Pan Am (ABC)

[bachelorwatcher]

ABC says Pan Am is still technically in production. They will make a decision about a second season in the spring.

Your post is very interesting, JulieAnn. I thought that since Pan Am has a midseason replacement, that's almost like saying it's been officially canceled... when actually, when a show is officially canceled, they pull it immediately; without airing the remaining episodes.

[JulieAnn]

Your post is very interesting, JulieAnn. I thought that since Pan Am has a midseason replacement, that's almost like saying it's been officially canceled... when actually, when a show is officially canceled, they pull it immediately; without airing the remaining episodes.

I, myself, thought it was a back handed cancellation. They will have 13 or 14 episodes this season. I think it is so interesting that Gunsmoke used to have over 30 episodes per season. Modern TV shows seem so short when compared to the old shows.

[bachelorwatcher]

I, myself, thought it was a back handed cancellation. They will have 13 or 14 episodes this season. I think it is so interesting that Gunsmoke used to have over 30 episodes per season. Modern TV shows seem so short when compared to the old shows.

I think they might compare the ratings of Pan Am and the midseason replacement, and keep the show that has higher ratings. I don't think they want to give up on a show after all of the work that the costume designers and set designers did. I read that 22 people worked on each costume... and the interior airplane sets were refurbished from junk yard airplanes.

[jadewarlock]

I, myself, thought it was a back handed cancellation. They will have 13 or 14 episodes this season. I think it is so interesting that Gunsmoke used to have over 30 episodes per season. Modern TV shows seem so short when compared to the old shows.

To be fair though, "Gunsmoke" had slightly cheaper production given no CGI.

I do agree though that 13-14 episodes a season is quite short. Back in the 1980s, "The Greatest American Hero" which did use some CGI obviously for flying and the holographs, at it's SHORTEST regular season was 13 episodes. The first season was 8 episodes, but it was a mid-season replacement and therefore they went by the second half of a season episode count filming. The middle one was 22.

I'm just hoping "Pan Am" is given a fair chance - especially if it has international appeal. Wish I knew what the mid-season replacement was in order to get a fair analysis of its chances.

[jadewarlock]

OK, I viewed the replacement - GCB (or Good Christian Bitches - the official book title, or the changed Good Christian Belles, probably to not offense Christian beliefs) and have to say...

IMHO, Pan Am should be safe, but knowing how people like to bash Christian religion, we may see the end of the what I feel more fun and nostalgic series over cheap gags.

In fact, it says enough they are abbreviating the title to GCB because they know what the backlash will be.

[JulieAnn]

To be fair though, "Gunsmoke" had slightly cheaper production given no CGI.

That's true but I wasn't just thinking about Pan Am having a short season. I usually only watch the TV shows from the 50s/early 60s via Netflix and it always surprises me when I look at modern shows and see how short their seasons are. For example, the much ballyhooed Mad Men has only had 13 episodes each season. I think it is a combination of production costs (the actors are earning a whole lot more than they used to!) and so much competition (kind of a view ADD, so to speak, because if they don't like it, they're going to change channels and find something else to watch). When Gunsmoke was on, there were only a couple of other choices per hour.

[Florimel]

That's true but I wasn't just thinking about Pan Am having a short season. I usually only watch the TV shows from the 50s/early 60s via Netflix and it always surprises me when I look at modern shows and see how short their seasons are. For example, the much ballyhooed Mad Men has only had 13 episodes each season. I think it is a combination of production costs (the actors are earning a whole lot more than they used to!) and so much competition (kind of a view ADD, so to speak, because if they don't like it, they're going to change channels and find something else to watch). When Gunsmoke was on, there were only a couple of other choices per hour.

In the early days of television, for which I was around, all series had 39 new episodes per season with 13-weeks in the summer for reruns. Then the new season started in the fall. At that time an hour show was permitted a maximum of 6 minutes of commercials. The technology is far better today, but I do miss the good old days of tv. I've been really enjoying MEtv lately where I can watch such shows as Naked City, Peter Gunn, and Rawhide (with a very young and droolworthy Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates).

[JulieAnn]

The technology is far better today, but I do miss the good old days of tv.

Gosh, I remember when the exciting technology was color TV! We were soooo excited when we saw it for the first time at my grandparents' house!! *laugh*

Edited to add:

At that time an hour show was permitted a maximum of 6 minutes of commercials.

That is another reason I prefer watching TV via Netflix. No commercials! I don't have my TV hooked up to the outside world so I watch Pan Am online and the number of commercials drive me crazy! I was on vacation, recently, watching the show when it was broadcast and I wondered how people could stand all of the commercials because there even more than when I watch it online.

[CCL]

All the speculation from the media is that it is cancelled and ABC just doesn't want to admit it yet. The actress who plays Colette (I used past tense at first!) posted that they had received the call and the show was over. She then backtracked but I don't know if that's because the powers that be got to her and asked her to...hopefully they're still working on saving the show.

[Babbred]

In the early days of television, for which I was around, all series had 39 new episodes per season with 13-weeks in the summer for reruns. Then the new season started in the fall. At that time an hour show was permitted a maximum of 6 minutes of commercials. The technology is far better today, but I do miss the good old days of tv. I've been really enjoying MEtv lately where I can watch such shows as Naked City, Peter Gunn, and Rawhide (with a very young and droolworthy Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates).

I saw a documentary once about the making of the TV series "Perry Mason." The actress who played Della commented that the seasons were much longer back then, and so they were usually exhausted by the end of one. Thank you for the details.

With a couple of exceptions, I would far rather watch classic shows than modern ones. I know it's a cliche about the "golden age of television," but honestly, I just think they were better shows.

As for commercials, that's why God invented the DVR.

And speaking of which, since the Christian Right likes to howl when it's offended, there's chance that this replacement show might not last long. I hope so, because I'd rather watch Pan Am.