[advo]

Well, I'm going against the stream. I hated the third episode and I thought it was the worst so far. I liked the Pilot, but downhill from then.

The ratings aren't looking great either.

[Miss Dalloway]

Really, The ratings are bad?

[advo]

Yes.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/201...lation/106745/

You can hope that Pan Am's ratings don't continue to decline like they have for each episode since the Pilot.

[Miss Dalloway]

27% wow, doesn't sound promising for the future of the show, thanks for the info.

Its no masterpiece, buts its fun, and much better than some shows around...

[Scott]

actually this entire season's new programming hasn't been doing all that well as a whole. in fact looking at that list,the ones with the worst ratings are mostly new shows. so in fact pan am could be doing better than a lot of the other new shows,if you compare it with what the other networks are showing. the only shows that's taken off has been that whitney show and zooey deschanel's new sitcom....they're actually the only ones that have already been ordered for a second season.

[advo]

^But it doesn't matter than Pan Am does better than other new shows. What matters is how Pan Am performs in comparison to ABC's others shows. And there are two things that need to be noted, one, Pan Am's ratings look better atm in comparison to other ABC shows...

Quote:

Because the Index is a season average, shows like Pan Am that have ratings which are changing quickly week to week tend to temporarily have a higher Index than their most recent relative ratings would otherwise indicate.

And second, there's a declining trend for Pan Am's ratings. Even if it performs steady from now on, it might not be enough since it already does not look good. But if they further declines, it's dead.

[newprincesita]

the show could be a lot better if it had a better central nerve, I mean the stories, even if they could be interesting in the long run, are somehow scattered. I would love to see this show continue, I love the sixties, but costumes and cute situations are not enough. Mad Men is the perfect example of a period show, but that has a spine. That is good writing and an idea about where the show should go

[advo]

^OMG yes, you said it exactly right. I couldn't quite put my finger on what exactly bothered me about the latest episode but it is that there is no cohesiveness between the stories. And furthermore, I also think it's OTT. You have the spy plot that almost went wrong. Then you the French girl affected by nazis and making a scene in the Embassy (or whatever it was) and you have Christina Ricci over-acting her way to the President. None of the stories were properly developed enough for me to be invested, nor were they in any way connected. The only thing that connects them is that it was the same plane that took the them all to Germany. And that is really flimsy.

[Scott]

i wouldn't necessarily say that means it would be dead,outright. listen,there have been shows with great ratings that were suddenly cancelled and shows that had that sluggish first outing but eventually gained an audience.

i get what you're saying and that's my problem with today's television world is that networks nor fans alike,hardly ever give anything a chance to develop anymore....one has to sort of be taken that very instant. and that's probably why i never watch anything outside cable networks. i mean we're approaching only it's 4th episode and already its being panned?? i just don't like how fickle this medium is. and you mention the lack of cohesion....but don't most dramas lack a little cohesion at the off-set? sometimes narratives take a few episodes to really become complete and to me it's still to early yet to make a decision on what this show is about.

[advo]

I'm not sure what you mean by shows with great ratings that were cancelled. Never heard about those before. Perhaps, they were great in context with ratings today? I do agree that there has been shows that took time to pick up an audience - like Buffy and How I Met Your Mother - but they are very rare nowadays. Shows simply aren't given that much leeway and that's the reality.

Perhaps many new shows lack a bit of cohesion in the beginning, but I thought it lacked A LOT of cohesion. None of the stories in episode 3 were even connected so they had 3 main, separate plots running at the same time. The spy plot had continuity but the Colette and Maggie plots did not. They came out of nowhere. I don't expect all Pilots to be good - I actually enjoyed Pan Am's - however, shows needs to find their footing within the first couple of episodes or you lose the audience. The article I linked to also suggests that period dramas don't actually get very good ratings.

If it's any comfort, at least Pan Am is not the first show on the chopping block.

[newprincesita]

It could be saved by a good directorial firm hand and above all with good decisions in the plot. Good shows plan things ahead, and you see a thread linking actions and events towards...well something to be told. You need to feel anxiety to see where things are headed...I mean in Mad Men you wanted to know who Don was, why he did what he did, and the same for many of the main caracters. It´s so important to plan ahead in this kind of shows, otherwise it´s just piling anecdotes and dialogs that don´t mean much. Also I think it´s important to build strong personalities, and not have characters acting willy nilly one way or another just at random. I think the Kennedy stuff was kinda forced into the plot. Colette story, touching and delicate, deserved to be revealed more carefully, in many episodes....not all at once.

Well, I hope they get what they need to get this show going, because I´m gonna watch a couple more, I´m rooting for them...

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

i dont understand why a new show has to follow one set story, im sure most of would complain that it is quite boring. I am sure the lives flight attendant in the sixties and even now were never just one story that develops, there is always something new with each trip they take, and i think they are doing an excellent job... i for one am interested

I think Maggie's story is meant to show that Pan Am is just a stepping stone for her, and that she wants so much more than to just be a stewardess. Colette is the only one so far who hasnt really had any background information, so we got to see her origin. Maybe I am reading into this too far, but that's what I got from it

[advo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by newprincesita It could be saved by a good directorial firm hand and above all with good decisions in the plot. Good shows plan things ahead, and you see a thread linking actions and events towards...well something to be told. You need to feel anxiety to see where things are headed...I mean in Mad Men you wanted to know who Don was, why he did what he did, and the same for many of the main caracters. It´s so important to plan ahead in this kind of shows, otherwise it´s just piling anecdotes and dialogs that don´t mean much. Also I think it´s important to build strong personalities, and not have characters acting willy nilly one way or another just at random. I think the Kennedy stuff was kinda forced into the plot. Colette story, touching and delicate, deserved to be revealed more carefully, in many episodes....not all at once. Well, I hope they get what they need to get this show going, because I´m gonna watch a couple more, I´m rooting for them...

But the audience doesn't wait for you.

I felt nothing at the reveal of Colette's plot. Aside from a couple of surreptitious looks whenever someone mentioned Berlin, I had no idea why nor did I even bother to care about what upset her about Berlin. It was jarring to see her go from banging married men to flirting with Dean in Paris to being a Nazi victim. There was zero buildup.

The Kennedy stuff was so darn cheesy with Maggie standing with tears in her eyes at the President waving. Maybe if I had actually seen why she cared so much, I might have felt touched too. Again, zero buildup. Show, don't tell. The first rule of TV/movies.

[jemina]

I really love this show and I am a bit confused if it is canceled or not?

[newprincesita]

I agree with you advo, it's really poor writing for such ambitious premises. A good show doesn't just happen, it's not only luck that some shows really are masterpieces and others just generic junk. It's like they think that doing "another madmen" is just telling a story set in the sixties. Wardrobe and locations can be flawless, but if you're telling just fluff, people WILL get bored. We are so spoiled today with really good shows, so we are expecting even better ones, not just a vague copy without substance.
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