Hopping on the Mad Men bandwagon, ABC recently began airing Pan Am on Sunday nights. The network’s been searching for some new hot dramas to replace Desperate Housewives and their aging medical series. Have they found the solution in a show named after a defunct airline or will this one just crash and be cancelled?
Pan Am follows the pilots and flight attendants that work for the world-famous airline in 1963. Dean (Mike Vogel) is a young pilot who’s just been promoted to captain. His co-pilot, Ted (Michael Mosely), is hiding a secret. Stewardess Maggie (Christina Ricci) isn’t afraid to push the limits, Colette (Karine Vanesse) flirts too much, and Kate (Kelli Garner) has taken on a dangerous side-job after helping her sister, Lara (Margot Robbie), become a runaway bride. While traveling the world, the flight crew have interesting brushes with history.
The series debuted on September 25th to a 3.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 11.06 million viewers. Those aren’t bad numbers but they’re hardly impressive either. Pan Am was second in the timeslot, behind NBC’s football coverage. Looking at the breakdown for the show’s ratings in quarter hour increments, about 10% of the demo audience tuned out before the episode was finished. That’s not terrible but certainly not positive either.
The second episode dropped 16% in the demo to a 2.6 rating with 7.76 million viewers. That’s a pretty normal second week drop-off but Pan Am really didn’t have many viewers to spare. Week three is where things really got bad.
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The third episode saw the demo drop by an astounding 27%. Did the people who tuned in for the second episode decide that they’d seen enough or, was the third week just a fluke?
Apparently it was the latter because the ratings dropped by another 5%, to a 1.8 in the demo with 5.84 million. Last night’s numbers held steady according the fast affiliate numbers. That’s positive but a 1.8 demo rating is certainly not.
Pan Am is currently the lowest-rated new show on ABC with an average of a 2.2 rating in the demo and 7.36 million. Those numbers will keep dropping unless future episodes perform significantly better. Of the 14 scripted shows currently on the network, Pan Am ranks 12th, beating only Body of Proof and already-cancelled Charlie’s Angels.
While Pan Am’s fate seems all but sealed, ABC doesn’t seem ready to throw in the towel just yet.
They’re reportedly bringing in veteran writer and producer Steven Maeda as showrunner. He previously worked on Miami Medical for CBS and Lie to Me for FOX. ABC execs, who apparently still really like Pan Am, want to hear Maeda’s story ideas before deciding on whether they want to order additional episodes for a full season.
It’s very likely too late to pull this show out of its downward spiral but perhaps ABC will get lucky and beat the odds. Typically, once viewers reject a show, it’s nearly impossible to get them to take another look.
What do you think? Should ABC keep Pan Am flying for a full season or should they just pull the plug and cancel it now?
Image courtesy ABC.
Looked forward to seeing this show during the previews. The show has a great concept, but the writing is TERRIBLE!!! Either get better writers, or put a better show in their time slot.!!!
to kate above, good point. i dont see how anyone can judge any show at all without watching the entire first season. it just doesnt make sense. i think shows need to air for at least one season before being cancelled. if the network thinks there going to be cancelled in a month and a half then dont bother sinking money into them and putting them on tv. your just discouraging viewers from watching any new shows you might put on in the future.
ABC here is your problem, YOU CANCEL EVERY GOOD SHOW. no one botheres to watch any new ones because there gone in a month and a half. this show is my favorite one out of alllll the new shows i started watching this fall, which is a lot considering how many premiered. also, i am typically busy when these shows are on and order them all on the rogers network when i have time to relax and watch them. as im sure do a lot of other people, just beacuse people arent tuning in doesnt mean they arent watching. its… Read more »
Send Christina Ricci back to the Aadams Family and can the writers. You’d do better having former Pan Am stewardesses write the episodes. Get over the spy thing and for heaven’s sake put the completely WRONG captain & first officer on cargo flights. There is SO much material to work with, what’s wrong with you people? This could be a riveting show. Keep it, but do it right!
I thoroughly enjoy the show, and was very distraught that I missed it last week due to a DVR ommision. I love the historical references and the general feel of the show. It is fun to see what life was like in that time. I hope it is not canceled. Maybe it is on to late for some people. Most of us work and end up DVR-ing it.
The first episode was not very good. I continued to watch because I have more patience than most TV watchers as I know one pilot episode does not necessarily reflect the strength or brilliance of a new show. As the episodes have unraveled, in my opinion this one has gotten much better and definitely deserves a chance. I thought the Berlin episode was very good and appreciated the angst of the stewardess who lived through the Nazi regime. Her reaction showed depth and heart, something I rarely see on most TV shows these days. Those who said it was boring… Read more »
To those commenting on the young ages of the pilots… Do you remember that brief scene with the more realistically aged pilots telling the young pilots that they thought it was unrealistic/suspicious for someone so young to become a captain? I think Pan Am has tried, in a few different places, to justify their young pilots. Yes, it may be unrealistic, but at least the show has acknowledged that. The show has moved past that plot point, though, and viewers should, too. Pan Am, as a television show, is meant to be entertainment, not historically accurate fiction. And, as soapy… Read more »
I was a Pan Am stweardess in the 70s and while I was looking forward to this show, I’m very disappointed in it. The only good thing about it is seeing the blue ball flying again and seeing the JFK Pan Am terminal. Sadly, it’s all wrong…as stated by others before me. The pilots are way tooo young, the crew rarely flew together, we NEVER wore out uniforms during the flight etc. Also, hair is way too long…it couldn’t fall below the chin. But worst of all, these girls look like bimbos and airheads…which we certainly were not. I hope… Read more »
I disagree with the comments (from non-PamAm ex-employees). I was excited about the show, then watched the first few epsiodes. Here is the problem… with all of the great scripted TV out there today (Mad Men, Walking Dead, American Horror Story, etc.) there is a lot to be compared to. What made those shows work right off the bat were not only a compelling premise, but also well-grounded, complicated characters and their relationships to one another. PanAm’s characters are very 2-dimensional at this point in the story. Plus, with other successful shows, there is a sense of urgency and “danger”… Read more »
The show has tremendous potential but you are missing the heart and guts of Pan Am.
We dealt with many more international passengers and places, not to mention crises.
Crews were always different and from all parts of the world, making just going to work an adventure. Also, there were a lot of very fun people flying. Not much humor in the current show. Please keep it going but let’s pump it up a little.
Keep it. It’s one of the most intelligent and entertaining dramas on TV. I worry that the TV audience may not be educated enough any more to fully appreciate. But it’s High quality show with excellent characters
I absolutely agree wth most everything written above. I LOVE th show becasue it is so grand to see the Blue Ball aloft again..please have them get realistc about the pilot ages and so many other little discrepancies, KEEP IT GOING!
I’m another former Pan Am stewardess who loves this show. Ideas have been given how to make it more realistic to us, but really what counts is how to make it compelling for the 99% who are not ex-Pan Am. Please do your audience research and make the necessary tweaks. I am not ready to be grounded.
Having worked for Pan Am in many varied departments for almost 25 years I am excited about the show but understand several of the obvious flaws (young pilots etc). However I am proud that the young people of today are able to see how Pan Am pioneered aviation history. Flying was a real luxory compaired to the “bus” treatment by today’s airlines. Hopefully the producers will be able to salvage the show.
Well, I really like this show. Yes, it’s “soapy” but what weekly scripted show isn’t these days? I also LIKE the CIA courier subplot, the back story with the sister’s mom, etc. I am an aviation buff and LOVE how they have recreated the 707-I wish they would have more cockpit and flying footage though. And besides all that–I like this show for the same reason I liked THE PLAYBOY CLUB-I love seeing hot women dressed and made up like it’s 1960 or whatnot (hey we all have our fetishes, lol). BUT, with all that said there is one big… Read more »