Manhattan - Season 1 - Blu-ray

Content: In 1942, the U.S. government has set up a hermetically sealed research station in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where brilliant minds around physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer are working on the so-called Manhattan Project. Here the world's first atomic bomb is to be built, even before the enemy in Germany has developed such a destructive weapon. It is a race against time, accompanied by paranoia and espionage. This creates an enormous tension in which the families of the scientists are also caught up. Among them is Frank Winter (Benjamin Hickey), the leader of the research team, under whose obsession and imperious leadership style not only his coworkers, but also his wife Liza (Olivia Williams) and his 17-year-old daughter Callie (Alexia Fast) suffer. The more the pressure on the researchers increases, the more urgently brilliant minds are needed to help the US make the Manhattan Project a success. One of these prodigies is young physicist Charlie Isaacs (Ashley Zukerman), who has come to Los Alamos with his wife Abby (Rachel Brosnahan). Charlie wants to change the world - but he didn't expect what awaits him here.

The Manh(a)ttan series is a semi-fictionalized retelling of the events surrounding the construction of the first atomic bomb. The plot is inspired by true events and characters, but is enhanced by dramatic license and fictional characters. The series was conceived by Sam Shaw, who previously wrote for the acclaimed Masters of Sex series. Directing credits include Thomas Schlamme, who won a total of 9 Emmys for the Aaron Sorkin series West Wing, Sports Night and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Shaw has also assembled an impressive cast in front of the camera, led by Benjamin Hickey (The Big C), Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense) and Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards). So the series can convince with an exciting story, good actors and especially with an excellent set design.

However, it is still a little difficult to get into the action in the first two episodes. True, the dialogues are well written and the characters interestingly drawn. But the structure of the many different plot lines and the introduction of the numerous characters is a little bit bulky and dry. But it is worth to stay on the ball. Because with each episode the tension increases exponentially and also the development of the characters and the motivation for their actions are absolutely rousing implemented.

Besides long dialogues, absolutely grippingly written and directed, there are also a whole lot of nerve-wracking moments of suspense, which are intensified by the dense atmosphere of the production. The makers manage very well to capture the atmosphere of fear, paranoia and mutual suspicion in the small desert town. As a result, even quieter moments, in which dialogues and character development are in the foreground, are very exciting. Sure, there are still a few long-winded scenes and also some predictable clichés. But overall, this first season of Manh(a)ttan is extremely exciting, quality television with high entertainment value. If you like first class dramas with a historical background, you should definitely get this box set. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The Blu-ray's picture quality absolutely does justice to the very authentic 40s look of the series. The color scheme shows off the set very well, with the warm hues in particular looking pleasingly powerful. The image sharpness is at a very good level and even in the darker scenes there is hardly any visible drop in quality. The audio is in a coherent 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix, with some very strong surround moments alongside the dominant dialogue. Good.

Extras: As well as three interesting audio commentaries on episodes 1, 8 and 13, the third disc has four featurettes worth watching. These deal with the making of the series (approx. 14:45 mins), the fascinating set (approx. 10:09 mins), the costume design (approx. 10:01 mins), and the real J. Robert Oppenheimer (approx. 9:57 mins). Worth watching.

Conclusion: Manh(a)ttan is a gripping and extremely entertaining series about the creation of the first atomic bomb. The team led by series creator Sam Shaw manages to bring the paranoia of the era to life very well. With top-notch sets and excellent set design, they create a gripping microcosm in which the sometimes somewhat complicated story can unfold very well. Thrillingly staged and very well acted - so a must for series fans. The Blu-ray presents the first season in good picture and sound quality and also has a few decent extras on board. All in all, there is a clear: Absolutely recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp