Nobody is watching a television show while thinking that the things he is seeing are a factual portrayal of reality. I don't consider it a very powerful argument to say that this show wasn't good because it lacked realism. You know what; it's fiction, complete fiction! This show dealt about a group of people working on the airport LAX shortly after the attack on the WTC buildings. With all the security measures against terrorism, running an airport became as intense as working on the operation room of a big hospital. It gave this show a nice hectic feel to it.I thoroughly enjoyed the love/hate-affair between Harley and Roger, both fighting to gain the function of manager of the airport. And of course falling in love with each other, as this genre demands. Their side-kicks - two big momma's handling the scanning of luggage, the charming Australian bloke managing the transport of people, the nerdy whizkid on the wrong function, the sexy stagier with a high class background, the ex-policeman turned into security guy - all were charming enough. They all added up to the humorous side of the show, while most of them got enough attention to deepen out their characters.This show was simply a delight. It's sad that a lot of people didn't agree on that, resulting in being canceled after one season. It deserved at least a second season. But I won't be sad about it, the British ''Hotel Babylon'' is slightly better and has had two successful seasons at the moment. I can advise the people that loved this show to try the British show. You will love it!

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?

I like LAX, I think it's a decent drama. It's got some humor and some dramatic situations. It's like Moonlighting--a romantic dramedy. I don't think it's any better or worse than similar shows.I caught the episode this Monday where Blair Underwood is on a plane that is having electrical problems. It had a good deal of dramatic tension, even knowing that Underwood isn't going to be killed. So, we'll see if the show has any legs. NBC seems to be interested in these sort of blockbuster-type TV shows (Las Vegas).

"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.