Rachel Brosnahan
Michael Chernus
Christopher Denham
Alexia Fast
Katja Herbers
John Benjamin Hickey
Harry Lloyd
Daniel Stern
Olivia Williams
Ashley Zukerman

Created by:
Sam Shaw

2014-
Drama, History
WGN America
TV-14

WGN America’s “Manhattan” is about the Manhattan Project during the 1940s. Specifically, it focuses on what is known as the Manhattan District, the Army component of the Project that was in operation from 1942 to 1946. The Project itself started in 1939. After a short scene in 1941, this show jumps to 1943. The Project was responsible for creating the first A-bomb (atomic bomb, nuclear bomb), and this show focuses on the two teams that were directly involved in that. However, it’s not intended to be historically accurate. The setting is the Project’s classified principal research and design lab in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

“Manhattan” is brought to us by TV experts: creator Sam Shaw (who was a writer for Showtime’s “Masters of Sex” during its first season) and executive producer Thomas Schlamme (who directed this show’s pilot and was an executive producer and a director of NBC’s “The West Wing,” among others). So, there’s a quality on display that’s not unexpected, despite its broadcast channel. This is WGN America’s attempt to play in the big leagues, and they just might survive in that milieu with this show. It’s their second original series (the first is “Salem”). (This show is available via Hulu for free, as well, for people who don’t have access to WGN America.)

Based on the pilot, there are some story lines with potential: The most notable one involves both the program’s need for secrecy and a possible spy, which creates lots of tension between the scientists and the Army at the project site. However, there are other parts that didn’t interest me nearly as much (pretty much everything else, especially the family plot lines).

Unfortunately, this show gets off to a slow start. And by slow, I mean uninteresting. I didn’t care about anyone or anything until the final quarter of the pilot episode. The fault lies with the writing; it’s mediocre at best. The dialogue simply needs to be better: The lines don’t have the punch or depth that they need in order to be the engine for a period piece drama. Writing’s everything in that genre. Contrastingly, the acting is solid. This cast is full of actors who know what they’re doing and who have been doing it elsewhere.

Perhaps the second episode will build on the pilot’s foundation, because (again) at the end of the pilot some things begin to work. So, I’m going to continue watching. After all, it’s professionally made, and it hits its marks. Also, it looks the part. It’s just that I wasn’t interested in the characters or the setting during most of the pilot. The pieces are there; they just need some juice, some style. They’re in the territory of “Mad Men,” so the lethargy better wear off fast. …

I’m happy to report that the second episode does improve on things. But, as I mentioned before, the key to this show is the tension between the scientists and the Army and the tension among the scientists themselves. The family stuff is still distracting instead of enriching. …

In the fourth episode, they finally find the right balance between the science-military story lines and the family story lines. It’s like the key to making a great cake: The cake itself should be the star, while the icing should be a compliment to the cake. If there’s too much icing or if the icing’s too sweet, then the balance will be thrown off. However, if there’s just enough icing and it’s just sweet enough, then it will enhance everything that makes that cake great. The science-military intersection is the cake, and the other stuff (family, etc.) is the icing. We’ll see whether this balance remains throughout the rest of this season. I hope so, because this show works really well with the right balance. …

By the end of the first season, “Manhattan” proves that it has found itself. The second half of the first season plays all of the right notes. It’s not great yet (it could be, if it were a bit sharper), but it’s really good during its best moments. For now, this is a keeper. I hope that this show continues to improve in its second season.

Verdict: Good to Very Good Overall

About: (Source: manhattan)

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 in Los Alamos, N.M. — WGN America’s “Manhattan” follows the project’s brilliant but flawed scientists and their families as they attempt to co-exist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives.