Manhattan Canceled After Two Seasons at WGN America
Carissa Pavlica
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Manhattan, WGN America's second scripted program, has been canceled.
The series was critically acclaimed and had a lot of support at the network, but it was also expensive, which may have been part of the decision not to move forward with a third season of the drama about the dawn of the Manhattan project in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
“After careful consideration, we have reached the very difficult decision not to move forward with a third season of Manhattan," said WGN America president and GM Matt Cherniss in a statement.
"We are proud of this critically acclaimed series, an extraordinary original drama, and are deeply disappointed that such a wonderful show could not find a larger audience.
We thank the immensely talented Sam Shaw and Thomas Schlamme, along with the exceptional cast and crew and our great partners at Lionsgate and Skydance, for crafting a masterful series. We are equally grateful to the dedicated fans for their support over the last two seasons.”
The second season introduced cast changes, including bringing William Peterson back to the small screen in his first role since leaving CSI, but that still didn't help land the viewers Manhattan needed to be more than a critical hit.
Still, Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin Beggs only had praise for the show.
“Sam Shaw and Tommy Schlamme gave us a tremendously powerful television series chronicling the lives of those immersed in the race to build an atomic bomb in the dog days of World War II,” he said.
“Their masterful depictions of small victories, devastating betrayals, and the high-price of freedom will never be forgotten – just as the monstrous power wrought by splitting the atom indelibly scarred our world forever."
There is still good news for the network, however, as Outsiders premiered with their largest audience to date and the second episode held 96% of the 25-54 demo audience from its debut.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
