Chernobyl

With unsparing intensity and haunting detail, Chernobyl recounts the aftermath of the nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Power Plant, which occurred on April 26, 1986, in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Based on Svetlana Alexievich’s Nobel Prize-winning work of literary nonfiction, Voices From Chernobyl, this five-part miniseries depicts the disaster from multiple points of view, dramatizing the stories of first responders, volunteers, and miners who faced radioactive contamination to help mitigate the meltdown, the Communist Party officials who sought to cover up the environmental and human toll of the explosion, and the scientists who dared to disclose the truth before a decaying Soviet bureaucracy built on a faltering myth of state infallibility. Featuring deeply realized ensemble performances led by Jared Harris, Emily Watson, and Stellan Skarsgård and a screenplay that engages audiences with the force of a smart political thriller, Chernobyl is an unforgettable account of what happens when scientific knowledge is censored to the detriment of people’s lives. For its bold testament to the humanity, courage, and suffering of ordinary citizens in extraordinary circumstances, we honor Chernobyl with a Peabody Award.