New series in focus: ABC's 'Pan Am'

ABC's shot at a 1960s period piece, "Pan Am," isn't all about girdles, though the two separate preview clips offered to the press might convince you otherwise.

Above, you have what seems to be the obligatory scene showing how different the priorities were half a century, complete with two-dimensional, emotionless matronly woman.  Another clip, with Christina Ricci as a "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in" Pan-Am purser, shows a little more character but also makes clear that girdles were really a big deal.

In all seriousness, the scenes don't do much more than offer you the peanuts, rather than the entire in-flight meal. We'll have to wait to see if the entire first episode rises above the quality of 1960s airline food. At least we won't have to pay for it like we do with airline food today.