LAX

As a fan of both Heather Locklear and Blair Underwood, I really wanted to get hooked on this show. That was a pipe dream on my part. This show is not only ridiculously far-fetched, it has a hard time making the main character of Random even remotely likable or professional. Even worse, it's not even entertaining in the slightest. Any airport manager (like the one Heather is supposed to be portraying) would be fired for acting out the way her character does. I can really see the F.A.A. and TSA just turning the other cheek casually while some irate bimbo (no offence to Heather herself---a fine actress in a crappy role) stands on an active runway, screeching at an airliner to "get off my runway". Yeah. Right. The only good thing about this waste of time show is the believable chemistry between Heather Locklear and Blair Underwood. I only wish these two fine actors would take their considerable talents to a better vehicle.

"LAX" is a drama series, and I use the term lightly, wrapped up as a 45-minute hip-hop music video. Not as thoroughly absurd as HAWAII but that's not saying much. The premiere episode ran the gamut of A to B on the believability scale – giving us heaping doses of every possible airport movie cliché we've been privy to since the days of black and white television. Over the top theatrics, sophomoric writing, choppy editing and unnecessary time-lapse photography all add up to an hour of mind-numbingly, boring television. If this is the best the boneheads at NBC/Universal can offer up as first-rate entertainment then were all in for a very long and miserable television season.

I too am a pilot and I can attest that messinam's comments regarding the reality of the show are correct. The real problem lies within the "nature of the beast" and unfortunately the only exciting thing at an airport is a bomb threat. Other than that, it's just a bunch of planes taking off and landing and the mundane life of the ticketing staff, pilots and ground crew and the excitement in their lives would barely fill a teaspoon. SO .. NBC has created a series of shows that lie about how exciting the airport life really is. My take: If you want to watch something realistic about airports you should watch "Airline" on A&E. It's filmed at multiple airports around the US and focuses on Southwest Airlines. Of course, even this show is at the hands of editors so don't believe EVERY word they say.

I spent about seven years of my life as a pilot, airport bum, and air traffic controller. Airports can be very interesting, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the pilots, mechanics, controllers, coyote hunters, plumbers, dish washers, wing walkers, and bums at airports are any more interesting than the people who work and hang out at libraries. The secret to a good story is in the telling. LAX just didn't tell us any good stories, and, as I recall, SFO, the 1970 version of LAX staring Lloyd Bridges, wasn't any good at story-telling either. If you're looking for an interesting career, I can definitely recommend aviation. If you're looking for interesting stories, TV's track record suggests that you steer clear of shows that are set at airports.

Bummer!

Earlier, a pilot suggested LAX was flawed by a lack of technical accuracy. ER has been a runaway hit for a decade or more, and isn't a particularly accurate portrayal of emergency medicine. They do attempt a certain level of accuracy, but my friends who work in hospitals find it hilarious. I'm also a pilot, while my niece is a flight attendant. We don't speak the same language. Pilots and controllers use one set of terms, airlines another, and airport operations a third. "Niner", "Air Force One" and other terms were invented in response to incidents where pilots and controllers miscommunicated. An Emergency Room deals with hundreds of people per day from every walk of life. An airport deals with hundreds of thousands of people per day, from every nation in the world. LAX had a lot more potential than ER. That being said, it was generally wasted. Thanks to TiVo, I saw a few episodes - and a few of the plot lines I knew to have been actual incidents.

I think the focus on the main actors and not the plot lines was probably the undoing of the show. In reality, the techical life of a pilot is *supposed* to be boring. It only gets exciting when someone makes a mistake. Nearly all the interesting stories are not about the aircrews, but about the passengers. Long flights and free liquor lead to interesting stories. Alcohol is amplified by altitude, as are most medical conditions. Add confined space and being disconnected from the outside world and you get "Cheers", "ER", "Melrose Place", "Big Brother" and a bit of "Survivor" all in one. I think there is no better proof than the fact that "LAX" is in the trash bin, while the documentary series "Airport" is a hit (for cable, anyway). As for my comrade, the days of pilots being romantic heroes died in the seventies. Astronauts are boring to most people - our lives are TOO technical and detail oriented. They also want the feeling that nothing will happen, ever, when they board the aircraft. We haven't been interesting since Roger, Over, and Unger were in the cockpit. So let Frank Abignale get the glory, and the union the drama. I still get a little rush when the wheels leave the ground, and the sim keeps me humble enough to feel a small sense of satisfaction when they are all back on the ground again. As the prayer goes, let me demonstrate my superior judgment rather than my superior skills. Besides, even the interesting stories make us look bad. How many pilots does it take to screw in a light bulb?