WGN America has renewed nuclear drama Manhattan for Season 2, to air in 2015.
Press release:
Critically Acclaimed Drama Created By Sam Shaw And Directed By Emmy Award®-Winning Thomas Schlamme Earns Second Season Order
Produced by Lionsgate Television, Skydance Television and Tribune Studios, Series Stars Emmy®-Nominated John Benjamin Hickey and Olivia Williams
Season One Finale Scheduled for Sunday, October 19
WGN America has ordered a second season of its critically acclaimed original drama “Manhattan,” it was announced today by Matt Cherniss, President and General Manager, WGN America and Tribune Studios. Among television’s most widely praised new series of the year, “Manhattan” is scheduled for its season one finale on SUNDAY, October 19 at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT on WGN America. Created and written by Sam Shaw, directed by Emmy Award®-winning director Thomas Schlamme and produced by Lionsgate Television, Skydance Television and Tribune Studios, the second season of “Manhattan” will begin production next Spring for a 2015 debut.
“’Manhattan’ represents the kind of high-quality original series we aim to deliver at WGN America, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the show’s widespread critical acclaim and its loyal audience,” said Cherniss. “Sam, Tommy and the talented cast and creative team have so brilliantly brought to life the world of the Manhattan Project and we can’t wait to see what secrets and surprises await us in season two.”
“We’re so thrilled to get to continue telling this extraordinary American origin story with our incredible family of writers, actors, directors and crew – and to be doing it on WGN America, which has always supported our creative vision,” said Shaw and Schlamme.
Critical Reception
“Creator Sam Shaw (Masters of Sex) and director Thomas Schlamme (The West Wing) have made a mature, thoughtful drama…John Benjamin Hickey…is especially striking as Frank Winter…WGN’s second new drama… promising enough to make it worth finding out what channel WGN is on in your cable lineup.” – James Poniewozik, TIME MAGAZINE
“‘Manhattan’ is one of the summer’s best offerings – what ‘Masters of Sex’ does for the sexual revolution, Manhattan does for nuclear incineration.” — Rob Sheffield, ROLLING STONE
“…Frank Winter, played to chilling perfection by John Benjamin Hickey.” – Dorothy Rabinowitz, WALL STREET JOURNAL
‘“Manh(a)ttan’ provides a cleverly imagined portrait of the men and women who were at the center of that peculiar sovereignty.” – Alessandra Stanley, THE NEW YORK TIMES
“A megawatt start to a show crackling with megaton ambition…WGN America’s Manhattan – whose producing team includes walk-and-talk director extraordinaire Thomas Schlamme – brings history to energetic life, with a host of well-played characters.”– Jeff Jensen, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
“WGN America’s ambitious Manhattan is an evocative dramatization of the Manhattan Project.” “This surprise obsession is, as they say, the bomb.” – Matt Roush, TV GUIDE MAGAZINE
“…shaping up splendidly as a mix of domestic passion, historical fiction, hopeful philosophy, paranoid intrigue and general craziness, couched in satisfying earthy period detail.”– Robert Lloyd, LOS ANGELES TIMES
“WGN America’s gripping, strongly acted new series is well worth seeking out…A compelling slice of shadowy American history…” “Sharply written, acted and directed.”– Tim Goodman, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“Manhattan is in other class entirely, the kind of series that is so good, it lifts a network into a whole new tier. What ‘Mad Men’ did for AMC, Manhattan could do for WGN.” – Gail Pennington, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
“WGN’s Manhattan is summer’s best new show.” — Kevin Fallon, THE DAILY BEAST
In the upcoming season one finale of “Manhattan,” “Perestroika,” airing SUNDAY, October 19 (10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT) on WGN America, Frank Winter is given a life-changing opportunity, while Charlie Isaacs finds himself in the U.S. Army’s hotseat.
“Manhattan,” WGN America’s second original series, averages 1,223,000 Total Viewers in Live + 7 viewing on Sunday nights.
“Manhattan” is set against the backdrop of the greatest race against time in the history of science — the mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb. The series follows the brilliant but flawed scientists and their families in Los Alamos as they attempt to coexist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives.
“Manhattan” stars Emmy®-nominated actor John Benjamin Hickey (“The Big C,” “The Good Wife”) as Frank Winter; Olivia Williams (“Rushmore,” “The Ghost Writer”) as Liza Winter; Daniel Stern (“Home Alone,” “Home Alone 2”) as Glen Babbit; Ashley Zukerman (“Rush”) as Charlie Isaacs; Rachel Brosnahan (“House of Cards”) as Abby Isaacs; Katja Herbers (“De Storm”) as Helen Prins; Alexia Fast (“Jack Reacher”) as Callie Winter; Christopher Denham (“Argo,” “Shutter Island”) as Jim Meeks; Harry Lloyd (“Game of Thrones”) as Paul Crosley; Michael Chernus (“The Big C,” “Orange Is The New Black”) as Louis “Fritz” Fedowitz; and Eddie Shin (“Men of a Certain Age”) as Sid Liao.
“Manhattan” is executive produced by Sam Shaw, Thomas Schlamme, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Marcy Ross and Dustin Thomason. The series is filmed on location in New Mexico. Follow “Manhattan” on Twitter @ManhattanWGNA. “Like” the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ManhattanWGNA, and join the discussion with #manhattanwgna and #Fanhattans. See photos on Instagram by following @ManhattanWGNA and videos at www.youtube.com/ManhattanWGNA.
[Source: Nielsen Media Research]
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