# Manhunt (2017 TV series)
**Manhunt** (2017) is an American true-crime anthology television series in which each season dramatizes a large-scale law enforcement investigation as a scripted drama. Its first season, *Manhunt: Unabomber*, aired on [Discovery Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/discovery-channel) in 2017 and follows the FBI's hunt for [Ted Kaczynski](https://www.edgepedia.org/ted-kaczynski); its second season, *Manhunt: Deadly Games*, is set in Atlanta and centers on figures from that city's bombing investigation, including security guard [Richard Jewell](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-jewell) and bomber Eric Rudolph.[1](https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/manhunt-season-three-has-the-spectrum-tv-series-been-cancelled-or-renewed-yet/) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/manhunt-unabomber)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | American true-crime anthology series, 43-minute episodes, TV-MA, produced in the United States[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/manhunt-unabomber) |
| Season 1 | *Manhunt: Unabomber*, aired on Discovery Channel in 2017; dramatizes the FBI hunt for Ted Kaczynski[1](https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/manhunt-season-three-has-the-spectrum-tv-series-been-cancelled-or-renewed-yet/) • [3](https://blogs.panasonic.com.au/business/manhunt-unabomber-series-shot-panasonic-varicam/) |
| Season 1 cast | Paul Bettany as Ted Kaczynski, Sam Worthington as FBI agent Jim Fitzgerald[4](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/mix/making-murderers-cabin) |
| Season 2 | *Manhunt: Deadly Games*, set in Atlanta; cast includes Cameron Britton as Richard Jewell, Carla Gugino as Kathy Scruggs, Jack Huston as Eric Rudolph, and Judith Light as Bobi Jewell[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/manhunt-unabomber) |
| Reception | Rotten Tomatoes: 93% for the Unabomber season (August 2017), 100% for Deadly Games (February 2020)[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/manhunt_2017) |
| Status | Two seasons; as of October 18, 2026, not canceled or renewed for a third season[1](https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/manhunt-season-three-has-the-spectrum-tv-series-been-cancelled-or-renewed-yet/) |
## Format and premise
The series is structured as an anthology: rather than continuing one story across seasons, each installment takes a different American manhunt and retells it as a scripted drama. The unifying element is the investigative process itself rather than a returning cast; the first season centers on the FBI agents and analysts working the Unabomber case, and the second on the investigation in Atlanta.[1](https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/manhunt-season-three-has-the-spectrum-tv-series-been-cancelled-or-renewed-yet/) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/manhunt-unabomber)
## Season 1: Unabomber
The first season tells the story of the FBI's hunt for Ted Kaczynski, described in production materials as the deadliest serial bomber in history.[3](https://blogs.panasonic.com.au/business/manhunt-unabomber-series-shot-panasonic-varicam/) [Paul Bettany](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-bettany) plays Kaczynski and [Sam Worthington](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-worthington) plays FBI agent Jim Fitzgerald, casting that director and executive producer Greg Yaitanes said gave the production "a gritty authenticity."[4](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/mix/making-murderers-cabin)
In an interview at the time of broadcast, Yaitanes described the appeal of the case as "a very quiet story about a man who solved the biggest manhunt in US history from being what would seemingly be a minor b player in the investigation, really rose up with the key to success." He also highlighted the challenge of visualizing forensic linguistics, the analysis of language in written evidence, in a dramatically compelling way.[6](https://www.tvgoodness.com/2017/08/15/manhunt-unabomber-directorshowrunner-greg-yaitanes-talks-humanizing-ted-kaczynski-genuis-porn-and-more-exclusive/)
## Season 2: Deadly Games
The second installment, *Manhunt: Deadly Games*, moves the anthology to Atlanta. Cameron Britton takes the role of Richard Jewell, with [Carla Gugino](https://www.edgepedia.org/carla-gugino) as Kathy Scruggs, Jack Huston as [Eric Rudolph](https://www.edgepedia.org/eric-rudolph), and [Judith Light](https://www.edgepedia.org/judith-light) as Bobi Jewell; other cast members include Arliss Howard as Earl Embry, Gethin Anthony as Jack Brennan, and Kelly Jenrette as Stacey Knox.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/manhunt-unabomber)
## Production
The project began life as a miniseries about the Unabomber; positive audience responses convinced the producers to expand it into a full-fledged TV series. Plans for *Manhunt: Unabomber* called for filming in Western Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, beginning in July 2016.[7](https://thecinemaholic.com/where-was-manhunt-deadly-games-filmed/) Although *Deadly Games* is set in Atlanta, the production returned to Pittsburgh, where the second season was filmed between June and October 2019.[7](https://thecinemaholic.com/where-was-manhunt-deadly-games-filmed/)
Yaitanes served as director and executive producer of the first season.[4](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/mix/making-murderers-cabin) Production designer Erik Carlson described the demands of the 75-day shoot, which averaged about three or four locations a day, with sets including a cabin location in the woods, a transportable build, and a stage set without walls.[8](https://www.awardsdaily.com/2017/10/17/interview-erik-carlson/) In developing the look of the series, cinematographer work drew visual reference points from [David Fincher](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-fincher)'s 2007 film *Zodiac*, shot by Harris Savides, and the season was shot with Panasonic VariCam cameras.[3](https://blogs.panasonic.com.au/business/manhunt-unabomber-series-shot-panasonic-varicam/)
## Reception and availability
On Rotten Tomatoes the first season holds a 93% approval rating dating from August 2017, and *Deadly Games* holds 100% from February 2020; the page lists the show as a two-season drama.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/manhunt_2017) [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) lists an IMDb user score of 8.1 from about 67,000 votes for the series overall.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/manhunt-unabomber)
In the United States the series has been available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, and free with ads on Plex and Tubi.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/manhunt-unabomber) As of October 18, 2026, the show had been neither canceled nor renewed for a third season.[1](https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/manhunt-season-three-has-the-spectrum-tv-series-been-cancelled-or-renewed-yet/)
## Other series named Manhunt
The title is shared by unrelated crime dramas, which can cause confusion in searches and streaming catalogs. The British ITV series *Manhunt* (2019), starring [Martin Clunes](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-clunes) as real-life Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton of the [Metropolitan Police](https://www.edgepedia.org/metropolitan-police), dramatizes Sutton's memoir of the investigation that linked the murders of Amelie Delagrange and Marsha McDonnell and the abduction and murder of Milly Dowler to serial killer [Levi Bellfield](https://www.edgepedia.org/levi-bellfield); a second season covered the hunt for Delroy Grant, the burglar and rapist known as the Night Stalker.[9](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/manhunt-itv-review-cast-director-martin-clunes-colin-sutton-levi-bellfield-a8711426.html) • [10](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/manhunt-itv-season-2-review-b1923276.html) A separate Apple TV+ limited series *Manhunt* (2024) dramatizes Secretary of War Edwin Stanton's twelve-day search for John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, based on James L. Swanson's book *Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer*.[11](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-real-history-behind-apple-tvs-manhunt-and-the-search-for-abraham-lincolns-killer-180983943/) The 2017 Discovery series discussed in this article is distinct from both.
## References
1. [Manhunt on Spectrum Originals: cancelled? season three? – TV Series Finale](https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/manhunt-season-three-has-the-spectrum-tv-series-been-cancelled-or-renewed-yet/)
2. [Manhunt (2017) – watch tv show streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/manhunt-unabomber)
3. [Manhunt: UNABOMBER series shot with Panasonic VariCam, Panasonic blog](https://blogs.panasonic.com.au/business/manhunt-unabomber-series-shot-panasonic-varicam/)
4. [Making a Murderer's Cabin, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/mix/making-murderers-cabin)
5. [Manhunt (2017) – Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/manhunt_2017)
6. [Manhunt: Unabomber Director/Showrunner Greg Yaitanes Talks Humanizing Ted Kaczynski, TV Goodness](https://www.tvgoodness.com/2017/08/15/manhunt-unabomber-directorshowrunner-greg-yaitanes-talks-humanizing-ted-kaczynski-genuis-porn-and-more-exclusive/)
7. [Manhunt Deadly Games: Where Was the TV Show Filmed? – Cinemaholic](https://thecinemaholic.com/where-was-manhunt-deadly-games-filmed/)
8. [Meet Erik Carlson, The Designer Behind 'Manhunt: Unabomber' – Awards Daily](https://www.awardsdaily.com/2017/10/17/interview-erik-carlson/)
9. [Manhunt review: An exploitative theme-park ride... – The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/manhunt-itv-review-cast-director-martin-clunes-colin-sutton-levi-bellfield-a8711426.html)
10. [Manhunt review, season two: Superb, compulsive viewing – The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/manhunt-itv-season-2-review-b1923276.html)
11. [The Real History Behind Apple TV+'s 'Manhunt' – Smithsonian Magazine](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-real-history-behind-apple-tvs-manhunt-and-the-search-for-abraham-lincolns-killer-180983943/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Genre and subject-scripted series › Docudrama and scripted documentary-style series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license