HBO/Sky AtlanticTerrifying, informative and deeply moving, HBO and Sky’s Chernobyl is a feat of television making, and people just cannot stop talking about it.
The story of the most notorious nuclear disaster of all time has been told in a compellingly human way, full of clever historical details which fully immerse the viewer in the world of 1980’s Ukraine.
Overflowing with shadowy politics, devastating decisions and almost unbearable tension, this chilling miniseries will no doubt go down as one of the big television events of 2019.
Chernobyl has proved a hit with critics and viewers alike, who have been struck with the powerful and thoughtful way in which the tragedy has been addressed.
And this positive response is reflected in Chernobyl’s IMDb score, which – at the time of writing – has claimed the all-time number one spot, rising above beloved prestige shows Breaking Bad and The Wire.
Chernobyl, which has concluded its fifth and and final episode, currently has an IMDb score of 9.7, based off more than 152,000 reviews.
At the moment, this puts Chernobyl ahead of telly giants such as Breaking Bad (9.5), Planet Earth II (9.5), Band of Brothers (9.5), Planet Earth (9.4), Game of Thrones (9.3) and The Wire (9.3).
HBO/Sky AtlanticOf course, due to its brevity, Chernobyl never had the chance to have the sort of slumpy later seasons which have often dampened enthusiasm for many critically revered TV shows.
But this is still an extraordinary achievement, a credit to the talent which went into making this unique and important miniseries.
Chernobyl was written and executive produced by Craig Mazin (The Huntsman: Winter’s War) with Johan Renck (Breaking Bad) in the director’s chair.
The cast includes Jared Harris as Soviet nuclear physicist Valery Legasov; Stellan Skarsgård as Soviet Deputy Prime Minister Boris Shcherbina; and Emily Watson, as Soviet nuclear physicist Ulana Khomyuk.
HBO/Sky AtlanticChernobyl took us behind the news headlines and showed us greater complexities, depicting the pain, grief and bravery behind the statistics.
I personally feel the success of Chernobyl indicates a widespread desire for quality, educational television shows which delve into events we would all like to know a little more about.
I would love to see more miniseries of the same calibre which bring more significant events in world history to life.
Chernobyl aired each week on Sky Atlantic and HBO. HBO Home Entertainment will digitally release Chernobyl as of June 24.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.