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Manhattan

Manhattan

2014–2015Ended2 seasons23 episodes~45 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

Set against the backdrop of the greatest clandestine race against time in the history of science with the mission to build the world's first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Flawed scientists and their families attempt to co-exist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Manhattan?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Manhattan streaming on AMC+ via Prime Video, Howdy via Prime Video, Lionsgate+ via Prime Video, Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about Manhattan?

Manhattan earns 4 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Thought-provoking.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Manhattan worth watching?

Manhattan's Midcredits score is the 79th percentile of all shows, from 11K ratings across 2 sources. 86% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

79th percentile

Better received than 79% of shows

80th percentile among Drama77th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)69th
Approval (how many liked it)85th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

75 /100

69th percentile of all shows

70th percentile among Drama66th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

86% liked it

85th percentile of all shows

85th percentile among Drama84th percentile among 2010s
86% rated it 7–1014% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

88th percentile

11K ratings across platforms

85th percentile among Drama89th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 2% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the series is a heavily fictionalized, character-driven drama that prioritizes personal dynamics over scientific accuracy.

Fans praised

  • Riveting, historically grounded drama with strong ensemble performances
  • Intense inter-relationships and moral weight of building the bomb
  • Excellent writing that makes fictional characters emotionally compelling

Detractors panned

  • Frustratingly fictionalized; sidelines real science and history for soap opera drama
  • Stiff acting and ham-fisted direction undermined the premise
  • Cheap relationship drama that treats the atomic bomb as a backdrop

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive78

Oppressive Los Alamos enclosure and moral dread effectively realized

TensionDivisive74

High-stakes science and security paranoia drive unease, but diluted by subplots

ActingDivisive72

Strong ensemble (Brosnahan, Williams, Hickey) praised; detractors call some performances stiff

CharactersDivisive68

Emotionally complex fictional scientists vs. pointless family melodrama

Emotional impactDivisive62

Fans invested in characters' moral dilemmas; detractors unengaged

OriginalityDivisive60

Unique high-stakes setting, but derivative relationship-drama structure

Plot and storyDivisive55

Gripping premise undermined by meandering subplots and historical license

PacingDivisive48

Slow-burn initially praised, later criticized as padded and unfocused

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 10 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Episodes

2 seasons

Season 2 · 2015 · 10 episodes

  • S2E1

    Damnatio Memoriae

    Oct 13, 201555 min
  • S2E2

    Fatherland

    Oct 20, 201550 min
  • S2E3

    The Threshold

    Oct 27, 201547 min
  • S2E4

    Overlord

    Nov 3, 201547 min
  • S2E5

    The World of Tomorrow

    Nov 10, 201543 min
  • S2E6

    33

    Nov 17, 201550 min

Watch experience

What is Manhattan like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseContemplativeDread
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Single location · 1% of shows: Confined to essentially one place throughout.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe show treats its material with grave seriousness, never winking, and maintains a dark, moody atmosphere throughout.
The rideThe pressure of the bomb project creates sustained tension, but the domestic scenes offer contemplative respites.
StructureTold in conventional three-act episodes, almost entirely confined to the secret Los Alamos base.
Episode formatEach episode focuses on specific challenges or breakthroughs in the bomb project while building a season-long arc around the moral and personal struggles.
Season formatSeason 1 establishes the race to build the bomb; season 2 shifts to the aftermath and new challenges, though the same core cast continues.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingHaunting · 9% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe show's exploration of the moral weight and secrecy of the Manhattan Project lingers, leaving you pondering the human cost of scientific achievement.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% (this title) · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Oppressive state: A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).

18% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeTypical episodes focus on the scientists and families struggling under the oppressive secrecy and control of the military-run Manhattan Project, with the bomb's creation as the underlying pressure.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfDutyMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% · Duty 2% (this title) · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6% (this title)
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Duty · 2% of showsDeception · 6% of showsFamily bonds
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe show explores the tension between scientists' duty to their country and the secret-keeping that strains their personal lives.
StanceThe show questions whether the scientists' duty to build the bomb is worth the moral cost, without celebrating or condemning it outright.

The world

Mid 20th centuryInstitutionalDomesticRuralWildernessRealistic
Orchestral classicalAmbientSupportive music · original score
SettingLos Alamos, New Mexico, 1943 — the secret Manhattan Project base
MusicThe score underscores the tension and period atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Manhattan okay for kids?

TV-14

Manhattan is rated TV-14. As of August 29, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (56/100), sexual content at moderate (51/100), language at moderate (53/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (67/100) and frightening material at moderate (48/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 10 other countries
  • Canada14+
  • Germany12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Austria12
  • Denmark15
  • MexicoB-15
  • Spain12
  • Switzerland12
  • Türkiye13+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 80%
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (7 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (50 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Manhattan have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Manhattan?

Cast

Rachel Brosnahan
as Abby Isaacs
Michael Chernus
as Louis 'Fritz' Fedowitz
Rising: A short career with a standing when this show came out above the median working actor today.
Christopher Denham
as Jim Meeks
Katja Herbers
as Helen Prins
John Benjamin Hickey
as Frank Winter
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Harry Lloyd
as Paul Crosley
Olivia Williams
as Liza Winter
Ashley Zukerman
as Charlie Isaacs
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Dylan B. Warren
as Military Police
Alan Humphrey
as American Military

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What are shows like Manhattan?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Manhattan include Roswell (1999), Under the Dome (2013) and Project Blue Book (2019).

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What other shows share a tag with Manhattan?

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