On April 25-26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Pripyat, Ukraine suffered the worst radioactive accident in history. From a combination of design faults and operator error, the plant “melted down”—uncontrolled nuclear reactions caused the normally cooling water to flash into steam, causing a massive explosion and later graphite (radioactive material) fire. The fire generated updrafts of toxic material that lasted for 9 days, spreading radiation west as far as the United Kingdom and causing Pripyat to be abandoned. Two workers died immediately, and over the subsequent days, weeks, and months, another 31 died from acute radiation sickness, and at least 15 local children died from cancer. Those are the “official” numbers, anyway.
Next month, HBO will be showing Chernobyl, a five-episode dramatization of the accident, the immediate response, and the disinformation campaign that followed. Written and executive-produced by Craig Mazin (The Hangover; Charlie’s Angels), the series follows stars Stellan Skarsgärd (Good Will Hunting, Dogville), Jared Harris (The Expanse, Sherlock Holmes), and Emily Watson (The Book Thief, Gosford Park) as they try to determine the extent of the damage, contain the destruction, and identify the cause of the disaster, respectively. Chernobyl is the debut feature for director Johan Renck, known primarily for music videos.
The miniseries premieres on HBO on May 6.
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