Viewers Will Have 'Premium Access' To The Airlines' Operations

Reality TV seems to be having a love affair with aviation, though most of the offerings, such as "Flying Wild Alaska", have looked at operations that but for the series would have been invisible to the general public. But the genre which all started with "Survivor" and has produced such "classics" as the "Real Housewives" franchise is now turning its unblinking electronic eye to a mainstream airline ... Southwest.

The airline announced Thursday that production is underway on a new series giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at modern air travel, sharing the large-scale operations and personal Customer and Employee stories at Southwest Airlines. The series will air on TLC, and the network has ordered 13 half-hour episodes, which are being produced by ITV Studios America. A title and premiere date have not yet been set.

"We are excited to open our doors to TLC viewers because our Employees will be wonderful ambassadors to reveal the behind-the-scenes happenings of working for an airline," said Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Communication and Strategic Outreach. "Southwest Airlines will be in viewers' homes, featuring our operations, Culture, and Spirit."

From Ramp Agents and Customer Service Agents to Flight Attendants and Pilots, to Provisioning Agents and Mechanics, viewers will see aspects of Southwest that have never been profiled in the past.

Production begins this weekend at Baltimore/Washington International Airport and Denver International Airport. Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the world's leading entertainment and sports agency, brokered the deal on behalf of Southwest Airlines.

But can't you just hear the promo now? With apologies to the late Don LaFonaine: "In a world, where passengers can sometimes pay excessive fees for for baggage, seat selection, and making a reservation over the telephone ... ONE airline strikes a blow for fiscal sanity ..."

FMI: www.itvstudios.com/us/home, www.southwest.com