Role
Lead Copywriter; Concept Creator; Historical Accuracy Verifier
Los Alamos—America’s First (Atomic) Boomtown
WGN America wanted a thoughtful hit to follow up it’s first original programming success, Salem. Using the Manhattan Project as a backdrop, its newest scripted drama featured the writing of Sam Shaw (West Wing, Masters of Sex) and vintage sets to portray the sequestered life of the scientists who built the first atomic bomb.
On a shoestring media budget, we managed to organically grow the show's social media fan base from almost zero, engaging with the older-skewing audience with historical references to the era's way of life, in-depth run-downs of recent episodes, and posts that highlighted the show's scientific bent. Manhattan was renewed by WGN America for a second season after critical acclaim and a grassroots push from devoted fans.
As the lead copywriter on the project, I also wrote interview questions for the actors, and their answers were cut into several short videos and posted every week. Using interview B-roll and clips from the first season, I wrote a script for three original videos, which are featured below.