Manhattan

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Overview

Set against the backdrop of the greatest clandestine race against time in the history of science with the mission to build the world's first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Flawed scientists and their families attempt to co-exist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives.

Media

MANHATTAN: Secrets

Cast

John Benjamin Hickey

Olivia Williams

Ashley Zukerman

Creator:

Sam Shaw

Fist Air Date:

2014-07-27

Episode Runtime:

43m

Production Companies:

Lionsgate Television, Shoe Money Productions, Skydance Television, Skydance Media, Darkbloom Productions, Tribune Studios

Genres:

Drama War & Politics

Keywords:

atomic bomb clandestine dark secret los alamos manhattan project military base new mexico scientist world war ii

More Show Details

Vote Average: 7.1/10

Vote Count: 131 Votes

Show Popularity: 6.2783

Show Status: Canceled

Show Type: Scripted

Spoken Languages: English

Review

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 04 May 2026 at 4:50 pm

9 Based on 1 Votes
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⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10 THE SUMMARY While the world is distracted by the front lines of World War II, a group of brilliant, eccentric scientists is tucked away in the New Mexico desert building the most destructive weapon in human history. Manhattan (2014–2015) isn't just about the science; it’s about the heavy toll of living in a town that officially doesn't exist. Locked behind barbed wire, families are torn apart by secrets and the military's crushing paranoia. It’s a high-stakes pressure cooker where the race to finish the bomb is only half as dangerous as the secrets everyone is keeping from their own neighbours. THE PROS This is a 9/10 because it ditches the "heroic" gloss of the Manhattan Project for something much dirtier and more human. John Benjamin Hickey is magnetic as Frank Winter, the lead scientist who is willing to burn every bridge he has to get the job done. The show excels at building a sense of dread—not just from the threat of a nuclear blast, but from the way the military police, led by a chilling Richard Schiff, slowly dismantle everyone’s privacy. It’s an "epic" because it manages to make complex physics feel like a life-or-death thriller, and the production design is so detailed you can practically feel the desert dust in your teeth. THE CONS It misses the 10/10 mark because it was cut short after just two seasons, leaving a few plot threads dangling that deserved a proper resolution. While the dialogue is sharp, it can occasionally get a bit heavy on the scientific jargon, which might leave you scratching your head if you aren't paying close attention. It settles at a 9 because, despite being a masterpiece, the sheer number of subplots—from Soviet spies to domestic disputes—means the pacing can feel a bit crowded in the final episodes of the second season. THE VERDICT A massive 9/10. It’s a sophisticated, tense, and beautifully acted drama that deserved a much longer run. It isn't a 10 because of that premature cancellation, but for fans of historical thrillers like *Chernobyl*, this is essential viewing. It’s a gripping look at the cost of genius and the moment the world changed forever. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA • Desert Heat: The show was filmed on a massive 12-acre set built in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The producers used actual 1940s-era buildings and equipment to make Los Alamos feel like a living, breathing military town rather than a TV set.• Scientific Accuracy: To keep things grounded, the production hired David Saltzberg—the same physics consultant who worked on *The Big Bang Theory*—to make sure all the equations on the chalkboards and the technical talk about "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" were 100% accurate.• Hidden History: Many of the characters are loose amalgams of real-life scientists like Robert Oppenheimer and Edward Teller, but the show deliberately focuses on the "low-level" geniuses who did the heavy lifting while living in complete anonymity. THE VIBE Like a ticking clock in a silent room. It smells like desert sand, cigarettes, and old paper. It’s tense, claustrophobic, and incredibly smart. It makes you want to look over your shoulder, question authority, and realize that some inventions come with a price that nobody can afford to pay.

TV Show Poster

Season 1

13 Episodes

Air Date: 2014-07-27

TV Show Poster

Season 2

10 Episodes

Air Date: 2015-10-13

Videos

MANHATTAN: Secrets

MANHATTAN: Begins

MANHATTAN: Nowhere

MANHATTAN: The Gadget

Cast

John Benjamin Hickey

Olivia Williams

Ashley Zukerman

Rachel Brosnahan

Michael Chernus

Christopher Denham

William L. Petersen

Related Shows To

Manhattan

Reviews for

Manhattan

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 4 May 2026 at 5:50 PM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10
THE SUMMARY
While the world is distracted by the front lines of World War II, a group of brilliant, eccentric scientists is tucked away in the New Mexico desert building the most destructive weapon in human history. Manhattan (2014–2015) isn’t just about the science; it’s about the heavy toll of living in a town that officially doesn’t exist. Locked behind barbed wire, families are torn apart by secrets and the military’s crushing paranoia. It’s a high-stakes pressure cooker where the race to finish the bomb is only half as dangerous as the secrets everyone is keeping from their own neighbours.
THE PROS
This is a 9/10 because it ditches the “heroic” gloss of the Manhattan Project for something much dirtier and more human. John Benjamin Hickey is magnetic as Frank Winter, the lead scientist who is willing to burn every bridge he has to get the job done. The show excels at building a sense of dread—not just from the threat of a nuclear blast, but from the way the military police, led by a chilling Richard Schiff, slowly dismantle everyone’s privacy. It’s an “epic” because it manages to make complex physics feel like a life-or-death thriller, and the production design is so detailed you can practically feel the desert dust in your teeth.
THE CONS
It misses the 10/10 mark because it was cut short after just two seasons, leaving a few plot threads dangling that deserved a proper resolution. While the dialogue is sharp, it can occasionally get a bit heavy on the scientific jargon, which might leave you scratching your head if you aren’t paying close attention. It settles at a 9 because, despite being a masterpiece, the sheer number of subplots—from Soviet spies to domestic disputes—means the pacing can feel a bit crowded in the final episodes of the second season.
THE VERDICT
A massive 9/10. It’s a sophisticated, tense, and beautifully acted drama that deserved a much longer run. It isn’t a 10 because of that premature cancellation, but for fans of historical thrillers like *Chernobyl*, this is essential viewing. It’s a gripping look at the cost of genius and the moment the world changed forever.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
• Desert Heat: The show was filmed on a massive 12-acre set built in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The producers used actual 1940s-era buildings and equipment to make Los Alamos feel like a living, breathing military town rather than a TV set.
• Scientific Accuracy: To keep things grounded, the production hired David Saltzberg—the same physics consultant who worked on *The Big Bang Theory*—to make sure all the equations on the chalkboards and the technical talk about “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” were 100% accurate.
• Hidden History: Many of the characters are loose amalgams of real-life scientists like Robert Oppenheimer and Edward Teller, but the show deliberately focuses on the “low-level” geniuses who did the heavy lifting while living in complete anonymity.
THE VIBE
Like a ticking clock in a silent room. It smells like desert sand, cigarettes, and old paper. It’s tense, claustrophobic, and incredibly smart. It makes you want to look over your shoulder, question authority, and realize that some inventions come with a price that nobody can afford to pay.

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