
The September 12, 2011, edition of '' TV Guide''s Fall Preview issue included an advertisement on the back of the magazine, shown upside-down, featuring Ricci, Garner, Vanasse, and Robbie appearing as their characters for a fictional cover of ''TV Guide'', using the magazine's 1960s logo. Between December 20, 2011, and January 5, 2012, the first nine episodes of the series were made available free of charge on Internet download sites in an effort to increase viewer interest in the series. Canadian Karine Vanasse responded to a question on her Twitter account by saying that the promotion was only available in the United States.
Episodes
Broadcast
The series aired in Canada on CTV
CTV may refer to:
Television
* Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet
North America and South America
* CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media
** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...
on the same night as the ABC broadcasts, but was shown in different time slots by region. It also aired on CTV's sister cable channel Bravo! on Saturdays. The series premiered in Brazil and Panama on Sony Entertainment Television on March 18, 2012. In Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
the channel Teletica aired ''Pan Am'' on October 15, 2012.
In Ireland, the show premiered on RTÉ Two on October 17. The series premiered in the United Kingdom on BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
on November 16, 2011. The BBC suspended its broadcast after eight episodes and stated that further episodes would return on January 28, 2012. Canal+ began broadcasting the series in Spain on October 29, 2011. The series premiered in Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
on TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to:
Television
*Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso
*Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala
*Channel 3 (Algeria), a public Algerian TV channel owned by EPTV ...
on October 16, 2011. On November 6, 2011, the series premiered on SIC in Portugal. On December 26, 2011, the series premiered in the Netherlands on NET 5. In Australia the series was broadcast on the Nine Network
The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...
in 2012. In the Flemish part of Belgium, the airing started on Vijf on February 15, 2012., In the French part of Belgium the airing started on BeTV on May 7, 2012. In Finland the show premiered in January 2012 on Yle TV2. In Denmark, ''Pan Am'' was aired on TV3 (Danmark), TV3 Puls & TV3+ (Denmark). In Catalonia, TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to:
Television
*Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso
*Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala
*Channel 3 (Algeria), a public Algerian TV channel owned by EPTV ...
started broadcasting the series on February 10, 2013.
In South East Asia, the channel beTV (a Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, ac ...
Networks Asia, SPENA television) airs the TV Show from February 4, 2012, every Saturday at 9:00 p.m. It started airing on STAR World India from February 11, 2012. In New Zealand the show premiered on November 24, 2012 with TVNZ
, type = Crown entity
, industry = Broadcast television
, num_locations = New Zealand
, location = Auckland, New Zealand
, area_served = Nationally (New Zealand) and some Pacific Island nations such as the Cook Islands, Fiji, and the So ...
, which rescheduled episode "Romance Languages" into chronological order to maintain series flow. It was shown every Saturday at 9:35pm on their TV One channel before being moved to a later time slot after episode 9 due to lower than expected viewing numbers.
Reception
Critical and industry reception
The show was given a 67 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 28 reviews, indicating generally favorable reception. Heather Hogan of '' AfterEllen'' rated the show highly, saying, "I continue to be impressed by the unapologetic way ''Pan Am'' pushes the women to the forefront of every story ... I don't think ''Pan Am'' really knows what kind of show it wants to be just yet. But I also don't think that's a problem because every variation—Cold War drama, nostalgic soap opera, feminist —has something to offer." Later episodes, however, received lower reviews for the loss of focus on the women and the addition of romantic storylines. Matthew Gilbert of '' The Boston Globe'' gave the show a "B" grade, commenting, "Next to ''The Playboy Club
''The Playboy Club'' is an American historical crime drama television series that aired on NBC from September 19 to October 3, 2011. Set in 1961, the series centers on the employees (known as Bunnies) of the original Playboy Club operating in Ch ...
'' it's the better network 1960s drama. The romance and the attractively stylized innocence of the era is addictive, but the espionage plot, with its link to political history, is absurd. And the female empowerment message grows feeble." '' The Insider'' included ''Pan Am'' in its list of "10 Best New Fall TV Shows."
Media coverage has noted that no major characters smoke, although the practice was common on flights and in the terminal during the 1960s. ABC and its parent Disney banned tobacco use by the show's stars. Citing "an enormous impressionable element," Thomas Schlamme called the anachronism "the one revisionist cheat," and said he had encountered a similar restriction directing a previous show for ABC. Other characters can be seen holding cigarettes in the background.
In the UK, Melissa Whitworth of '' The Daily Telegraph'' said that ''Pan Am'' chose to "airbrush" the sixties because it depicts a "romanticised" view of the period. Colin Kennedy and Sharon Lougher of the '' Metro'' said the series is "irritatingly in love with its own sense of style," though they said the storylines made it a "soapy guilty pleasure" and included it in their "pick of the day" television feature. Euan Ferguson from '' The Guardian'' praised Ricci's casting as a positive indicator of the quality of acting, but criticized the overall casting, saying similar looks and identical uniforms make it difficult for viewers to learn the characters. Emma Brockes from the ''Guardian'' said that ''Pan Am'' is "bubble gum bright" and praised the whole cast for putting in "strong performances." In Ireland, Pat Stacey of the '' Evening Herald'' said the series portrays "silly storylines" and "cheesy dialogue," calling it "mile-high mediocrity."
Scott McCartney of '' The Wall Street Journal'' noted that the show highlights the "elegance and excitement" of air travel during the early 1960s. He said that former employees of the airline thought the series is an accurate portrayal, aside from some "Hollywood glamorization."
The Association of Flight Attendants
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (commonly known as AFA) is a union representing flight attendants in the United States. As of January 2018, AFA represents 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines. Since 2004, AFA has been part of the Comm ...
(CWA, the world's largest flight attendants' union) released a statement following the premiere of ''Pan Am''. It said that the show is a reminder of the progress of flight attendants in relation to previous social injustices:
About the show's demise, Christina Ricci said, "I think it should not have been on network television. I think if that had been na cable show or streaming, they would’ve been able to do so much more. Making a show about that period of time and having to be so PC, it doesn’t make sense, because there’s no substance there." But she is still very proud of the show, saying, "It was beautiful. It was really well made."
Viewership
The series premiere attracted 11.06 million viewers, but viewership declined thereafter. The second episode attracted 7.76 million, and by the sixth episode, ratings were less than half of the show's premiere. By the season's 12th episode, audiences had fallen to 3.74 million.
Following ABC's announcement of its mid-season schedule in November 2011, TV by the Numbers called ''Pan Am'' "defacto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...
canceled" given its ratings and the fact that ABC had ordered only one further episode. A tweet by cast member Karine Vanasse ("Well, we received THE call, #PanAm is only coming back for one more episode after Christmas. But up to the end, we'll give it our all!") appeared to confirm the cancellation, though weeks later Vanasse told '' The Hollywood Reporter'', "What I was saying is that we would come back to shoot one more episode after Christmas." In a ''Los Angeles Times'' interview published just before the series finale, showrunner Steven Maeda said that ''Pan Am'' has a "good upscale core of viewers" both live and DVR; the series finale "tie up some loose ends but ... also add some new threads in there to explore later. But, should he shownot get picked up, it's a sendoff to the show viewers will be happy with."
Awards and accolades
In 2012, the show's cinematographer John Lindley
John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.
Early years
Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...
earned a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in One-Hour Episodic/Pilot Television by the American Society of Cinematographers. ''Pan Am's'' pilot episode was nominated for Best One-Hour Single Camera Television Series at the ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards. The series received recognition from gay critics with a Dorian Award nomination for Unsung TV Show of the Year. In May 2012, ''Pan Am'' won the Golden Rose Award for Best Series at the international Rose d'Or TV awards, beating Martina Cole's ''The Runaway
Runaway, Runaways or Run Away may refer to:
Engineering
* Runaway reaction, a chemical reaction releasing more heat than what can be removed and becoming uncontrollable
* Thermal runaway, self-increase of the reaction rate of an exothermic proce ...
'' and '' The Jury''.
Home media
The complete-series DVD was released on January 29, 2013 through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (abbreviated as SPHE) is the home video distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.
Background
SPHE is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures lib ...
. Mill Creek Entertainment re-released that format on August 13, 2019. The set was also made available in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2013, in Germany on June 20, 2013, and in Australia on January 3, 2018.
See also
*'' Come Fly with Me''
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pan Am (Tv Series)
TV series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...
2010s American workplace drama television series
2011 American television series debuts
2012 American television series endings
American Broadcasting Company original programming
Aviation television series
English-language television shows
Television series set in 1963
Television series set in 1964
Television series by Sony Pictures Television
Television shows set in New York City
Television series about flight attendants
Jet Age