PAN AM - Passion, jealousy and espionage... They do it all - and they do it at 30,000 feet. The style of the 1960s, the energy and excitement of the Jet Age and a drama full of sexy entanglements deliciously mesh in this thrilling and highly-original new series. "Pan Am" stars Christina Ricci ("Penelope") as Maggie, Kelli Garner ("Going the Distance") as Kate, Karine Vanasse ("Polytechnique") as Colette, Margot Robbie ("Neighbours") as Laura, Jonah Lotan ("24") as Dean and Michael Mosley ("Justified") as Ted. Jack Orman ("ER," "Men of a Certain Age,"), Tommy Schlamme ("The West Wing," "Parenthood," "Mr. Sunshine") and Nancy Hult Ganis ("Akleeh and the Bee") are the executive producers of "Pan Am." Orman is also the writer, with Schlamme directing. "Pan Am" is produced by Jack Orman Productions, Out of the Blue Entertainment and Shoe Money Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television. (ABC/PATRICK HARBRON) CHRISTINA RICCI, MARGOT ROBBIE
Last night, NBC completed its burnoff of fall crime drama Prime Suspect. I didn’t watch, partly because, with the Giants competing, last night was one of the few nights of the year I actually watch a sportsball game with interest. And also because I stopped watching Prime Suspect a while before that. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but that I didn’t like it enough: I think NBC’s adaptation of the British classic had the potential to be a strong character-based cop show, but it wasn’t entirely there, and—given that it was not going to get the chance to get there—the cruelties of TV-critic triage took over.
I could say the same of ABC’s Pan Am, which may yet have a chance to fly again—but I wouldn’t bet on it—and began finishing up its initial run with an episode that went there. (“There,” in the case of any drama set in the early ’60s, being the Kennedy assassination.) I’m closing a story for the print TIME today, so here’s a perfect excuse for an open topic: those of you still watching Prime Suspect or Pan Am, care to make the case for them?