The cast of Pan Am includes Christina Ricci, Margot Robbie (the hottest one by a country mile), French pixie Karine Vanasse, and Kelli Garner as women flying the friendly skies and no doubt negotiating the sexual politics of yesteryear. I don’t see a lot of nudity on the horizon, or ever, so we’ll just have to readjust our sexual fantasies to include tiny bottles of liquor and pillbox hats.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the similarities between this show and the high-water mark for the genre, Mad Men. However, with the tame standards set by the networks, it’s unlikely that this show will really give it a run for its money, perhaps serving as more of a Desperate Housewives to Mad Men‘s Sex and the City.

Unless Pan Am was a lesbian airline, I think that this show will probably only be appointment television for those with a stewardess fetish. This group includes myself.

In the pilot, Dean was played by Jonah Lotan, but the role has been increased in size in light of Vogel’s involvement. Vogel’s joining Christina Ricci, Kellie Garner and Margot Robbie. And the Vogelites don’t have to wait until this fall to see him in Pan Am, because he’s going to be seen next in The Help. (Deadline)

Among the new pilots being given life are:

• A “Charlie’s Angels” remake.
• “Pan Am,” the 60s drama about flight attendants stewardesses flight attendants starring Christina Ricci.
• An untitled Tim Allen sitcom that features the grunting comedian”fighting for his manhood in a world increasingly dominated by women.” Sigh.
• “Apartment 23,” which used to have the word “bitch” in the title, but doesn’t anymore.
• “Good Christian Belles,” another show that used to have the word “bitch” in the title, but doesn’t anymore. This makes ABC the leading broadcaster of TV shows that used to have the word “bitch” in their titles, but don’t anymore. Congratulatons, ABC!

Unfortunately, for new shows to be born, other shows must meet the hard, cold kiss of death. Here are the ABC series set to cross the River Styx:

• “V,” a show about reptilian aliens that invade America. I guess this means the reptillians won.
• “Mr. Sunshine,” which has been cancelled despite decent ratings, reportedly in the wake of star Matthew Perry going to rehab. Heh.
Brothers and Sisters”
• “Off The Map“
• “No Ordinary Family”
• “Detroit 1-8-7“

And so it is with the majestic Circle of Life. Cue Elton John. (Warming Glow)

Now I know what you’re thinking: 1960s drama? Swinging? Like “Mad Men?” Well, so far this project sounds nothing like”Mad Men.” Except that… uh, the central character in “Pan Am” also leads a double life.

Ricci will play the lead, Maggie, a fiery stewardess who is leading a double life – on duty she is a beautiful, perfectly groomed and poised stewardess, and off duty she is earthy, bohemian living among the beatniks and intellectuals of Greenwich Village.

We should probably also assume there’s a lot of drinking, infidelity, and who knows? Maybe a bunch of ad executives will become frequent fliers and we’ll hear all about how weird that new-fangled Volkswagon ad was every episode.

The folks in the cockpit are writer Jack Orman, director Thomas Schlamme and producer Nancy Hult Ganis, who was a former Pan Am flight attendant. That’s swell. (Deadline)

No one makes pale dead skin work quite like Christina Ricci. Then pop a red dress on her and you’ve got yourself a corpse not even Liam Neeson can resist. In After.Life, the Kraken-owning Neeson plays a mortician who communicates with the dead to help them transition to…wait for it…the afterlife. Justin Long is also running around like he usually does trying to figure out what’s going on and how he can stop it with a few well-placed quips. Is she dead? Is she alive? Who sees her? Who doesn’t? Why isn’t Haley Joel Osment in anything anymore? Is it because puberty messed his face up?

All of the answers in the After.Life trailer after the jump.

After.Life Trailer – Watch more Movie Trailers

Cast: Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, Justin Long

Synopsis: A young woman caught between life and death… and a funeral director who appears to have the gift of transitioning the dead, but might just be intent on burying her alive.