WGN America Renews 'Manhattan' For Second Season

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- WGN America has ordered a second season of its critically acclaimed original drama "Manhattan," it was announced today by Matt Cherniss, President and General Manager, WGN America and Tribune Studios.  Among television's most widely praised new series of the year, "Manhattan" is scheduled for its season one finale on SUNDAY, October 19 at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT on WGN America.  Created and written by Sam Shaw, directed by Emmy Award^®-winning director Thomas Schlamme and produced by Lionsgate Television, Skydance Television and Tribune Studios, the second season of "Manhattan" will begin production next Spring for a 2015 debut. 

"'Manhattan' represents the kind of high-quality original series we aim to deliver at WGN America, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the show's widespread critical acclaim and its loyal audience," said Cherniss.  "Sam, Tommy and the talented cast and creative team have so brilliantly brought to life the world of the Manhattan Project and we can't wait to see what secrets and surprises await us in season two."

"We're so thrilled to get to continue telling this extraordinary American origin story with our incredible family of writers, actors, directors and crew – and to be doing it on WGN America, which has always supported our creative vision," said Shaw and Schlamme.

Critical Reception

"Creator Sam Shaw (Masters of Sex) and director Thomas Schlamme (The West Wing) have made a mature, thoughtful drama...John Benjamin Hickey…is especially striking as Frank Winter…WGN's second new drama... promising enough to make it worth finding out what channel WGN is on in your cable lineup." -- James Poniewozik, TIME MAGAZINE

"'Manhattan' is one of the summer's best offerings – what 'Masters of Sex' does for the sexual revolution, Manhattan does for nuclear incineration." -- Rob Sheffield, ROLLING STONE

"…Frank Winter, played to chilling perfection by John Benjamin Hickey." -- Dorothy Rabinowitz, WALL STREET JOURNAL

'"Manh(a)ttan' provides a cleverly imagined portrait of the men and women who were at the center of that peculiar sovereignty." -- Alessandra Stanley, THE NEW YORK TIMES

"A megawatt start to a show crackling with megaton ambition…WGN America's Manhattan – whose producing team includes walk-and-talk director extraordinaire Thomas Schlamme – brings history to energetic life, with a host of well-played characters."-- Jeff Jensen, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"WGN America's ambitious Manhattan is an evocative dramatization of the Manhattan Project." "This surprise obsession is, as they say, the bomb." -- Matt Roush, TV GUIDE MAGAZINE

"…shaping up splendidly as a mix of domestic passion, historical fiction, hopeful philosophy, paranoid intrigue and general craziness, couched in satisfying earthy period detail." -- Robert Lloyd, LOS ANGELES TIMES

"WGN America's gripping, strongly acted new series is well worth seeking out…A compelling slice of shadowy American history…" "Sharply written, acted and directed."-- Tim Goodman, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"Manhattan is in other class entirely, the kind of series that is so good, it lifts a network into a whole new tier. What 'Mad Men' did for AMC, Manhattan could do for WGN." -- Gail Pennington, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

"WGN's Manhattan is summer's best new show." -- Kevin Fallon, THE DAILY BEAST

In the upcoming season one finale of "Manhattan," "Perestroika," airing SUNDAY, October 19 (10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT) on WGN America, Frank Winter is given a life-changing opportunity, while Charlie Isaacs finds himself in the U.S. Army's hotseat. 

"Manhattan," WGN America's second original series, averages 1,223,000 Total Viewers in Live + 7 viewing on Sunday nights.

"Manhattan" is set against the backdrop of the greatest race against time in the history of science -- the mission to build the world's first atomic bomb.  The series follows the brilliant but flawed scientists and their families in Los Alamos as they attempt to coexist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives.

"Manhattan" stars Emmy®-nominated actor John Benjamin Hickey ("The Big C," "The Good Wife") as Frank Winter; Olivia Williams ("Rushmore," "The Ghost Writer") as Liza Winter; Daniel Stern ("Home Alone," "Home Alone 2") as Glen Babbit; Ashley Zukerman ("Rush") as Charlie Isaacs; Rachel Brosnahan ("House of Cards") as Abby Isaacs; Katja Herbers ("De Storm") as Helen Prins; Alexia Fast ("Jack Reacher") as Callie Winter; Christopher Denham ("Argo," "Shutter Island") as Jim Meeks; Harry Lloyd ("Game of Thrones") as Paul Crosley; Michael Chernus ("The Big C," "Orange Is The New Black") as Louis "Fritz" Fedowitz; and Eddie Shin ("Men of a Certain Age") as Sid Liao.

"Manhattan" is executive produced by Sam Shaw, Thomas Schlamme, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Marcy Ross and Dustin Thomason.  The series is filmed on location in New Mexico.  Follow "Manhattan" on Twitter @ManhattanWGNA.  "Like" the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ManhattanWGNA, and join the discussion with #manhattanwgna and #Fanhattans. See photos on Instagram by following @ManhattanWGNA and videos at www.youtube.com/ManhattanWGNA. 

[Source:  Nielsen Media Research]

WGN America and Tribune Studios

WGN America, the flagship network of Tribune Media Company (OTC:TRBAA), is nationally distributed in 72 million homes via cable, satellite and telco, with entertainment programming including the original, scripted series "Salem," "Manhattan" and "Ten Commandments," along with first-run syndicated series, blockbuster movies and live sports.  Through Tribune Studios, the creative development arm of Tribune Media Company, original content is produced for WGN America and Tribune Media local stations nationwide.  Follow the network on Twitter @wgnamerica.  For additional information, please visit www.wgnamerica.com.

Lionsgate

Lionsgate, home to The Hunger Games, Twilight and Divergent franchises, is a premier next generation global content leader with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. Lionsgate currently has more than 30 television shows on over 20 different networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mad Men and Nurse Jackie, the comedy Anger Management, the broadcast network series Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show and the critically-acclaimed hit series Orange is the New Black.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first two installments of The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the first installment of the Divergent franchise, Now You See Me, Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, Warm Bodies, The Possession, Sinister, Roadside Attractions' A Most Wanted Man, Lionsgate/Codeblack Films' Addicted and Pantelion Films' breakout hit Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.

Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 16,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world. www.lionsgate.com

Skydance Television

Skydance Productions tells big stories and creates immersive worlds, producing narratives that span film, television, games and more. Skydance recently wrapped production on the reimagining of the TERMINATOR franchise, TERMINATOR: GENISYS, to be released on July 1, 2015. The company is currently in production on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5, the latest installment in the highly successful franchise starring Tom Cruise with Chris McQuarrie directing. Later this year, Skydance will begin production on STAR TREK 3 with Roberto Orci set to direct, as well as a disaster film on a global scale titled GEOSTORM written by Dean Devlin and Paul Guyot with Devlin also directing. Also in development is AFRICA, a sweeping epic about paleo-anthropologist Richard Leakey's battle with ivory poachers that threaten the existence of the African elephant population and the very soul of Africa. Angelina Jolie is attached to direct the film based on Eric Roth's screenplay. Skydance's recent releases include JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT, from director Kenneth Branagh and starring Chris Pine; WORLD WAR Z, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster; STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto; and G.I. JOE: RETALIATION, directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum and Dwayne Johnson. Skydance's previous projects include Christopher McQuarrie's JACK REACHER, starring Tom Cruise; MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL, starring Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner; and the award-winning Coen Brothers film TRUE GRIT, starring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon. Skydance's television division recently premiered its first series, Manhattan, on WGN America.  From writer Sam Shaw and director Tommy Schlamme, this 13-episode drama is set against the backdrop of the clandestine mission to build the world's first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Next up for Skydance Television is the original comedy series Grace and Frankie starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as long-time rivals brought together by a rather unusual change in their marital circumstances. Written and created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris, the show's 13-episode first season will premiere on Netflix next year.

SOURCE WGN America

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