Manhattan

Set in Los Alamos during World War II, Manhattan follows the scientists, technicians, military staff and families tasked with building the first atomic bomb. The community is a closed-off place where professional pressure and government secrecy shape daily routines and personal choices. As experiments proceed under extreme time constraints, rivalries flare, loyalties fray and ethical uncertainty sits just beneath the surface. The series keeps the focus on intimate scenes at home and in labs, showing how high-stakes research breaks down ordinary life without revealing later plot twists or resolutions. It examines how secrecy and paranoia ripple through relationships, work and the small town's fragile social order.

Manhattan premiered in 2014, created by Sam Shaw. The cast includes John Benjamin Hickey as Frank Winter, Olivia Williams as Liza Winter, Ashley Zukerman as Charlie Isaacs, Rachel Brosnahan as Abby Isaacs and Harry Lloyd as Paul Crosley, and the show blends period production design with character-driven drama.

Critics generally responded positively, and the show holds an audience score around 7.0 out of 10. Reviewers praised the performances, the tight pacing and the textured depiction of wartime research culture. Major themes are secrecy, scientific responsibility, domestic strain under political pressure and the moral costs of technological advance.

Though respected by a dedicated audience, Manhattan did not win major industry awards and received only modest awards recognition during its run. Its realistic atmosphere and ethical questions kept it in discussions about historical television that focuses on science and national security rather than spectacle.