Pan Am

Serving cups of coffee, asking "chicken or fish?" and checking that the tray is folded and the seat is in an upright position might not sound the dew point for female empowerment. Yet, the creators of Pan Am have created a platform for telling the story of a turning point in social history through the tales of four stewardesses and the world which they carve out.

The world of Pan Am is one full of Technicolor glamour and understated elegance. It is plain to see why parallels have been drawn with the HBO series Mad Men, with the nonchalant cigarettes, sartorial grace and mise en scène straight from a sixties Eames catalogue.

Despite the style, it is not a world full of societal intelligence or understanding. Subplots of racism, sexism and ageism litter the episodes. The issues are sometimes dealt with a hammer blow and other times not at all. A young black man is beaten in public for holding the hand of a white female as she stands by him receiving abuse. Yet, stewardesses are routinely harassed by drunken passengers and then their actions defended by the First Officer.

Amongst this world of injustices, the four women display power that comes from the responsibility of being charged with a planes full of passengers, worldly experience, their sexuality and relative increasing equality. These factors enforce the freedom which the programme showcases eloquently.

The subplot of Kate's subversive recruitment into the CIA in the time of the Cold War is a fantastical idea; yet crowbars Kate into a world which is used to male domination. Laura, Kate's younger sister, enters the Pan Am after running out on her wedding day, dreaming of a life outside of the kitchen and shopping mall. Christina Ricci's character is the embodiment of confidence, with a poise and grace that is incredibly alluring.

Respect, affection and comradery is deeply rooted between the flight crew, which translates into deep affinity for the characters from the viewer's perspective.

There's nothing currently on TV which can match it for glamour, societal reflection and pure entertainment.