The first time I saw this show it reminded me of Airline, the TV reality series from A&E about Southwest Airlines, but instead of the drama of unruly passengers, Jackpot Airlines handles the ups and downs of air travel by mailing it in. A parody of an industry that relies on customer service but really doesn’t give a damn. They either get you there or they don’t. After all, they are the LA to Vegas crew. Seeing what they see daily will have you question your sanity and ability to take anything seriously too.
This comedy chronicles the operations of a no frills low cost carrier as seen through the eyes of two flight attendants, the Captain, the co-pilot and the frequent flyers. The supporting characters are stereotypical versions of the Vegas archetypes: a gambler, a stripper, a professor and a crew of 4 who that have the best intentions but the worst luck ever! Their heart may be in the right place but their actions just keep making the situation worse. Between broken dreams and broken bones they find a way to cope with the hand dealt as love, fortune and fame elude them.
Dylan McDermott (Captain Dave), Peter Stormare (Artem) and Dermot Mulroney (Captain Steve) are a few of the reasons why this show is such a success. Anchoring the cast, they provide ample opportunity for Kim Matula (Ronnie), Nathan Lee Graham (Bernard), and Olivia Macklin (Nichole) to bring it by adding diversity to the cast. The latter are just as funny if not more than the former. The cast is well balanced and rounded, with co-pilot Alan (Amir Tarai) providing a lot of the gut wrenching aha moments that are also hilarious. As a frequent flyer and aerospace engineer, I love how the show uses the airplane as the stage for the shenanigans and plot development. It is inside a tube at 30,000 ft where most of the action occurs and you wouldn’t want it any other way.
Watch this First Class comedy on Fox, On Demand. It is on its first season and I hope it gets picked up and renewed.
Enjoy!
Mrs. Enginerd - Nerd Whisperer 