Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideToronto Int'l Film FestivalSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Oppenheimer

  • TV Mini Series
  • 1980
  • Not Rated
  • 7h
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
770
YOUR RATING
Sam Waterston in Oppenheimer (1980)
A montage of images in this abstract trailer for the BBC miniseries detailing the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Play trailer0:46
2 Videos
1 Photo
BiographyDramaHistoryWar

Biography of the American physicist who led the U.S. effort to develop the atomic bomb during World War II, only to find himself suspected as a security risk in the 1950s.Biography of the American physicist who led the U.S. effort to develop the atomic bomb during World War II, only to find himself suspected as a security risk in the 1950s.Biography of the American physicist who led the U.S. effort to develop the atomic bomb during World War II, only to find himself suspected as a security risk in the 1950s.

  • Stars
    • Sam Waterston
    • John Carson
    • Christopher Muncke
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    770
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • Sam Waterston
      • John Carson
      • Christopher Muncke
    • 28User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys
      • 3 wins & 7 nominations total

    Episodes7

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated1 season1982

    Videos2

    Oppenheimer
    Clip 2:19
    Oppenheimer
    Oppenheimer
    Trailer 0:46
    Oppenheimer
    Oppenheimer
    Trailer 0:46
    Oppenheimer

    Photos

    Top cast87

    Edit
    Sam Waterston
    Sam Waterston
    • Robert Oppenheimer
    • 1980
    John Carson
    John Carson
    • Narrator
    • 1980
    Christopher Muncke
    Christopher Muncke
    • Colonel Kenneth Nichols…
    • 1980
    Jana Shelden
    • Kitty Oppenheimer…
    • 1980
    Edward Hardwicke
    Edward Hardwicke
    • Enrico Fermi
    • 1980
    David Suchet
    David Suchet
    • Edward Teller
    • 1980
    Manning Redwood
    Manning Redwood
    • General Leslie Groves
    • 1980
    Peter Whitman
    • Robert Serber
    • 1980
    Matthew Guinness
    Matthew Guinness
    • Hans Bethe
    • 1980
    Bob Sherman
    Bob Sherman
    • Ernest Lawrence
    • 1980
    John Morton
    John Morton
    • Robert Wilson
    • 1980
    Garrick Hagon
    Garrick Hagon
    • Frank Oppenheimer
    • 1980
    Barry Dennen
    Barry Dennen
    • Isidor Rabi
    • 1980
    Ron Berglas
    Ron Berglas
    • John Manley
    • 1980
    Liza Ross
    • Jacky Oppenheimer
    • 1980
    Blain Fairman
    Blain Fairman
    • Robert Bacher
    • 1980
    Kate Harper
    Kate Harper
    • Jean Tatlock
    • 1980
    Erica Stevens
    • Charlotte Serber
    • 1980
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews28

    8.1770
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    8WarMovieCollector

    A Case Study Approach On The Life Of Oppie

    Before I say anything. I've not seen Nolan's version on Oppenheimer. I will refrain from any comparison. Watched this series in Aug 2023. I came away very impressed with the production values of this 7 part BBC take on the Manhattan Project, the man behind it and the fallout after it's deployment of the A-Bomb. Sam Waterston was a fire to watch as Oppenheimer. His tall slender frame, the famous porkpie hat Oppie wore and the cigar he smoked closely resembles to reality. The way Sam Waterston embodied Oppie was amazing to watch. He almost looks and behaves like the man himself. I have seen many actors portraying Oppenheimer, most of the actors do look like him. I think hollywood has a great deal of obsession with this man's life, which is a good thing because of the awareness it creates. Recommended watch.
    10teleny

    It made me swoon with passion!

    ...a true geek-girl's dream: high tech, high drama, smart guys, steamy sex, and large explosions. (VERY large explosions.) Sam Waterston is so natural in the role of Oppenheimer that tapes of the REAL Oppenheimer sound odd: apparently, he had a voice similar to Ronald Reagan! The triumph and tragedy of Oppenheimer is one of the 20th century's most stirring dramas, and this movie stands as a model of what docu-drama ought to be: the facts are allowed to speak for themselves, while the fictional parts are used to amplify and fill in the record, not to call attention to themselves. An interesting fact: some of the technical details used had only recently been declassified, and so are of special interest. A must-see!
    10MarkCommode

    Brilliant and now available on BBC iPlayer

    Firstly let me say that I have not yet watched the 2023 Christopher Nolan film so no comparisons from me. All I will say is that I binge watched all 7 episodes over a 24 hrs period. Compared to modern day offerings the production values from 1980 seem positively prehistoric but the series loses nothing and the superb script and acting more than makes up for it. If you're after CGI action and big bangs look elsewhere. If you want an intelligent script that doesn't treat the viewer as an idiot then this is for you. I'm not sure I want to watch the 2023 film anymore to be honest. Once finished I read the Wiki page on Robert Oppenheimer to find out even more, the script appears to be a truthful telling of the tale. Thoroughly recommended.
    JBElliott

    Great mini-series. Anyone know where I can find a copy?

    I saw the mini-series on PBS when I was in high school. I was a junior taking physics. The shows were so engrossing and inspiring I ended up doing every problem in my text book. I've gone on to become a nuclear physicist in no small part due to "Oppenheimer." I stumbled across this site in my attempts to obtain a copy of this mini-series on VHS or DVD. If anyone knows where I could get a copy, I'd be very grateful for the information. Thanks!
    10databong

    Still unforgettable 20 years later

    I saw this series on PBS in 1980 in college and I still can't get it out of my head, although I have never seen it since. I remember every cast member (the casting WAS perfect, as mentioned in other comments), the design, the lighting and, of course, the story, which is by itself is enough to keep you glued to the set. Probably the best TV series I ever saw next to the original "Roots."

    More like this

    Oppenheimer: The Real Story
    6.8
    Oppenheimer: The Real Story
    The Day After Trinity
    7.8
    The Day After Trinity
    To End All War: Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb
    7.4
    To End All War: Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb
    The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer
    7.3
    The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer
    I, Claudius
    8.8
    I, Claudius
    The Ascent of Man
    8.8
    The Ascent of Man
    To Serve Them All My Days
    8.5
    To Serve Them All My Days
    The Reckoning
    7.6
    The Reckoning
    Double Cross: The True Story of the D-day Spies
    7.6
    Double Cross: The True Story of the D-day Spies
    The Beiderbecke Tapes
    8.4
    The Beiderbecke Tapes
    Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
    8.8
    Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
    1990
    7.4
    1990

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sam Waterston and Christopher Muncke worked together again in 1989's "The Nightmare Years (1989)" in which Sam Waterston played William L. Shirer and Christopher Muncke played Peter Butler.
    • Goofs
      In the final scene of the series, set in Oppenheimer's garden in the USA, there is a lot of birdsong, all of it recognisably European. Prominent are the songs of blackbird and willow warbler, two species which are not present in the Americas.
    • Quotes

      J. Robert Oppenheimer: I am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds

      J. Robert Oppenheimer: I feel we have blood on our hands

    • Connections
      Featured in The 34th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1982)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ17

    • How many seasons does Oppenheimer have?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 11, 1982 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Оппенгеймер
    • Production companies
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
      • WGBH
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 7h(420 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit pageAdd episode

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.