Having spent 30 years as an international flight attendant, beginning my career as a 'flight steward' in the days of the 707 and DC8, I was cautiously optimistic when I read of a new "Mad Men"-inspired TV series based on one of my airline's competitors - Pan Am.
Mostly I cringed during last week's pilot. As others have pointed out, the actor playing the captain is closer to the age of a Pan American captain's SON. And if the aisle on the Boeing 707 had really been that wide, airlines would have included another seat in each row. Oh, and where are the cigarettes? On each of the inflight meal trays we served in those days, was a little package containing 3 Winston cigarettes. EVERYONE smoked.
But hey, that's all nit picking. The real problem with this show - suspected last week and confirmed tonight, after watching episode 2 - is that it's so excruciatingly B-O-R-I-N-G! I should have anticipated this: award-winning "Mad Men" is cable (where intelligent programs live) and "Pan Am" is network, where programs are just filler between the commercials.
Flying in the early days of commercial jets WAS exciting, but the writers of this show clearly have no idea how to bring that excitement to the small screen.
Mostly I cringed during last week's pilot. As others have pointed out, the actor playing the captain is closer to the age of a Pan American captain's SON. And if the aisle on the Boeing 707 had really been that wide, airlines would have included another seat in each row. Oh, and where are the cigarettes? On each of the inflight meal trays we served in those days, was a little package containing 3 Winston cigarettes. EVERYONE smoked.
But hey, that's all nit picking. The real problem with this show - suspected last week and confirmed tonight, after watching episode 2 - is that it's so excruciatingly B-O-R-I-N-G! I should have anticipated this: award-winning "Mad Men" is cable (where intelligent programs live) and "Pan Am" is network, where programs are just filler between the commercials.
Flying in the early days of commercial jets WAS exciting, but the writers of this show clearly have no idea how to bring that excitement to the small screen.
