If You Loved Oppenheimer, Watch This Manhattan Project TV Show That Was Canceled Too Soon

There’s a perfect TV series for those who loved Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, and it’s streaming on multiple platforms. Manhattan aired two seasons in 2014 and 2015, chronicling the real-life construction of the first atomic bomb, known as the Manhattan Project, in Los Alamos during World War II. Told from the perspective of (mostly) fictionalized characters and events, Manhattan fell under the radar at the time of its release and is still overlooked despite featuring numerous compelling storylines and great acting performances. The show was canceled after two seasons despite plans to continue the narrative beyond World War II and into the future. Still, Manhattan is well worthwhile for anyone who enjoyed the true history behind Oppenheimer and loves an extra punch of drama and suspense.

Manhattan can both stand on its own and function as an excellent companion piece to Oppenheimer, which opened in theaters eight years after the series ended. Outside of its fictional elements, Manhattan differs from Oppenheimer in that it slows down the process of building the bomb and achieves broader focus on the individual scientists and their families in Los Alamos. Starring John Benjamin Hickey, Rachel Brosnahan, Ashley Zukerman, Olivia Williams, David Harbour, and more, Manhattan remains a riveting representation of a pivotal aspect of World War II and one of the most groundbreaking operations in human history.

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Manhattan Is a Fantastic Portrayal of the Atomic Bomb’s Inception

Even though a portion of Manhattan‘s events were made up, the show includes all of the necessary scenes to accurately tell the Manhattan Project’s story. The scientists’ tireless day-to-day work and endless theories and experiments build up to the Trinity Test, which is depicted in Manhattan almost as breathtakingly as in Oppenheimer. Manhattan then takes liberties in featuring storylines inspired by true events, such as the hunt for spies within the project, leadership turnover, romantic relationships, and the lasting effects of radiation. Like Oppenheimer, Manhattan explores the moral dilemma attached to the bomb’s existence and use. All of these plot points — real and fictional — mesh incredibly well together, generating an ideal viewing experience for history buffs and TV drama fans.

Manhattan‘s character-driven story excellently spotlights the individual plights of those in Los Alamos. The majority of Manhattan‘s characters are either loosely based on real people or entirely fictional. Robert Oppenheimer (Daniel London), Kitty Oppenheimer (Neve Campbell), and Jean Tatlock (Fiona Dourif) appear as the only real-life figures that were also included in Nolan’s film. Among the highlights of Manhattan‘s character arcs is Abby Isaacs’ (Brosnahan) evolution from an uptight housewife to a free spirit who has an affair with the neighbor’s wife. Abby’s husband Charlie Isaacs (Zukermann) experiences a riveting journey as a young yet supremely gifted physicist looking to earn his place in history.

Frank Winter (Hickey), one of the more seasoned scientists, competes against Reed Akley (Harbour) to develop the correct blueprint for a functioning bomb before his life is torn apart when he’s suspected of treason. His team comprised of Helen Prins (Katja Herbers), one of the only female scientists on the project; Paul Crosley (Harry Lloyd), a British national in the United States to escape his past; and Jim Meeks (Christopher Denham), a skilled physicist later compelled to spy for the Soviets, lies at the center of several intriguing plot lines that elevate Manhattan‘s historical tale. Finally, Frank’s wife Liza Winter (Williams), an experienced botanist, discovers the harm inflicted by radioactive materials on the people of Los Alamos and subsequently gets involved with the town’s leadership.

Top-notch acting performances from recognizable actors permeate Manhattan. Brosnahan’s layered interpretation of Abby’s self discovery journey especially stands out, and the star will portray Lois Lane in Superman later this year. Williams, who recently appeared in Dune: Prophecy, delivers an inspired portrayal of Liza’s experience as a parent, wife to a scientist, and scientist herself. Zukermann’s prominent role and impressive performance as Charlie illustrate the actor’s talent, and he was recently cast in Apple TV+’s brilliant sci-fi series Silo. Those who have seen Manhattan might have noticed that Denham also appears as a suspected spy in Oppenheimer, playing the German physicist Klaus Fuchs in Nolan’s blockbuster.

Manhattan Also Serves as a Great Complement to Oppenheimer

Despite their many differences, Manhattan and Oppenheimer complement each other quite well when viewed back-to-back. Hence its title, Oppenheimer primarily fixates on the so-called father of the atomic bomb’s story while developing other figures like Robert’s wife Kitty (Emily Blunt), Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), and the Manhattan Project’s crew of scientists and military personnel to a lesser extent. Manhattan‘s focus lies with a variety of more ordinary people in a range of different roles who took part in the world-changing operation, and Oppenheimer, the man, is sparingly involved. The movie and the series’ contrasting narrative choices each fill in what the other lacks, meaning audiences will gain something from viewing Oppenheimer that they won’t from Manhattan, and vice versa.

As arguably the most consequential event in the last century, the creation of the atomic bomb remains a fascinating piece of subject material. As a result, there exist limitless books, documentaries, and movies about the Manhattan Project for history lovers to delve into. Manhattan and Oppenheimer stand together as scripted on-screen works that tell the bomb’s origin story with a great level of thought and attention to detail while providing a high entertainment value.

Manhattan is currently available to stream on Prime Video, Pluto TV, the Roku Channel, and Tubi.