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.
Boo, just boo. A wonderful piece of tv artistry. Beautiful acting, character development and just the right amount of factual history mixed with fictional drama. I am blown away (pun intended) by Manhattan’s cancellation.
Completely ludicrous decision to cancel such a well crafted drama. Worst decision since they cancelled Deadwood.
Yes. This was an excellent show. This is a mistake.
Have just watched both series 1 and 2 on Amazon Prime in the UK. I must admit I was hooked from the very beginning and am very sorry there will be no third series. Characters I have seen develop during the two seasons had a long way to go and the story was far from over. Unlike many cancelled shows this one’s final episode didn’t neatly tie up storylines and looked set for a sequel. The problem with ratings isn’t solved by cancelling a show, it’s solved by perseverance, better scheduling and marketing, which seems to be the area where… Read more »
I’m still waiting to see season two (cut the cord, have to live with less access to great shows), but I’m really sad to hear there won’t be a 3 to which to look forward. As many others have said: too bad kids today don’t want to know about yesterday!
So disappointed to hear Manhattan is cancelled! My family is from Los Alamos and I loved the beautiful scenery and history.
So disappointed that Manhattan has been cancelled! A brilliant historical show, with great cast and fine acting. We were totally taken back to that time in history & got a glimpse of what these scientists and their families sacrificed to come up with the solution that ended WWII. Had gotten immersed in lives and the spy factor of this show. Loved it. A really good series.
Just finished viewing season 2 final episode. Was so looking forward to the third season. What a disappointment to learn of the cancellation.
I am a Propmaster in the film business for almost 40 years and found Manhattan to be one of the most brilliant and well acted television programs i’ve seen in years. The stories were very well written and the production quality was superb. As a propman, the attention to detail was extremely impressive. You could feel the grit and be completely immersed in the time period through the great attention and wonderful texture of the costumes, production design, makup, art direction and props. The casting was wonderful, very believable and the performances certainly made you feel the strain that our… Read more »
Love this show, my only regret is, if they weren’t going to make a third season, that they didn’t make at least a made-for-TV movie to tie up the loose ends.
This was a terrific series, interesting topic with such an interesting history and well cast too. Can’t someone else pick this up and run with it…? Would love to see a third one. Should be more historical shows like this, such a shame it was axed.
Fantastic! I just devoured it. Amazing period detail, fabulous script and such complex characterisation. Devastated there’s no 3rd series in the offing.
sad to see it cancelled ..it seemed like they were heading to an end in season 2 but really wish they would have FINISHED what they started
Moving it to October killed any momentum it had. Instead of waiting a year we had to wait 15 months. By then most viewers look to their usuals for the Fall. I got a few friends and family hooked and now it’s gone. So disappointing…
I knew this show would be cancelled because it was just too good for the general public. It has a phenomenal cast, an eye for period detail, interesting scripts, a compelling storyline where you know the history of the Manhattan Project but to see the background of the everyday workings, was utterly fascinating. It is so heartbreaking to see this beautiful show come to an end over ratings but I would love for another network or even PBS to pick it up. This is such an important part of American history that needs to be told, so it will not… Read more »