| Genre: | Biopic drama |
| Director: | Barry Davis |
| Narrator: | John Carson |
| Composer: | Carl Davis |
| Language: | English |
| Num Episodes: | 7 |
| Executive Producer: | Peter Goodchild |
| Cinematography: | Rodney Taylor |
| Editor: | Tariq Anwar |
| Runtime: | 57–68 minutes[1] |
| Budget: | $1.5 million[2] |
Oppenheimer is a biographical drama television miniseries based on the life and career of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. Written by Peter Prince and directed by Barry Davis, the series is a co-production between the BBC and WGBH. It stars Sam Waterston in the title role, with Jana Shelden, Christopher Muncke, Edward Hardwicke, and David Suchet in supporting roles, and is narrated by John Carson.
Oppenheimer premiered in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 29 October 1980, and concluded on 10 December 1980, consisting of seven episodes.[1] The series won three BAFTA TV Awards, including Best Drama Series or Serial, from seven nominations. It received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or a Special for Prince. For his portrayal of Oppenheimer, Waterston was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe Award.
The series depicts Oppenheimer's wartime role as head of the weapons laboratory of the Manhattan Project, during which he was under constant surveillance by the US federal government because of his association with communists. It culminates in a U.S. Atomic Energy Commission hearing in 1954, in which Oppenheimer is stripped of his security clearance.
Oppenheimer is a co-production between the BBC and Boston's WGBH, which contributed 15 percent of the project's $1.5 million costs.[2] [3] The series was executive produced by the BBC's Peter Goodchild, who conceived the idea in 1975.[3] After producing a series on physicist and chemist Marie Curie, he set his sights on Oppenheimer.[2]
Oppenheimer was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two from 29 October to 10 December 1980, and in the United States on PBS from 11 May to 22 June 1982, as episodes of the first season of American Playhouse.[4] [5] More than 40 years after its release, the series became available on BBC iPlayer following the success of Christopher Nolan's 2023 film of the same name, which also chronicles the career of Oppenheimer.[6] [7] [8]
John J. O'Connor of The New York Times wrote that J. Robert Oppenheimer was "persuasively" played by Sam Waterston and the series "is primarily interested in telling, quite absorbingly, one of the more puzzling and indeed astonishing stories of contemporary American history".[9] Bill Carter of The Baltimore Sun called it "never less than a fascinating portrait of a truly fascinating man" while criticizing a "choppy production technique that makes much of the film seem rather raw".[10]
Major General Kenneth Nichols disputed his portrayal in the series, saying that it "portrayed me serving as a personal aide to Groves on frequent visits to Los Alamos", when he did so only once.[11]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Drama Series or Serial | Peter Goodchild Barry Davis | [12] | |
| Best Actor | Sam Waterston | ||||
| Best Original Music | Carl Davis | ||||
| Best Film Editor | Tariq Anwar | ||||
| Best Television Cameraman | Rodney Taylor | ||||
| Best Television Lighting | Clive Thomas | ||||
| Best Film Sound | Peter Edwards | ||||
| 1982 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Limited Series | Peter Goodchild Lindsay Law | [13] | |
| Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or a Special | Peter Prince ("Part V") | ||||
| 1983 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film | Sam Waterston | [14] | |