Pan AmBuckle up... adventure calls.
In this modern world, air travel represents the height of luxury and Pan Am is the biggest name in the business. The planes are glamorous, the pilots are rock stars and the stewardesses are the most desirable women in the world. They're trained to handle everything from in-air emergencies to unwanted advances—all without rumpling their pristine uniforms or mussing their hair.
CreatorsJack Orman, Nancy Hult Ganis
Pilot
Sep 25, 2011
Dean takes on his first assignment since his promotion, piloting the Clipper Majestic on its inaugural New York to London flight. Bridget is supposed to be his lead stewardess, until she's a no-show for the flight. Grounded purser Maggie is called in to fill in for her. On the same fateful flight, Kate adds another dimension to her work as she takes on her first assignment from U.S. intelligence. Her stress is compounded when she discovers that newly minted stewardess, Laura, her sister, is also working the same flight.
We'll Always Have Paris
Oct 2, 2011
On a trip to Paris, Kate and Laura have a surprise passenger—their mom—who has come to settle some unfinished business with Laura; Maggie faces the unwanted attentions of an aggressive passenger, and Dean and Colette share a momentary flirtation as he tries to track down some leads on Bridget.
Ich Bin Ein Berliner
Oct 9, 2011
When the crew gets a flight taking journalists to Berlin to cover an important speech by President Kennedy, Maggie, who campaigned for him, is determined to meet JFK no matter what. Meanwhile, when her contact's safety is compromised, Kate tries to help the young woman escape East Germany; and painful memories of World War II force Colette to face her tragic past.
Eastern Exposure
Oct 16, 2011
After a last minute change sends the crew on a flight to Rangoon, a routine courier mission for Kate turns harrowing as she struggles to make a drop by the deadline. Meanwhile, Maggie takes naive Laura under her wing and shows her the wilder side of the city; and news of a space mission leads Ted to reflect on his own past and what his powerful family connections have cost him.
One Coin in a Fountain
Oct 23, 2011
The Pan Am crew rolls the dice in more ways than one in glamorous Monte Carlo: Kate and Maggie square off for the attentions of a handsome passenger, but things get more complicated when Kate learns the sexy stranger is involved in her next covert mission; and Dean gambles with his career when an attractive, wealthy woman on the flight tempts him -- and he later discovers who her flying companion is.
The Genuine Article
Oct 30, 2011
Maggie is perilously close to losing her job for insubordination, but still manages to maneuver her way onto the flight down to Rio de Janeiro. She reflects back on the rocky path she took to land her dream job, but it's her decision to do whatever it takes to keep it that surprises even her. Meanwhile, Kate has earned her stripes as a courier, but when she is given a difficult mission involving Niko, a Yugoslavian diplomat, she's unsure how to manage the task, as she tries to juggle their deepening personal relationship with her assignment. Finally, Ginny and Dean continue to play with fire in Rio, but Ginny's game playing with both Dean and her boss and lover, a Pan Am executive, is a source of contention with Dean.
Truth or Dare
Nov 6, 2011
Sparks fly between Laura and a sailor on a special – and unusually wild -- Pan Am flight bringing servicemen home, leading Laura to realize what she’s really looking for in a man, as well as opening her eyes to the malicious racial climate in the country. Meanwhile Kate’s complicated mission to turn Niko to work for the U.S. government culminates in dramatic fashion, threatening their personal relationship.
Unscheduled Departure
Nov 13, 2011
A wealthy passenger charms the stewardesses on a flight to Caracas; when a passenger has a heart attack, the only hope of saving him is to land in turmoil-stricken Haiti.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Dec 4, 2011
Ted asks Laura to help him make a woman from his past jealous; a dangerous mission puts Kate and Anderson in jeopardy; Maggie clashes with a congressman; Colette meets Dean's parents.
Secrets and Lies
Jan 8, 2012
Fate deals a blow to Dean and Colette's budding romance. Maggie writes a critical story for the Village Voice against her congressman's politics but doesn't count on falling for him after she submits it; though she wants to resist, the physical attraction between them is undeniable. Kate finds it hard to move beyond her last spy assignment and is haunted by the repercussions - she faces a fate similar to Bridget's if she cannot fake her way through a lie detector test. And Laura is in a tailspin as Ted thinks he's found the love of his life.
Diplomatic Relations
Jan 15, 2012
Dean is tapped to fly the first-ever commercial flight to Moscow, but the day of departure, a blowhard veteran pilot, Broyles, takes the controls and makes Dean co-pilot. While in Russia, Kate tries to pull off an important mission, but when Laura and another Pan Am stewardess are mistaken for spies, Kate tries to expedite their release with the help of an unlikely ally. Back at home, Congressman Rawlings and his staff work to track down whoever anonymously wrote the negative new story about him, and Maggie agrees to be his date at a fund-raiser. Can she keep her temper dealing with so many conservative political supporters and retain her cover as the article's author? Ted's relationship with Amanda gets serious, but Maggie learns something about her that may hinder this whirlwind romance.
New Frontiers
Jan 22, 2012
Maggie tells Ted why she has reservations about Amanda, and Dean pines for Colette, who reveals she's asked for a transfer to the Hong Kong hub. On a flight to Rome, Colette befriends a handsome, mysterious man, Omar, and agrees to show him the city. Meanwhile, Dean is accosted by the local customs officials, who are looking for a smuggler; Kate needs to learn a new talent as a pickpocket; and Laura is shocked to discover that the Life Magazine photographer, Graham, sold the nude photos he took of her to a gallery, where they are on display.
Romance Languages
Feb 12, 2012
Dean is surprised by the ramifications of his fling with Ginny when she stalks him to Rome with, frightening consequences; Colette takes a precocious unescorted minor, Charlie, under her wing, who promptly develops a major case of puppy love; Kate struggles with the dangerous fallout of her strong connection with Niko; and Laura is spellbound by a handsome photographer, Graham, who shot her for the Life cover.
1964
Feb 19, 2012
Ted becomes increasingly nervous as wedding plans race forward; Kate wrestles with suspicions about those around her; Laura receives a startling offer from Amanda; Maggie is placed is a perilous position.
toppershull
@toppershull
A high-flying, nostalgic concept show that faltered and was cancelled because it was on network television instead of a cable network such as HBO or Showtime. There's a lot of good and enjoyable plot lines, characters, and visuals in Pan Am. Released a decade after 9/11 altered how air travel functioned and was perceived, this was a welcome look back at air travel's golden age. What could have been a 5-6 season show was cutoff at the legs by the strictures of network television at the time. Many of the critiques I have of the show come from where it holds back on authenticity and deeper dives into the topics and motifs it can only hint at. Smoking was prevalent in society everywhere in the Sixties and yet no characters smoke in this show. While I don't ask to see tobacco use in shows, it's conspicuous by its absence here. The overt but accurate portrayal of its role in society of the time in the concurrently airing "Mad Men" on cable network AMC dictates a restriction of network TV that impacted Pan Am. Many other storylines and character depth stories are hamstrung by having to settle to network audience sensibilities of the time. Pan Am still excels in many ways, especially with female empowerment and a focus on the stewardess' primarily as the fulcrum of the plot. Their influence fades as the season moves into the back half of its 13 episodes. The intrigue into their character experiences at the time wanes as romance storylines appear. My favorite element of the series is Kelli Garner's character (Kate Cameron) being a spy for the CIA. The plotline grows stale but the concept is great. It begins with grit and enigma but again seems to suffer from network restrictions on how dark and sinister and truly dangerous they could get with the cloak-and-dagger nature of a Cold War spy storyline. The casting is expert for the most part, especially Christina Ricci and for spotting the talent of Margot Robbie in her first large role in her fledgling career. I wish this show could have done more. On a cable network, this show would have sung. It's like a miraculous singing talent without a backing band. I rewatch this show every few years, and frequently in the wake of a rewatch of what I consider to be its kindred spirit: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Both shows would have thrived in this streaming decade, and even then if they'd been on HBO/Showtime/etc. Hamstrung and before their time. Cancelled too soon, but still a fun watch.
