Chernobyl (HBO)

About Chernobyl (HBO)

"Chernobyl" is a historical drama television mini-series that revolves around the Chernobyl disaster of April 1986 and the cleanup efforts that followed. It dramatizes the true story of one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history and tells of the brave men and women who sacrificed to save Europe from unimaginable disaster. The series scrutinizes the flaws of the Soviet Union that led to the disaster and presents the horrific reality of the situation from every possible perspective, be it the workers in the control room, the firefighters, the miners, or the innocent citizens of Pripyat.

Making / Production

"Chernobyl" is a five-part series that was produced by HBO and Sky UK. It was created and written by Craig Mazin and directed by Johan Renck. The series was filmed on location in Lithuania and Ukraine, very close to the original site, to give an authentic feel to the landscape and the series.

Actors

• Jared Harris as Valery Legasov: A leading Soviet nuclear physicist. As part of his role, he was tasked with investigating the cause of the disaster.
• Stellan Skarsgård as Boris Shcherbina: A Soviet politician who was assigned by the Kremlin to lead the government commission on Chernobyl in the early days of the disaster.
• Emily Watson as Ulana Khomyuk: A fictional character, she represents the many scientists who worked tirelessly to mitigate the disaster's consequences and investigate its causes.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The show was critically acclaimed for its historical accuracy despite some minor discrepancies.
• The blue glow witnessed by the workers immediately after the explosion was scientifically accurate, representing the ionization of air.
• The series does not feature any Russian actors. All characters speak with British accents.

Awards

"Chernobyl" became a huge success and was honored with numerous awards. The series won the Golden Globe for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, as well as the BAFTA for Best Mini-Series. In addition, the show received ten Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series.

Quotes

• "What is the cost of lies? It's not that we'll mistake them for the truth. The real danger is that if we hear enough lies, then we no longer recognize the truth at all." - Valery Legasov
• "Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid." - Valery Legasov

Music, Soundtrack

• The eerie and haunting score was composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir, who won an Emmy for her work on the series.
• The soundtrack features a mix of ominous electronic music, choral and solo vocals, and a range of sounds created by field recordings in an actual power plant.