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THE "PAN AM" THREAD

gregg75

gregg75

I must say that I'm usually more into comedy than drama, but there is something
about this new ABC show that peaks my interest. It's probably the TIME TUNNEL
escapism back to the 1960's when times were a lot simpler and you weren't put
under a microscope before plane departure.

I can only hope that PAN AM turns into a regular show and not a soap opera, because
that would kill it for me. Hopefully we'll see 85% script and less than 15% private lives/soap
opera, cross your fingers.
 
And this will be the tell-tale of this show. Will it be "authentic". I'm sure it will be inside the airplanes and inside sets, but the airplane and airport shots will show all. (Of course, most under 40 won't notice, so who cares). But I am not willing to diss the show before it even airs. I, at 52, am intrigued by the upcoming series.
 
I suspect that for some of the "airport shots" they will use vintage film. Again it makes
you wonder if they went to great detail to recreate the inside of the L.A. airport or just
settled for something that looks similar. Let's just hope for a storyline and not just
Jackie loses her boyfriend, Janet dates a doctor, Maria has the hots for the pilot, etc.
 
This show smacks of all that giggly whispering that went on decades ago when someone mentioned flight crews' lifestyles. The few teasers I've seen seem to perpetuate that nonsense.
 
I wonder if there are any retired Pan Am jets in any of the airplane "graveyards" near Las Vegas? Or Arizona?
If not, & the show moves forward. Maybe they could find a retired jet similar to what they need. And just repaint it with the Pan Am logo?
 
Well, that grave yard is somewhat near Vegas, but is actually in Mojave, CA.
 
gregg75 said:
...there is something about this new ABC show that peaks my interest. It's probably the TIME TUNNEL escapism back to the 1960's when times were a lot simpler and you weren't put under a microscope before plane departure...
Click to expand...

It's "Mad Men" meets "The Crew."

And speaking of vintage airlines... the reply from "Team America" reminds me of the "production company" behind "South Park":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braniff_International_Airways
 
Like searadiofreak, I too, am intrigued by the show. I hope it lives up to 50 percent of my expectations. In the meantime, I am enjoying the Pan Am Radio Channel on Pandora.
 
Who owns the Pan Am logo? I am sure that company is getting mega bucks for its use. I know that Delta Air Lines purchased a great portion of Pan Am's company back in the early 90's when I worked there, but I was not sure if Delta still owned the rights.

Also, when I saw the promos, it reminded me of the images from the movie "Catch Me If You Can" with Leonardo DeCaprio playing the fake pilot. Many of the scenes where he boarded the plane or had the "Pan Am" girls around came to mind.
 
It's an intriguing and risky concept for a show. I'll be checking it out. The comparisions to Mad Men (due to the time period) are inevitable. The problem is - the advertising business is intrinsically interesting, wheras being a waitress on an airplane really is NOT. So the temptation will be to punch up the plots with a lot of melodrama.

I was a kid in this era, but I remember how the airlines' advertising emphasized the sexuality of the "stewardesses." So if the writers want, they have the opportunity to take on some historical social issues such as sexism. Anybody else remember the advertising campaign with the sexy women who would say "I'm Bambi (or whatever)...fly ME!". I had a college professor in the 90s who had been a stewardess in the 70s, and she talked about being the frequent victim of sexual harassment on planes from customers. She felt that the advertising of that time encouraged male customers to treat them that way.

Stewardesses of that era had to stay slim and pretty - and I believe they were forced out once they got too "old."
 
tlyle said:
Who owns the Pan Am logo? I am sure that company is getting mega bucks for its use.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure, but I'm going to say no one. Since it's out of business, that's why they can use it (like how Rocky Horror Picture Show used RKO's tower.) If you remember from "Catch me If You Can" in the airport, you only really saw airlines that no longer exist (Eastern, Western, etc.) I could be completely wrong, and if I am, I apologize.

As a 26 year old male viewer, who is interested in airline/plane history especially during the heyday, I'm extremely excited about this show. I really hope it's as good as the previews look. I'll be watching...
 
notalkallstatic said:
tlyle said:
Who owns the Pan Am logo? I am sure that company is getting mega bucks for its use.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure, but I'm going to say no one. Since it's out of business, that's why they can use it (like how Rocky Horror Picture Show used RKO's tower.) If you remember from "Catch me If You Can" in the airport, you only really saw airlines that no longer exist (Eastern, Western, etc.) I could be completely wrong, and if I am, I apologize.

As a 26 year old male viewer, who is interested in airline/plane history especially during the heyday, I'm extremely excited about this show. I really hope it's as good as the previews look. I'll be watching...
Click to expand...

Actually, you are wrong. It depends on what happens in bankruptcy court as to who owns the "brand" of any product, or whether it is owned by nobody. Most big brands get bought up by investment companies, in case someone wants to use the brand later on down the line, as was the case with Pan Am. The airline has actually been relaunched 2 or three times now, and I believe some remnants of it are a small cargo shipper. With regard to the Pan Am brand, it is currently owned by Pan Am Systems, who originally bought the brand to restart the airline in the late 90's, but now uses it for a ground-freight business:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Systems

Sony is licensing the brand from them for use in the show. No idea what they are paying for it, but if the show takes off (no pun intended!) it might inspire them to restart the airline portion of the business again, who knows!
 
Of course, knowing how ABC brands their shows, if the airline DID relaunch, could it be possible that you hear "Thank you for flying ABC's Pan Am" when the flight lands? ;)
 
The previews of this show looked interesting and I may check it out. Also if you remember ABC's hit sitcom "Home Improvement" every product was branded "WLS" from grocery bags to a tractor trailer Tim Allen's character drove in one episode to help his mother move. WLS of course is ABC's O&O Channel 7 in Chicago. The WLS calls are also on 2 Citadel Cumulus owned radio stations in Chicago too. 94.7 which is The True Oldies Channel and 890 AM which is news/talk. They of course used to be owned by ABC too.
 
mnradiofan said:
notalkallstatic said:
tlyle said:
Who owns the Pan Am logo? I am sure that company is getting mega bucks for its use.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure, but I'm going to say no one. Since it's out of business, that's why they can use it (like how Rocky Horror Picture Show used RKO's tower.) If you remember from "Catch me If You Can" in the airport, you only really saw airlines that no longer exist (Eastern, Western, etc.) I could be completely wrong, and if I am, I apologize.

As a 26 year old male viewer, who is interested in airline/plane history especially during the heyday, I'm extremely excited about this show. I really hope it's as good as the previews look. I'll be watching...
Click to expand...

Actually, you are wrong. It depends on what happens in bankruptcy court as to who owns the "brand" of any product, or whether it is owned by nobody. Most big brands get bought up by investment companies, in case someone wants to use the brand later on down the line, as was the case with Pan Am. The airline has actually been relaunched 2 or three times now, and I believe some remnants of it are a small cargo shipper. With regard to the Pan Am brand, it is currently owned by Pan Am Systems, who originally bought the brand to restart the airline in the late 90's, but now uses it for a ground-freight business:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Systems

Sony is licensing the brand from them for use in the show. No idea what they are paying for it, but if the show takes off (no pun intended!) it might inspire them to restart the airline portion of the business again, who knows!
Click to expand...

Like I said in my post, I could be completely wrong... so there you go, there's our answer. They are licensing the brand.
 
MarcB said:
Also if you remember ABC's hit sitcom "Home Improvement" every product was branded "WLS" from grocery bags to a tractor trailer Tim Allen's character drove in one episode to help his mother move. WLS of course is ABC's O&O Channel 7 in Chicago. The WLS calls are also on 2 Citadel Cumulus owned radio stations in Chicago too. 94.7 which is The True Oldies Channel and 890 AM which is news/talk. They of course used to be owned by ABC too.
Click to expand...

Sure you mean "Home Improvement"?

I remember everything being branded "Binford".

And Tim (and the show) lived in Detroit, not Chicago so WLS would not have been appropriate.
 
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