I had barely heard of ABC’s new drama Pan Am until winter break (Thank you, CMU for making me too busy for television). I was browsing iTunes and noticed that the first nine episodes were free. Not being able to resist the temptation of a freebee, I downloaded them and started watching. I ended up watching nine episodes in two days.
Pan Am is a period drama set in the 1960’s, the beginning of the commercial jet age, and focuses on the lives of the pilots and stewardesses of the airline. The show takes a cue from other popular period dramas such as the Emmy award winning Boardwalk Empire on HBO. Pan Am is suspenseful, and the love triangles are pretty intriguing. One simply cannot help but root for stewardess Kate, who secretly works as a spy, as she serves her country. Ex-spy and ex-girlfriend of Pilot Dean, provides interesting contrast. Dean is irresistibly handsome and charming, yet seems like a genuinely nice guy. Viewers will instantly fall in love with him. Stewardess Maggie is mischievous, and yet she is impossible not to like. Laura, Kate’s innocent sister who left her fiancé at the alter for the world travel which Pan Am provides, is probably the least likable of the Pan Am stewardesses, but she still brings an interesting element to the show. Colette is a French stewardess, the most genuinely nice of the main characters. Her experiences as a child in Paris during World War II give her an intriguing past. Copilot Ted seems like a jerk at first, but he turns out to be a nice, romantic guy.
Overall, the show’s characters are very interesting, and each brings something unique to the show. Interested yet? ?Perhaps the most captivating element of the show is the overall role of the Pan Am stewardesses. The weigh-ins and corsets show the need for these women to be perfect. Yet, at the time this job was one of the most desirable for women. They were able to travel the world and rub elbows with the rich and famous. It is this very principal of the show that makes it so irresistible.
What would it have been like to be them? These women were educated, and many spoke multiple languages. They were the most desirable women in the world. Not only does the show have love triangles and all the drama you could ever want, but also it deals with relevant political issues of the time, including the Cold War. But be warned, Pan Am has the addictiveness of a soap opera, and you may not be able to stop watching once you start.