Rachel Brosnahan As Abby Isaacs In Season Two, Episode Two: Fatherland (via WGN America)
Although creator Sam Shaw already had a third season planned, WGN America cancelled the Manhattan TV series, after its second season. Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, back in November, Shaw said he crafted season two of Manhattan, with an eye toward some resolution, in case of cancellation.
Upon cancelling the historical drama which starred John Benjamin Hickey and Olivia Williams, WGN America President Matt Cherniss issued a statement citing the usual culprit — low ratings. Still feeling the sting of the end of the critically-acclaimed Manhattan, Cherniss has now offered more insight into the decision he tried to avoid.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Cherniss said he did everything he could to give Manhattan some momentum in the ratings and build up an audience. Among the steps he took were moving the show to the fall, when more viewers are watching, and moving it from Sunday nights to a less competitive spot. He even tweaked the ad campaign. In the end, it just was not enough.
“As we got to mid-season of season two, reality for me had started to set in that it was going to be very difficult to bring the show back for a third season,” Cherniss says, acknowledging at that point it simply didn’t “make economic sense” to move forward. He knows it would be easy to chalk up the paltry turnout to the stresses of “peak TV,” but he has watched as WGN’s other originals delivered considerably more viewers: Witch drama Salem drew 770,000 viewers in its second season, while new entry Outsiders shattered network records with 3.9 million watching its Jan. 26 premiere. […]
“When you’re starting a network and building a brand, you’re looking for reasons to pick up a show, not the opposite,” he adds. “But at some point, you have to see some momentum.”
Were you a fan of the Manhattan TV show? Do you think WGN America was right to cancel it after season two, or should it have been renewed for a third season? Do you feel like you got some closure in Manhattan‘s second season i.e. series finale? Sound off, in the comments.
I LOVED this show. Intelligent, well-made and true life interactions. Being a scientist I tracked the details and found that they got them right with some ‘shortcuts’ that I understood for TV timing. This was my ‘MUST SEE’ and I have all of the episodes recorded. Now that I know it has been cancelled, I will be watching them AGAIN and probably buying the DVD for future years watching. Such a shame that a totally intelligent and informative show got cancelled. Oh, and by the way, I actually was a really, really good friend of a man who worked at… Read more »
Don’t buy plastic DVDs. Get it through Apple TV and then you’ll always have it. We buy all our shows that way. Screw cable.
So very disappointed. I loved watching the show. Excellent writing and superb acting. What a shame! Makes me want to stop watching TV altogether. They take off all of the shows with substance and keep garbage like “The Bachelor.” People today are ignorant.
I loved the show, my wife and I were avid watchers. I do think that it should have stayed more with the science in it’s second season and less about conspiracy
Not surprised. Americans are too stupid to be interested in a show like this.
Indeed, I think I was the only one who watched and enjoyed Rubicon. When I was watching it, I thought, who else but people like me would watch this? In a land seemingly dominated by mindless “Reality” television, how can something that requires you to pay attention for more than 90 seconds at a time get on TV?
I am so disappointed. I really enjoyed that show and was looking online to see when the third season was going to air. I assumed that the third would be the last, but this is very unfortunate news. So tired of ‘reality’ crap. Been watching less and less tv. This show will be missed.
I thought it was great. Though it was a huge departure from history, the writing was first-rate and the drama was credible, while the acting and overall production was Incredible and fascinatingly believable. It could have really happened that way. I think some other network should pick it up. TV fiction this good is really hard to find. BTW, I’m back to not watching WGN at all again.
I enjoyed the critically acclaimed season on of Manhattan so much that I had to find a way to see season two. Unfortunately, the athletic club I belonged to would not allow members to easily switch the channel on their TV, so I had to watch most of the show’s episodes on the internet out of Iceland. A great show that I would really have liked to have seen at least one more season.
It is so sad that a television production this well done has to be cancelled. People seem to be more interested in “reality” TV than in good writing and good acting.
This was a good show – I will miss it.
What a shame. With all the garbage on tv a decent period drama that we can learn something from get the axe.
total BS that the show was cancelled. Actual history and it was fascinating! I am upset to see such a show go.
It was really good and entertaining, yes. But actual history? Nor so much.
NOT so much.
Unfortunately I didn’t start watching this great series until it was canceled. Excellent production and casting. I had all episodes saved and watched over a three day period. The last show S2/E10 wasn’t recorded in its entirety so I feel a double loss. I was born in the early 50’s near Hanford and have always been interested in the development of the bomb. Ii is unfortunate that the show didn’t have as large of an audience as desired but it humanized a pivotal point in history. I hope that all concerned will reevaluate its cancelation.
Amazing season finale, but way to many loose threads (like what’s next for Frank, Lisa, Meeks, and Abby? Will Charlie follow Helen to the Pacific for the fireworks? (not just talking about the nukes)) for a series finale.
I am so sorry to hear that you cancelled the series. I watched both season 1 and season 2. I travel a lot and some hotels do not put WGN on their channel choices, but I recorded it at home and could not wait to get see them. The series brought an interesting twisted to a major historical event. As a chemist, the back story was fascinating. I have no closure on what happens with Charlie and his wife and Frank and his family. I would love to also know what happened to the last spy on the team that… Read more »
What a terrible decision. My parents and I would watch it and the stories they would tell about that time in our country. My mom was an Air Force brat and knew about so much more than what was showed on TV. There is so much junk on TV it was nice to see a wonderful show that left you excited about next weeks show. BRING IT BACK PLEASE!!!!!!