Top 35 Shows of 2014: No 18 Manhattan

Some shows are much more suited to binge watching than others and I discovered that consuming a whole bunch of WGN’s newest drama the WW2 period piece Manhattan is definitely the best way to watch it. Why? Well Manhattan is a slow burning series, incredibly slow at times and after watching the first two episodes it fell off my schedule for quite a few weeks, there wasn’t anything wrong with the show but nothing much seemed to happen.

I eventually picked it up again after the majority of S1 had aired and to my surprise ended up watching 10 episodes in a weekend. It really became compulsive viewing because even if the eventual outcome of the Manhattan Project is known the way the scientists got there was still so fascinating. The use of mostly fictional characters rather than their real life counterparts also helps as it allows for much more creative freedom.

In the end the series became a great mix of intrigue, spies, double-crossing, secret relationships, big egos and genuine shocks. Despite the tiny audience and the small critical reception I am glad WGN has given Manhattan another series because by the end of its debut season I was hooked.

Favourite episodes: The Gun Model / Perestroika