HBONow that Game of Thrones is over, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that most of us have literally nothing to do with our evenings anymore.
Well, it might be a slight exaggeration but who cares? Not me. Anyway, as I was saying, there’s now a gaping hole in our TV schedule that needs to be filled ASAP.
Enter: Chernobyl, the new series by Sky Atlantic and HBO, which so far has a higher rating than both Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad – arguably two of the most talked-about television programmes ever.
Watch the trailer for it below:
The Sky Atlantic and HBO series – based on the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 – almost comes across as darker than any horror film going, presumably because it’s based on fact.
The five-part limited series aims to tell the real-life story of the tragic events that unfolded leading up to, during, and after the nuclear disaster. The incident killed countless people and harmed many more.
The series hopes to shed light on the disaster, and already has a higher IMDb rating than both Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad – despite having aired three episodes in the UK so far.
Scoring an impressive 9.6 out of 10 from nearly 27,000 voters, Chernobyl is currently ranking higher than Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad, which are rated as 9.4 and 9.5 respectively.
Haven’t seen anything as horrifying as #ChernobylHBO in my life. Nothing comes close. Pure terror and it all happened for real. Sometimes dramatised TV can do more to open your eyes about something that really happened than any other medium. Well done #skyatlantic pic.twitter.com/HyhEn5Q6BP
— Mark Allotey (@markallotey) May 14, 2019
#ChernobylHBO is a fucking MASTERPIECE.
If you're not watching this, you NEED to, trust me on this! pic.twitter.com/sxl9yJuHro— The Briterican (@The_Briterican) May 14, 2019
The series stars Jared Harris as scientist Valery Legasov, alongside a stellar cast that includes Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, Ralph Ineson, Fares Fares, Adam Nagaitis, and David Dencik.
It’s not difficult to see why the show has scored so highly, with fans of the show taking to social media to express their thoughts that Sky Atlantic and HBO’s Chernobyl is a ‘masterpiece’ and praising the show for shedding light on the terrifying real-life events.
this #ChernobylHBO pic.twitter.com/ZiyNQTfwak
— Lia (@liiiamelo) May 21, 2019
#ChernobylHBO is one of the scariest shows I’ve ever seen… and this stuff ACTUALLY HAPPENED😧💩 pic.twitter.com/LcB3Ylm9kk
— Cole Delgado (@ColtDelgado) May 14, 2019
The trailer’s opening sentence, ‘There was nothing sane about Chernobyl,’ sets the precedent for the rest of the show. It clearly has people hooked.
As per HBO:
On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, Soviet Union suffered a massive explosion that released radioactive material across Belarus, Russia and Ukraine and as far as Scandinavia and western Europe.
Chernobyl dramatizes the story of the 1986 accident, one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history, and the sacrifices made to save Europe from the unimaginable disaster.
Talking about the success of Chernobyl, Zai Bennett, Sky’s Director of Programmes said:
This jaw-dropping Sky Original is gripping viewers across the UK and beyond for good reason – the writing and production are second to none, and the story is both fascinating and utterly tragic. This is must-watch TV, and we’re delighted that audiences are enjoying it as much as we are.
If you’re keen to watch it, Chernobyl airs on Sky Atlantic and HBO every week.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).