
Chernobyl
2019 · Miniseries · TV-MA · ★ 8.7 · 89% critics
A catastrophic nuclear accident exposes a community and much of Europe to an invisible danger. As officials struggle to contain the crisis, ordinary workers, scientists, and responders face impossible choices in a tense story about sacrifice, denial, and the cost of hiding the truth.
Based on Voices from Chernobyl
Also known as Chornobyl
Where to watch
Streaming on HBO Max.
6 hours to watch · 5 episodes.
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Details
- Years
- 2019
- Release date
- 2019-05-06
- Network
- HBO
- Language
- English
- Rated
- TV-MA
- Max quality
- UHD
- Critic score
- 89/100
- TMDB rating
- 8.7/10 (7,915 votes)
About
You’ll likely appreciate Chernobyl if you want a serious, gripping true-disaster drama with the weight of Band of Brothers; Not for you if bleak, upsetting real-world stories feel too heavy.
Pros: gripping tension; powerful performances; sobering human stakes | Cons: very distressing scenes; limited backstory; slow stretches
Themes
- based on true story
- disaster
- miniseries
- nuclear catastrophe
- 1980s
- chernobyl, ukraine
Awards & recognition
- British Academy Television Award — Best Drama Series · 2020
- Critics' Choice Television Award — Best Movie/Miniseries Supporting Actor · 2020
- Golden Globe Award — Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film · 2020
- Golden Globe Award — Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film · 2020
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Special Visual Effects · 2019
Show all 17 awards →
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special · 2019
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special · 2019
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special · 2019
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie · 2019
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Art Direction for a Period Series, Miniseries or a Movie · 2019
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Limited Miniseries · 2019
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie · 2019
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or Movie · 2019
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special · 2019
- Satellite Award — Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film · 2019
- Satellite Award — Best Miniseries or Television Film · 2019
- Critics' Choice Television Award — Best Movie/Miniseries · 2019 · nominated
Cast & crew

Jared Harris
as Valery Legasov

Stellan Skarsgård
as Boris Shcherbina

Emily Watson
as Ulana Khomyuk

Paul Ritter
as Anatoly Dyatlov

Jessie Buckley
as Lyudmilla Ignatenko

Adam Nagaitis
as Vasily Ignatenko

Sam Troughton
as Alexandr Akimov

Robert Emms
as Leonid Toptunov

Con O'Neill
as Viktor Bryukhanov

Adrian Rawlins
as Nikolai Fomin
Episodes1 season · 5 episodes
Season 15 episodes
- S1E11:23:4561mAmazon Prime VideoHBO MaxHulu
- S1E2Please Remain Calm66mAmazon Prime VideoHBO MaxHulu
- S1E3Open Wide, O Earth64mAmazon Prime VideoHBO MaxHulu
- S1E4The Happiness of All Mankind67mAmazon Prime VideoHBO MaxHulu
- S1E5Vichnaya Pamyat73mAmazon Prime VideoHBO MaxHulu