HBO/Sky AtlanticEver since the old and faithful Game of Thrones ended, fans have been at a bit of a loss as to what to do with ourselves telly-wise.
Obviously there’s Love Island but really, shouts of ‘I’ve got a text’ and ‘he’s proper bevvy him’ just don’t compare to the action-packed HBO drama series. Sorry, but it is what it is.
Thankfully, a new miniseries from HBO and Sky entered our lives just before Game of Thrones finished for good, with Chernobyl succeeding in breaking a major record previously set by the show. In other words, HBO has still got it.
Take a look at the trailer below:
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 of 1986, which killed countless people and harmed many more. The true number of casualties is still not known.
Chernobyl is no stranger to breaking records, first of all achieving a higher IMDb rating than both Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad and then becoming the highest rated show ever on IMDb.
Now though, it’s broken perhaps the most impressive record of all, becoming the first ever HBO show to surpass 50 per cent in its digital contribution. In other words, more viewers watched the show on digital platforms such as HBO Go and HBO Now than GoT viewers.
An impressive feat in itself when you consider how vital streaming figures are for platforms these days, with services such as Netflix becoming a front runner in the world of TV.
As per Deadline:
When you break down the numbers of Chernobyl’s dedicated viewership, it’s 35% linear, 13% OD and a massive 52% from HBO Go, HBO Now and other OTT platforms.
That last number is the Ace in hand for HBO and a record breaker too. No other HBO series has ever topped 50% in its digital contribution.
As you would expect, the previous record holder was Game of Thrones but that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss EP’d Emmy winning blockbuster never made it over 46%, even during its recent eighth and final season.
HBO/Sky AtlanticThe record-breaking 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.
If you haven’t already seen it, you can catch up on the platforms mentioned above – but before you get too hooked, just be warned there won’t be a second series.
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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).