Creator Sam Shaw said although that at first the show seems to be about World War 2 , and the development of the bomb , it was about two eras : the development of the bomb , and after dropping of the bomb . Speaking about a potential third season Shaw said " the most complicated and morally fascinating and dramatic aspects of the history do n't come until after the end of World War II . " Shaw noted that only Fritz , Meeks , and Winters , are the only people who knew exactly what happened at the end of season 3 and that going forward he hoped he would get to write that story . Shaw also said " I hope we ’ll get to follow characters in this moment when Los Alamos goes from being the best kept secret in the world to being the most famous city on the planet . " Season 1 of '' Manhattan '' received highly positive reception from television critics and has a Metacritic score of 78 out of 100 , based on 23 " generally favorable " reviews . The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 90 % " certified fresh " critics rating , with an average rating of 8.3 / 10 based on 29 reviews ; the site 's consensus reads : " Though slow to start , '' Manhattan '' is a top-notch drama thanks to a talented cast , beautiful cinematography , and a keen eye for period detail . " Season 2 received further acclaim , scoring an 80 out of 100 based on 9 reviews on Metacritic . Rotten Tomatoes reports a 92 % approval rating , with an average rating of 8.5 / 10 based on 13 reviews , and the site 's consensus reading , " '' Manhattan '' 's slow-building intrigue and sense of impending doom deepen in season two , further enriching an already well-acted period drama . " The series won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design for the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards and also won the award for Excellence in Title Design at the 2015 South by Southwest festival . Justin Kirk received a nomination for the Critics ' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series for the 6th Critics ' Choice Television Awards
67th Primetime Emmy Awards
67th Primetime Emmy Awards
Manhattan (TV series)