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Image via HBO [](https://collider.com/author/collier-jennings/) By [Collier Jennings](https://collider.com/author/collier-jennings/) Published 38 minutes ago **Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with a substantial amount of experience under his belt.** Collier, or "CJ" to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. Using his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he's been able to tackle a wide variety of articles. [Sign in to your Collider account]() [Add Us On](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=collider.com "Add Us On") Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like [Thread](https://collider.com/chernobyl-hbo-series-craig-mazin-prestige-tv/#threads "Threads") Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap What is "Peak TV?" According to most entertainment experts, it was when television made a major shift into high-quality programming during the 2000's, anchored by great concepts and even greater actors. Some will point to Netflix launching original series like ***[House of Cards](https://collider.com/best-political-thriller-series-house-of-cards-inaccessible-to-netflix-subscribers-december-2025/)*** and [***Stranger Things***](https://collider.com/tag/stranger-things/) for when Peak TV took off, but it was arguably HBO that perfected the genre thanks to offerings like [***Game of Thrones***](https://collider.com/game-of-thrones-season-5-episode-3-sansa-jeyne-change-opinion/), ***[The Wire](https://collider.com/tag/the-wire/)*** and *[**The Sopranos**](https://collider.com/tag/the-sopranos/).* In 2019, **the network delivered the peak of "Peak TV"** with [***Chernobyl***](https://collider.com/tag/chernobyl/). Created and written by **Craig Mazin**, *Chernobyl* chronicles the moments before, during, and after the titular nuclear plant disaster of 1986. Though it only lasts a mere five episodes, **it has everything you'd expect from "Peak TV".** There's a stellar cast that includes **[Jared Harris](https://collider.com/foundation-season-3-jared-harris-hari-seldon/)**, [**Stellan Skarsgård**](https://collider.com/tag/stellan-skarsgard/), and [**Ralph Ineson**](https://collider.com/tag/ralph-ineson/). The cinematography by **Jakob Ihre** is equal parts chilling and compelling, often rivaling most motion pictures. There's also the praise that *Chernobyl* received; [it currently sits at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/chernobyl/s01), and picked up more than its fair share of awards. Revisiting the series reveals that those accolades are well-deserved. ## Craig Mazin Went to Great Lengths To Make ‘Chernobyl’ Feel Authentic  The cast of 'Chernobyl' examining something with masks around their necks. Image via HBO *Chernobyl* is very thorough, both in its depiction of the Chernobyl meltdown and the efforts made to try and clean it up. A large part of that is due to Craig Mazin, **who went out of his way to make sure that everything was as accurate as possible**. After realizing that he didn't know the "why" behind why Chernobyl exploded, Mazin read up on the disaster. In a post-series interview with *The Hollywood Reporter*, [he revealed what struck a chord during his research](https://collider.com/chernobyl-interview-craig-mazin/): > "So, I began reading about it...what really grabbed me and held me were the incredible stories of the human beings who lived through it, and who suffered and sacrificed to save the people that they loved, to save their countrymen and to save a continent, and continued to do so, against odds that were startling and kept getting worse. I was so moved by it. It was like I had discovered a war that people just hadn't really depicted, and I became obsessed." Mazin's research didn't just stop at books. [He actually went to visit the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone](https://www.indiewire.com/2019/05/chernobyl-episode-1-craig-mazin-johan-renck-hbo-1202131596/), which covers the site of the meltdown, and made sure to cast no American actors as he wanted to make sure the audience wasn't pulled out of the story. **The end result recieved much praise for its attention to detail**, and while Mazin did exaggerate certain things for the drama, most agree that [he captured the bigger picture](https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/05/05/1698128/). ## ’Chernobyl’s Themes Resonate to This Day Though *Chernobyl* boasts an ensemble cast, most of the story's focus goes to Jared Harris' performance as Valery Legasov, who was tasked with cleanup efforts. Yet for every chance that Legasov makes to limit the effects of the radioactive fallout, **the more his own government downplays or outright hides the effort**. When he learns that Chernobyl's core is exposed, he faces pushback from its plant manager and chief engineer. When he discovers the flaw that led to the meltdown, he's encouraged to speak about it by Ulana Khomyuk ([**Emily Watson**](https://collider.com/tag/emily-watson/)), a nuclear physicist who is investigating the meltdown. Legasov delivers an impassioned speech detailing the safety issues during the final episode, "Vichnaya Pamyat"...and is immediately stripped of his titles and social standing. It's a bleak note to end a limited series on, but Legasov's fate highlights **the dangers of misinformation**, which is once again becoming commonplace. In certain cases, particularly ones as dangerous as a nuclear plant melting down, the government has a duty to inform its citizens rather than hide the truth. The USSR's attempts to minimize Chernobyl point to an all too real issue [which Craig Mazin expertly summed up](https://www.nei.org/news/2019/viewers-guide-to-hbo-miniseries-chernobyl): "The lesson of *Chernobyl* isn't that modern nuclear power is dangerous. The lesson is that lying, arrogance, and suppression of criticism are dangerous."  Related ##### [The 15 Best Miniseries Based on True Stories, Ranked](https://collider.com/miniseries-based-on-true-stories-best-ranked/ "The 15 Best Miniseries Based on True Stories, Ranked") History brought to life. Posts [7](https://collider.com/miniseries-based-on-true-stories-best-ranked/#threads "Total Posts") By [Maysa Osley](https://collider.com/author/maysa-osley/ "Posts by Maysa Osley") ## After ‘Chernobyl’, Craig Mazin Created Another Peak TV Series for HBO  Pedro Pascal with a gun in the woods next to Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us Image via HBO *Chernobyl*, in addition to sweeping awards races and "Best Of" lists, also turned Craig Mazin into a must-watch talent. It wasn't long before Mazin would deliver another hit for the network with [***The Last of Us***](https://collider.com/tag/the-last-of-us/). *The Last of Us* and *Chernobyl* couldn't be more different, as the former is based on a beloved video game while the other is based on real-life events. Yet Mazin **managed to bring the same eye for detail and drama**, [expanding upon the world of](https://collider.com/the-last-of-us-episode-3-fixed-game/) *[The Last of Us](https://collider.com/the-last-of-us-episode-3-fixed-game/)* while also bringing key scenes to life. ### Subscribe to our newsletter for Peak TV deep dives Want deeper context on Peak TV and serious dramas like Chernobyl? Subscribing to the newsletter gives you research-backed analysis, behind-the-scenes context, and curated show recommendations that explore TV storytelling and creators. *** Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s [Terms of Use](https://www.valnetinc.com/en/terms-of-use) and [Privacy Policy](https://www.valnetinc.com/en/privacy-policy). You can unsubscribe anytime. *Chernobyl* didn't just cement Craig Mazin as a dramatic talent. It also proved that **HBO is still the home of Peak TV**, even if that label's taken a hit in recent years. If you want to watch a great TV show and learn more about a historical event, *Chernobyl* is waiting for you.  [Chernobyl](https://collider.com/tag/chernobyl/) Like Follow Followed TV-MA [Drama](https://collider.com/tag/drama/) [History](https://collider.com/tag/history/) **Release Date** 2019 - 2019 **Network** HBO **Showrunner** Craig Mazin ### Cast [See All](https://screenrant.com/db/tv-show/chernobyl/#cast-cand-crew) -  [Jared Harris](https://collider.com/tag/jared-harris/) Valery Legasov -  [Stellan Skarsgård](https://collider.com/tag/stellan-skarsgard/) Boris Shcherbina - [](https://www.crave.ca/en/tv-shows/chernobyl/1-23-45-s1e1) - [](https://app.primevideo.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.a3c244b8-d702-40e4-831b-88f17859ca41) Where to watch Close #### WHERE TO WATCH **Streaming** - [](https://www.crave.ca/en/tv-shows/chernobyl/1-23-45-s1e1) **BUY** - [](https://app.primevideo.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.a3c244b8-d702-40e4-831b-88f17859ca41) **Directors** Johan Renck **Writers** Craig Mazin **Creator(s)** Craig Mazin [Powered by ](https://screenrant.com/db/tv-show/chernobyl/) Expand Collapse - [TV Features](https://collider.com/tv-features/ "TV Features") - [ Chernobyl](https://collider.com/tag/chernobyl/ "Chernobyl") - [Craig Mazin](https://collider.com/tag/craig-mazin/ "Craig Mazin") Follow Followed Like Share [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcollider.com%2Fchernobyl-hbo-series-craig-mazin-prestige-tv%2F%2F&src=sdkpreparse) [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=HBO%E2%80%99s%20True-Story%20Miniseries%20Masterpiece%20Is%20What%20Prestige%20TV%20Should%20Look%20Like%20From%20Start%20to%20Finish&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcollider.com%2Fchernobyl-hbo-series-craig-mazin-prestige-tv%2F) [WhatsApp](https://web.whatsapp.com/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Fcollider.com%2Fchernobyl-hbo-series-craig-mazin-prestige-tv%2F) [Threads](https://www.threads.net/intent/post?text=HBO%E2%80%99s%20True-Story%20Miniseries%20Masterpiece%20Is%20What%20Prestige%20TV%20Should%20Look%20Like%20From%20Start%20to%20Finish%20https%3A%2F%2Fcollider.com%2Fchernobyl-hbo-series-craig-mazin-prestige-tv%2F) [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=https%3A%2F%2Fcollider.com%2Fchernobyl-hbo-series-craig-mazin-prestige-tv%2F) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcollider.com%2Fchernobyl-hbo-series-craig-mazin-prestige-tv%2F&title=HBO%E2%80%99s%20True-Story%20Miniseries%20Masterpiece%20Is%20What%20Prestige%20TV%20Should%20Look%20Like%20From%20Start%20to%20Finish&source=collider.com&summary=Its%20creator%20would%20go%20on%20to%20deliver%20another%20hit%20series%20for%20HBO%20that%20shares%20similar%20themes.) 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