Chernobyl is an outstanding historical drama miniseries based on the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster.
Created and written by Craig Mazin, the series got high critical acclaim, becoming a worldwide success, revealing the so-called truth hidden behind the accident.
The story is told in five parts and portrays the nuclear power plant explosion that decimated dozens of people and eventually became the biggest nuclear disaster in history.
The series also presents the life stories of men and women who acted heroically to mitigate the catastrophic damage that devastated the former Soviet Socialist Republic of Ukraine.
What Is Chernobyl About?
In the drama, Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) is a leading Soviet nuclear physicist, and as part of the response team, he was one of the first to understand the scale of the disaster.
Boris Shcherbina (Stellan Skarsgård), Soviet Deputy Prime Minister, is appointed by the Kremlin to lead the Chernobyl government commission in the hours immediately after the accident.
Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson), a Soviet nuclear physicist, is committed to solving the mystery behind what led to the Chernobyl disaster.
As the world mourned the event, they tried to uncover the causes of the accident, where they faced extremely powerful people in an attempt to expose the negligence and carelessness behind the accident.
After the devastating calamity, everyone who had direct contact with the plant's radiation suffered terrible side effects, developing burns and wounds all over their bodies.
Although the production created some details and occasions to explain the accident better to the viewers, the series leaves no one indifferent, especially since it is a real story.
Shows Like Chernobyl
If you like series based on real cases and are anxious to see another one as good and addictive, you have arrived at the right place.
We have prepared for you a list of shows like Chernobyl that are sure to please you. Follow the story of Pablo Escobar, one of the world's biggest drug traffickers, head of the Medellin Cartel in Colombia, also known as a family man and revered by the poorest people as a kind of Robin Hood.
Or how about the hunt for the terrorist known as the Unabomber, who, with few clues and the population increasingly terrified, leads the FBI to recruit a new type of specialist in criminal profiling.
Check out our list of shows like Chernobyl, where the tough decision will be which one to start watching first.
And, as always, remember to leave us your opinion in the comments below!
OUR LIST OF SHOWS LIKE CHERNOBYL
Clark
Bill Skarsgård plays notorious gangster Clark Olofsson in the Swedish crime drama series Clark. A controversial figure, Clark's crimes led to the phrase 'Stockholm Syndrome' but there's a lot more to the man than just that.
Dopesick
Dopesick covers how Purdue Pharma’s best selling drug OxyContin was aggressively and successfully marketed despite the company being aware of the highly addictive nature of its golden goose opioid. Stellar drama starring Michael Keaton.
Manhunt: Unabomber
When a bomb exploded at Northwestern University in 1978 it sparked one of the longest manhunts in F.B.I history. This engrossing true-crime thriller from Netflix focuses on the two-decade-long hunt for the criminal mastermind known as the "Unabomber"...[Read More]
Narcos
Get yourself ready for a cocaine-fuelled story that is seriously addictive to watch. Narcos follows the rise and fall of the Columbian cartels, the incredible wealth generated and the horrific lengths that they will go to keep it.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
The Trial of the Chicago 7, from Aaron Sorkin, tells the story of how anti-war protests-turned-riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention led to a trial of those deemed responsible. Excellent drama with stand out performances.
Deepwater Horizon
This is not your usual disaster movie, but a spectacular re-creation of the real-life events that took place in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. When an oil rig exploded into a massive fireball, resulting in eleven deaths, extraordinary acts of bravery an...[Read More]
Deep Water
A fictionalised drama but based on real-life events, Deep Water is about a series of true murders and attacks on gay men predominantly around Bondi Beach as detectives tie modern-day murders to a series of unsolved killings in the 1980s.
Adrift
This true-life disaster movie hits all the right notes with its depiction of a young couple who find themselves adrift on the Pacific ocean. Actress Shailene Woodley gives a super performance as Tami Oldham, the fresh-faced, free-spirit whose story t...[Read More]
We hope you enjoy our shows like Chernobyl – if you'd like to watch more drama – click here.
How Is Chernobyl Today?
Although it is still forbidden to live in Chernobyl, visiting tourism is allowed. After the nuclear accident more than three decades ago, a 30km exclusion zone was set up around the power plant and the town of Pripyat.
At the time of the disaster, hundreds of buildings, schools, houses and villages had to be evacuated in a hurry. The entire structure remains intact, as the inhabitants were never allowed to return.
It is this very atmosphere of abandonment and ruins that gives the destination such a unique feel. To visit Chernobyl is to explore a place that has stopped in time, where the relentless force of nature has taken over manufactured structures over the years.
Many pieces of equipment used to contain damage to the reactor and the plant right after the accident still lie around, some with radiation levels well above normal.
The most dangerous areas around Chernobyl are the forests, where the closed bush concentrates radioactive particles present in the air and soil, which have not yet dissipated.
The Chernobyl tour also visits the surroundings of the exploded Reactor 4, currently confined in a vast concrete structure. Inside are at least 200 tonnes of radioactive curium, 30 tonnes of highly toxic dust and 16 tonnes of uranium and plutonium.
In a unique and unforgettable scenario, visiting the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is surprisingly safe as radiation levels are controlled in the open areas, with no danger for short exposures.
Is Chernobyl Worth Seeing?
Absolutely! In addition to learning more about the history of this tragic accident, Chernobyl has received critical acclaim, with critics praising the performances, cinematography, historical inaccuracies, atmosphere, direction, script and soundtrack.
In addition, the series received nineteen nominations and won Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards.
At the 77th Golden Globe Awards, the series won Best Television Miniseries or Movie, and Skarsgård won Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series, Miniseries or Movie.
A series definitely worth watching.
