On TV: Wednesday 16th November 2011
Channel: BBC 2 - 45 minute duration
Episode Type: 1/22
In 1 Sentence: Glossy, melodramatic and has the potential to be addictive
BBC Summary: US drama series set in the 1960s, centered around Pan American World Airways.
Episode 1: It is the inaugural flight of the new Pan Am jet Clipper Majestic from New York to London, and the stewardesses and flight crew are getting ready for the ride of their lives.
New stewardess Laura has been put on the flight after running away from her wedding and following her sister Kate into the Pan Am uniform. Unbeknown to Laura, Kate has been recruited as a spy for the CIA and faces a dangerous first assignment on the flight.
The team's British lead stewardess Bridget hasn't shown up for take-off, so feisty Maggie has to dash across New York to take charge in time for take-off. New captain Dean is anxious to find Bridget - but even when they arrive in London she is nowhere to be seen.
My Review: I was pretty excited for Pan Am, not least because Margot Robbie who I adored in Neighbours and was devastated to see leave stars as Laura Cameron. I was really intrigued to see how she’d cope in a US period drama and I have to say her infectious Aussie nature has shone through - even her American accent is solid. She’s definitely my favourite of the girls so far and had more of a background than the others having run away from her wedding to become a Pan Am air hostess. The glamour is what they’re aiming for here and the show opens very nicely with a sleek, big-budget feel and the episode sets up the premise of a Pan Am hostess being the most glamourous job a woman can have. The girls are really stars here and so far are decent - I shall have to see how each of their characters develop before judging fully. Mostly each girl had their own plot strand - one you’d slept with a passenger who hadn’t told her he was married and one who’s working for the FBI and MI6. There are a few nice flashback scenes which sets up the characters a bit better but really I’m not very invested at present. The pilots have very minor roles so far and in general the characters aren’t very well formed but hopefully that will come in time. My biggest concern is for the longevity of the show. Yeah you’ve shown me some lovely CGI shots of planes and you have the beauty of the 60’s and the glamour of an air hostess life but it needs something more to really grab me in the long run. But for now I’m interested in seeing another episode... which I suppose is what any TV show is aiming for!
Score: 7.5/10
No comments:
Post a Comment