WGN America goes "nuclear" with MANH(A)TTAN: Learn the back story of the atom bomb's creation
WGN America going “nuclear” with new show MANH(A)TTAN: Premiering SUNDAY
WGN America going "nuclear" with new show MANH(A)TTAN: Premiering SUNDAY
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- WGN America is going nuclear! The scientists behind the creation of the atomic bomb will get to work on Sunday, July 27th -- when "Manhattan" premieres on WGN America!
Manhattan, named for the real-world Manhattan Project of World War II, follows the brilliant scientists who gathered in remote Los Alamos, New Mexico in a race to develop the atomic bomb before the enemy, with the world's fate thought to be hanging in the balance.
"You think nuclear science and I imagined glass and steel -- and we`re working in wooden shacks and this is pre-computers. The computers are women doing the math for us. The fact that a nuclear bomb was made with tubes and Bunsen Burners and graph paper, I find that fascinating," Ashley Zuckerman, who newbie scientist Charlie Isaacs in Manhattan said.
From the Manhattan trailer:
"Excuse me, hi. Is the circus in town? Just ah, where's everybody going?" Charlie Isaacs, the newest member of the Los Alamos team said.
"P.O. Box 1663."
"What's the place called?" Isaacs asks.
"It ain't. No name, no street signs. Welcome to nowhere."
Welcome...to Los Alamos, New Mexico -- birthplace of the most devastating weapon known to mankind.
“You`re building an atomic bomb!” Manhattan premieres SUNDAY on WGN America
"You`re building an atomic bomb!" Manhattan premieres SUNDAY on WGN America
From the Manhattan trailer:
(Explosion)
"What was that?" asks Abby Isaacs, the wife of Charlie Isaacs, the newest member of the Los Alamos team.
"You`re going to love it here," another wife tells Abby.
WGN America presents "Manhattan" -- a show about the individuals behind the Manhattan Project -- and the race to end World War II.
From the Manhattan trailer:
"Now this war will be fought on the battlefield, but make no mistake that peace will be won with brains not brawn. Forget about code breaking. Forget about meteorology, optics," Frank Winter, who leads the group of scientists within the Manhattan Project explains to newbie Charlie Isaacs.
"You`re building an atomic bomb!" Isaacs realizes.
"This is coming from truth. This is a nuclear weapon being thought of and then built and then dropped on people," Daniel Stern, who plays brilliant scientist Glenn Babbit, who is working on the team to develop the atomic bomb said.
From the Manhattan trailer:
"It's going to take a year to produce enough plutonium to make Akley's bomb, but with a super compressed core, I think we can shave a week off that timline, maybe longer," Stern, as Babbit says in Manhattan.
Manhattan isn't just about the race to build the atomic bomb. It dives head first into the relationships of the individuals that lived the stress of long hours, seclusion and uncertainty.
Rising star Ashley Zuckerman plays Charlie Isaacs -- a brilliant untested wunderkind who uproots his wife and son to work on the Manhattan Project.
"Well, it`s not so much just a guy going off to work -- because the work is important to him. He`s working on a horrible thing that plagues him and he can`t tell the person he loves the most about it. He can`t share it with them," Zuckerman said.
"And she knows she`s in the dark," Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Abby Isaacs, Charlie Isaacs' wife, said.
From the Manhattan trailer -- Charlie Isaacs, talking with his wife:
"What I`m about to tell you, is highly calssified," Zuckerman, as Charlie Isaacs says to his wife, Abby in Manhattan.
"Your husband told you something. Don`t hold out," another wife says to Abby.
But secrets are kept, stolen and used all to make sure the war is won.
From the Manhattan trailer:
"Our work is so classified the Vice President doesn`t know we exist," lead scientist Frank Winter says in Manhattan.
We learn the secrets, feel the struggles and choose sides between the groups of men and women in Los Alamos, New Mexico as they tell the story of the atomic bomb.
“Sitting on the biggest secret in history!” Brian Kramp talks with the creator and director of MANH(A)TTAN
"Sitting on the biggest secret in history!" Brian Kramp talks with the creator and director of MANH(A)TTAN
But this show is about more than the most devastating bomb ever dropped.
FOX6's Brian Kramp visited the set of Manhattan, and talked with the show's creator, Sam Shaw.
Brian Kramp: "This is a story that defines a time, an era of what`s going on with politics and war and there are a lot of secrets that happen in this show. What was it about the atomic bomb that was just so intriguing to write about, Sam?"
"Aside from the fact that this is just a huge American story and kind of the great origin story of our time, it`s also fundamentally a story about secrets and secrecy and what secrets do to families and relationships and as a writer, it`s really exciting for me to be able to write about a group of people who are living in a culture of secrecy and keeping things from the people who are dearest to them in the world. It`s just fascinating as a story-teller," Shaw said.
Kramp also spoke with the show's director, Thomas Schlamme about Manhattan's portrayal of this defining moment in our nation's history.
"I keep seeing the show as this celebration of what was achieved at that moment -- and at the same time, it's a cautionary tale as to what they did achieve.
And the mixture of those two things to me defines a great deal what the struggles are with these individuals," Schlamme said.
The story is told by Manhattan's amazing cast, that includes John Benjamin Hickey, Olivia Williams, Daniel Stern and Milwaukee-born actress Rachel Brosnahan.
Manhattan will send you back to a time when war was imminent.
Meet the cast of MANH(A)TTAN, premiering SUNDAY on WGN America
Meet the cast of MANH(A)TTAN, premiering SUNDAY on WGN America
Manhattan features many faces that may be familiar to you!
You may have seen her as Bruce Willis' wife in "The Sixth Sense" or Bill Murray's love interest in the movie "Rushmore" but in WGN America's Manhattan, Olivia Williams portrays the wife of the man responsible for building the atomic bomb.
From the Manhattan trailer:
"Whatever we're doing here, please tell me it's worth it," Williams says, as Liza Winter in Manhattan.
"Tomorrow, for one night, we're going to pretend that we have a normal life," Williams says, as Liza Winter in Manhattan.
FOX6's Brian Kramp visited the set of Manhattan -- and talked with the actors that are bringing this true story to life.
Brian Kramp: "Because this is not an exact representation of what actually happened with the relationships of those people there, how important is it to get this story right?"
"Well I think we've got everything right that's important to get right. And the fact is that a bunch of scientists were brought to this place. Oppenheimer was given an essential blank checkbook and said 'who do you want to invite to your science party' and brought together these brilliant minds to this remote and extraordinary and beautiful but hard, tough existence and that is the basis for the most brilliant soap opera on TV -- which is our show," Olivia Williams told Kramp.
From the Manhattan trailer:
"I understand there is some kind of crisis at work," Williams says, as Liza Winter in Manhattan.
"You have no idea," John Benjamin Hickey says, as Frank Winter in Manhattan.
John Benjamin Hickey plays Frank Winter -- husband of Olivia Williams' character, Liza -- who is a nuclear theoretical physicist that brings his family to Los Alamos, New Mexico to build the bomb that will end World War II.
"Just imagine that if you've been married for 20 some odd years, and you share every single part of your day with your partner, and suddenly you're not allowed to do that," Hickey told FOX6's Brian Kramp.
Kramp talked with John Benjamin Hickey about how important it was for this show to dive into the relationships -- instead of just the historical facts.
"I think, you know, I think it's a real extraordinary and imaginative leap of faith that this brilliant show creator Sam Shaw has done by taking a show that could have been a show about a historically accurate, historical reality of this time and place and instead has focused on the emotional truth of what that society was like," Hickey told Kramp.
Another actor in Manhattan that you'll recognize is Daniel Stern -- known for his work in Home Alone and City Slickers.
From the Manhattan trailer:
"This was yesterday. This is tomorrow," Stern says as Glen Babbit in Manhattan.
Stern plays Glen Babbit -- a dry-witted, shrewd physicist who pushes his team to accomplish greatness -- all while keeping this world-changing secret.
FOX6's Brian Kramp talked with him about his role in the show.
Brian Kramp: "This is the atomic bomb. Can you imagine holding that information from your wife?"
"Yeah, your wife, the country, the politicians, the military people. It was all secretive. To try to sit on a secret that size -- I mean it`s mind-boggling. Although, when you look at the secrets that just came out about our NSA spying, people knew about that and that`s coming out so humans have the capability for a lot of deception and we`re here to play that out for you," Stern said.
From the Manhattan trailer:
"Somewhere in Germany, Hitler`s got a town just like this one, full of scientists hungrier than you. That week we save could be the week that matters," Stern says, as Glen Babbit in Manhattan.
“Welcome…to nowhere!” Brian Kramp takes you behind-the-scenes on the set of MAN(H)ATTAN
"Welcome...to nowhere!" Brian Kramp takes you behind-the-scenes on the set of MAN(H)ATTAN
Manhattan's set plays a crucial role in the authenticity of WGN America's new show about the building of the atomic bomb.
FOX6's Brian Kramp spoke with actor John Benjamin Hickey -- who plays Frank Winter -- about how essential the set is to telling this story of the Manhattan Project.
"It's amazing to have instant atmosphere. We have 10 acres of set, so the amount that we can walk and talk and go in and out and feel like we're immersed in a real time and place, I`ve never had an experience like that as an actor as far as the sets go," Hickey said.
The set's realism derives from its location and history. It is only minutes from the original Los Alamos site, and is shot partially in an old World War II hospital. From Army barracks to science labs, to the homes the scientists lived in, the set of Manhattan isn't missing a thing.
"You know, if you open a drawer, that the cutlery or silverware is there for the actors to use. If they open a cupboard, there will be sheets and towels and it`s like that -- but over 10 acres here. You open a door and everything is perfectly in period and ready for you to use," Olivia Williams, who plays Frank Winter's wife, Liza Winter said.
From the Manhattan trailer:
"For one night, we are going to pretend that we have a normal life. You in the kitchen is the definition of abnormal," Liza Winter says to her husband, Frank in Manhattan.
"I mean, just this where we`re shooting right now for the interview I mean, like all the science on the black boards -- it`s accurate. I mean, all the props, it`s incredible. I`m like in the 40s every day when I`m hanging out on set," Alexia Fast, who plays Callie Winter, the teenaged daughter of Frank and Liza Winter said.
"Especially as actors, you`re trying to access the world in any way you can, and the fact that you can live in it is just such a huge help, you know," Eddie Shin, who plays brilliant scientist Sid Liao said.
"Oh, the set is so cool, and it makes the actor`s job so much easier. It`s so immersive. They`ve created this whole campus. They`ve re-created it. We`ve had a few people visit, people who grew up in Los Alamos and they were surprised on how accurate it is. It`s just sprawling. You can walk forever. It`s all accurate," Christopher Denham, who plays Jim Meeks -- a physics prodigy recruited to join the top-secret atomic bomb project, and work under Frank Winter said.
"Manhattan" premieres on WGN America on Sunday, July 27th 8 p.m.
Character biographies for "Manhattan"
John Benjamin Hickey as Frank Winter
FRANK WINTER is a bold and off-center American genius who leads a group of scientists within the Manhattan project. Brilliant, kinetic, and self-destructive, Frank is a scientific purist who believes that the work is all that matters.
Frank has few friends—he prefers ideas to people, finding in the secret laws of physics an elegance and cleanliness that is missing in the messier realm of human relationships. If it weren’t for his wife, Liza Winter, he would have become a recluse years ago. Now that military secrecy has severed the lifeline of communication with Liza, Frank is a man alone. His isolation comes at a steep cost.
Olivia Williams as Liza Winter
LIZA WINTER is the beautiful, headstrong wife of Frank Winter. Frank entered Liza’s life when she was a junior at Barnard. Always the smartest individual in class, she received her PhD in Botany. Liza aspired to lead a life of scientific research at a world-class university—the last thing she wanted was a husband to tie her down. But she fell in love with a man who was as singular as she was.
In Los Alamos, everything changed. Frank’s vow of secrecy has taken priority over his vow of marriage, leaving Liza alone and conflicted. She is snubbed by the housewives, who think of her as a scientist, and shunned by the scientists, who think of her as a wife.
Ashley Zukerman as Charlie Isaacs
CHARLIE ISAACS is the newest member of the team at Los Alamos. Growing up, two qualities set young Charlie apart: his obsession with numbers, and his conscience. In college, he distinguished himself as one of the rarest talents the Harvard physics department had ever seen. Not only was Cambridge the birthplace of his budding scientific career, but it was also where his personal life began to blossom, falling in love with Abby, the future Mrs. Isaacs.
At 26, he wrote a theoretical paper which sent shockwaves through the field. (Only one journal rejected him—the science review at Princeton, edited by Frank Winter, who sent Charlie a one-sentence typed note: “Your approach isn’t new.”) That Spring, he became the youngest winner of the coveted Forbes Prize in physics.
Rachel Brosnahan as Abby Isaacs
ABBY ISAACS grew up in a secular Jewish household in the suburban bubble of Brookline, Massachusetts. When Charlie declined his father-in-law’s offer of a sales job with the family business, he caused a rift with Abby’s family that remains unrepaired.
Abby remains loyal to Charlie and takes pride in the idea that he is special. She and Charlie share almost no interests other than their son, but they have fun together. Abby is a good, if indulgent, mother to her child. Cultured and naturally social, Abby is still a newcomer, discovering by trial-and-error the very strange rules and taboos that govern life at Los Alamos.
Daniel Stern as Glen Babbit
GLEN BABBIT is Frank Winter’s former mentor, and helps keep him out of trouble. Back at Princeton, it was Babbit who showed up on Frank’s doorstep, asking him to join a secret military project in the New Mexico desert. Babbit deserves the credit, for mentoring Frank and interceding with the faculty when he caused trouble. In one form or another, Babbit has been bailing Frank out of jail since the day they met. In Los Alamos, it’s no different.
CALLIE WINTER is the teenage daughter of Frank and Liza Winter who is frustrated with life in Los Alamos.
CLICK HERE for a look at interviews with the cast.
CLICK HERE to learn more about "Manhattan" on WGN America.
"Manhattan" can be found on the following channels through your cable or satellite provider:
NOTE: FOX6 will offer an encore broadcasting of the premiere of "Manhattan" at 11:05 p.m. on Sunday, July 27th.
Gear up for "Manhattan" through social media:
View some of the poster art associated with "Manhattan" in the gallery just below.