‘Manhattan’ renewed for Season 2 by WGN America

The Atomic Age is coming back: WGN America has picked up its World War II drama “Manhattan” for a second season.

A fictionalized account of the secret lives of the men and women behind the Manhattan Project that led to the first atomic bomb, “Manhattan” is part of WGN’s bid to launch a full lineup of original scripted programming. The Season 1 finale is set to air Oct. 19.

The second season will begin production in the spring and roll out later in 2015, the network said early Tuesday.

“‘Manhattan’ represents the kind of high-quality original series we aim to deliver at WGN America, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the show’s widespread critical acclaim and its loyal audience,” WGN President and General Manager Matt Cherniss wrote in a statement.

The show premiered in July to nearly 1 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. But ratings have dropped off since then, averaging 420,000 viewers over the course of the season.

What do you think of “Manhattan”?

Twitter: @scottcollinsLAT