Just found out I had WGN America and watched this show.
Nice to look at period-wise and they try to convey the paranoid atmosphere surrounding the project. However, the dialogue is almost completely modern and it's got a fair amount of backward looking cleverness by it's writers. Once again the US government and the military are the blundering heavies, that old chestnut. More hats and cigarettes wouldn't hurt either.
I'm going to give it a couple of episodes because I want all period pieces to succeed. Did i mention it needs more hats?
It was interesting enough for us to view the second episode.
Not sure how long this will be on, but it's a good departure from the regular "reality" programs.
Just watched the first episode and, as noted above, the clothes were outstanding. Besides the awesome suits, shirts, ties and hats for the men, several of the women's dresses, slacks, blouses and sweaters were really nice. Also, the furniture was outrageously Golden Era fun - from the offices to the houses.
The story and acting were very good, but not yet up to the standard of shows like "Boardwalk Empire," "True Detective" or "Hell on Wheels." But those shows took several episodes and, sometimes, seasons to hit their full stride - so for now, I'm willing to stay with it as it shows promise (plus I get to see all those cool clothes, cars and pieces of furniture in each episode).
I like this show both aesthetically and for its arcing plot lines. The wardrobe department makes excellent use of original vintage pieces that aren't in mint condition to give a lot of the characters a rundown, overworked threadbare appearance. The story line isn't strictly historical, but that doesn't bother me too much because it seems to keep in the spirit of the time and setting. My Uncle worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1960s, and from what he's told me, the combination of heavy handed bureaucratic secrecy and creepy spy types is just about right . . .
I'll tell you what's coming up, in case the show doesn't get picked up again.
Dr. Winter is actually a fraud, working for the Canadians, in an effort to steal the secrets to Thin Man for his government.
Unfortunately, some of the ink ran, and the secrets he sent back got mussed up a bit.
Once the Canadian group produced the first batch, they realized it produced a bomb, but not the one they had hoped.
The bomb it produced is now known as Labatt Blue.
Yeah, if the show doesn't get picked up again, it will be a great disappointment to many.
According to this article, WGN renewed Manhattan for a second season!
My guess for season 2 is Charlie Isaacs and the "implosion" team will have a new set of rivals when the "gun model" teams determines that their design is workable with enriched uranium.
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