Chernobyl (TV series)

[Neil]

Have to say, this is very very well done! If you get a chance make sure you catch it! I didn't realise how bad it nearly was!

s9APLXM9Ei8

[MinionZombie]

As soon as I saw the first trailer I was absolutely in. This is one of my morbid fascinations, if you will, and I agree - this series is absolutely brilliant, so well written and made.

I knew a fair bit about the whole thing, more than most folks, but there was still plenty that I didn't know that this show has been shedding light upon.

I would also highly recommend listening to the accompanying podcast in which the writer talks about the events of each episode, explains what is real and what was tweaked to fit in the framework of a TV drama mini-series (it's remarkably accurate for a TV drama).

For anyone who hasn't watched it yet, one piece of advice - don't eat during episode three. :eek:

[kidgloves]

Got these stacked up and ready to watch when I can do them in 1 sitting

[bassman]

Been watching weekly from the first episode, and very curious to see how they end it tonight. Happily ever after ending, maybe? :p

[MinionZombie]

Gonna watch the finale today. :hyper:

This has been a superb mini-series.

[Neil]

Final episode is very good, and (very minor spoiler)

...has a beautiful summary of how the disaster happened...

[MinionZombie]

I really enjoyed the final episode.


I particularly liked how it was a sort of courtroom drama (in reality neither Legasov or Sherbina were in attendance IIRC from what Craig Mazin said on the podcast, however it makes sense to take a bit of creative license as you need to wrap it all up for the audience in a clear manner that is true to the spirit of the whole thing). It was, as you say, a good way to explain how and why the CNPP exploded.

Going back to the night of the event and seeing it unfold from inside the control room and the other parts of the plant (the actual reactor, for instance, with those rods all jumping about!!!) was scary and thrilling and fascinating all at once.

The final montage of photos and text explaining some of the other aspects was also very welcome and further spoke to the show's striving for accuracy as best they could manage inside the goal posts of a 5-part mini-series.


The wider themes of truth vs lies and how that infects people, governments, and society in general is hugely relevant for today as well.

An utterly excellent series. I'll be picking this up on Blu-Ray, for sure.

[Neil]

The wider themes of truth vs lies and how that infects people, governments, and society in general is hugely relevant for today as well.

Indeed! We need only look at the politicians, police and MSM's treatement of events like Oldham (a couple of weeks ago) to see that!

[bassman]

Great series!

It’s very minor in the grand scheme of things, but the scene of Legasov(Jared Harris) standing for the start of his presentation absolutely floored me. Whatever they did with the camera to produce that anxious, vertigo-like feeling made me want to cheer!

[Neil]

Great series!

It’s very minor in the grand scheme of things, but the scene of Legasov(Jared Harris) standing for the start of his presentation absolutely floored me. Whatever they did with the camera to produce that anxious, vertigo-like feeling made me want to cheer!Yeh, I noticed that "effect" too!

[MinionZombie]

Great series!

It’s very minor in the grand scheme of things, but the scene of Legasov(Jared Harris) standing for the start of his presentation absolutely floored me. Whatever they did with the camera to produce that anxious, vertigo-like feeling made me want to cheer!

Aye, it was subtle yet effective. I've seen that kind of thing before one or two times - I think the best example would be "IT", where the camera and the subject moving most within the frame kind of become 'attached', so in "IT" the camera and the clown's head were 'static together' and everything else moved. In a similar way that sort of effect was used when Legaslov got up to speak, so we were kind of with him while everything else lurched about.

I like how the show never really pandered or oversimplified anything, but instead found a way to explain it clearly on its own terms (e.g. when Legaslov is explaining how an RBMK reactor works in that final episode, or in episode two when he's explaining the essentials to Scherbina. Similarly, the use of that model really helped the viewer understand what was going on and made sense anyway as you'd use that to explain to the judge and jury.

[bassman]

Yeah, I’d imagined it was something similar to those body rigs they often used in the early 2000’s comedies whenever someone was drunk, on drugs, or running in fear. It felt like it had something else to it too, though? Maybe some work done in post, as well?

I’ll have to give it another viewing, for sure! Hopefully the home release is packed with goodies!

[Neil]

The explanation of the events leading to the failure was brilliantly done in that final episode!

And I was surprised to find out all (three of) the workers who returned to open the valves survived!

[MinionZombie]

And I was surprised to find out all (three of) the workers who returned to open the valves survived!

The "Divers"? Aye, that was quite something. To go into all that radioactive water and then survive. It's amazing how you had people who were in the control room surviving for a long time, or people at the plant itself still being alive today, meanwhile that shocking stat that all those who watched from the bridge died as a result of that (so it seems at least).

Plus, that figure of 'up to 93,000 deaths' being the best estimate, but the official Soviet count (unchanged since it was first calculated) is a mere 31 deaths!!! :stunned:

It's kind of amazing how it affected some so harshly and others not as much, but it'll all come down to very specific things and where specifically they went and how long they were there for.

Also that little bit of video where someone had ventured down into the basement of the Pripyat hospital and found the clothing that was worn by those fire fighters - still there and still highly radioactive (the meter seemed to be reading hundreds of roentgens) ... apparently a dose of 500 roentgens within 5 hours is fatal to humans. Good thing they were wearing some sort of hazmat suit! :eek:

[Neil]

BTW, Chernobyl holds 1st place as the worst radiation accident. But Russia also holds 3rd place too with Kyshtym.

0GNSer8T6TA

[EvilNed]

I recently read a book called Chernobyl: A History of a Nuclear Catastrophe which dwelves into great detail. Having recently read it I had the events fairly fresh in my memory. It's amazing how the creators of the show decided to stick so close to the truth.

Amazing show. Loved pretty much all of it.

To include the Belorussian scientist played by Emily Watson, while not a real character, was also a wise creative choice.

It's directed by a Swede, who I've worked with briefly. A lot of my friends worked on the show. I knew they were shooting a series on Chernobyl, but not that it'd be this great. A lot of Swedish actors turn up. Stellan Skarsgård plays Sjerbina, David Dencik plays Gorbachev and Alexej Manvelov and Fares Fares play the two soldier sin Ep4. I work with Alexej now on another shoot.

[MinionZombie]

There's been a few snide articles floating about the web - nothing can gain high acclaim without someone coming along to thumb their nose at it, certainly not in the age of the Internet.

Anyway, one article I read got sniffy about the helicopter crash atop the CNPP, wrongly claiming that the show depicted the chopper as failing from radiation - but that's not what they show, they show it clipping a cable/chain (as in real life) which then causes it to crash. The only thing that changed with that event in the show was the placement of it - a bit of time compression so as to include that important stand-out moment, but understandably to do so in the episode that heavily featured the helicopter stuff. To have to cram everything in precisely at the time it happened would lead to a screenwriting mess.

There was some complaint regarding 'nuclear contamination', particularly in regard to the firefighter's wife. Now, do any of us know specifically what lead to the death of her infant soon after its birth? Perhaps not. Perhaps the difference between when an irradiated person is and isn't capable of spreading that nuclear infection could have helped (once clothing is removed and the body has been thoroughly washed it's then a case of internal poisoning for the poor soul who has been scuppered by the atom). Perhaps some of these things fall into subjective opinion, others into scientific fact, and yet more into the mists of a lack of data thanks to the Soviets wanting to keep a lid on the whole thing.

Another bone of contention for one writer of an article in Forbes seems to be the 'Bridge of Death' and the fates of those who were on it. But then again, there seems to be so little actual documented evidence of exactly who is alive and dead and who suffered consequences (cancers, birth defects etc). I do seem to recall some charity or organisation along the lines of 'Children of Chernobyl' in which they looked after a lot of children with various birth defects across mental and physical disabilities, plus a range of cancers. In that same article they decried the 'demonisation of nuclear' (despite the fact that Mazin explicitly said that was never his intention at all), but it seemed to skew off more into other issues and opinions and misunderstandings that have existed long before this show was created. Although, the article did raise an interesting point which I agreed with/understood - quite ironically the creation of nuclear weapons had led to fewer wars (and casualties of war therefore). Naturally, this is 'mutually assured destruction', now that Pandora's Box has been opened the knowledge of how to create a nuclear weapon cannot be unlearned, but the vast irony of it all is that the weapons are so devastating that they cannot be used (by any half-sensible mind, at least!) ... but weaponry and power are indeed two very different things, but common sense and honesty about these weapons and power facilities need to be maintained. The absolute farce of the safety button's flaw and why it wasn't fixed immediately, and anything like it, cannot be allowed to happen.

One of the pissier little complaints has been the use of "Comrade", however the writer had fewer instances of that until a woman who was there in Ukraine at the time went through the script and added in more instances of "Comrade".

As for Emily Watson's character - aye, makes total sense to have a representative single character to cover dozens and dozens of different people, again for narrative purposes, but it was nice to see that they flagged that up in the closing montage.

Anyway ... hopefully there'll be a nice Blu-Ray release of this. I'll certainly be picking it up! Great to see that the show has been receiving high acclaim from critics and viewers alike, and is getting seen more and more. It's a wonderfully written piece of historical drama. Certain choices that Mazin made in the first episode quite impressed me too - such as showing the suicide straight away (in case anyone Googled it and had that event 'spoiled' for them), and to show the explosion far in the distance through a kitchen window and within the first ten minutes. Conventional writing wisdom would have had the explosion nearer the end of episode one, but to show what lead towards it in the final episode in the context of the trial was an excellent way to pace it.

[MinionZombie]

_4siRRMN4Nk

A video from 2016 where a group go and have a looksee at the control room for Reactor 4.

Apparently there has been a 40% rise in tourism bookings for Pripyat and the surrounding area.

There's also been some fucking "influencer" morons posing for 'sexy selfies' in Pripyat, some of them with their arses literally hanging out, or posing for 'ooh, look at me' pictures in the area. Morons with low numbers of followers (three figures, maybe squeaking into four figures) trying to get some attention - and have quite justifiably been mocked or blasted for their idiocy. It's like people who pose for selfies at concentration camps ... the obliviousness knows no bounds. :stunned:

[bassman]

At the end she says “what an exciting place to be!”. Yeah, it’s exciting, I’m sure, but I’d probably describe it as terrifying first and foremost!

I love watching the videos, docs, pictures, etc....but I don’t know if I’d ever have the balls to go in there, so I tip my hat to those folks.

[MinionZombie]

Yeah. I'm fascinated with the place, but I don't think I'd want to tempt fate by going there. At the very least I just know I'd be the one fucker on the tour group who'd pick up radioactive particles and have to get stripped and decontaminated ... and/or have it affect my health or something messed up. :shifty:

I'm sure it's probably fine the way they're going about it, but then again do we have any kind of health stats relating to the people who regularly go there/have worked in the area for the last thirty-three years? Yeah ... I think I'm fine with some armchair tourism on this one. :p

[Neil]

Yeah. I'm fascinated with the place, but I don't think I'd want to tempt fate by going there. At the very least I just know I'd be the one fucker on the tour group who'd pick up radioactive particles and have to get stripped and decontaminated ... and/or have it affect my health or something messed up. :shifty:

I'm sure it's probably fine the way they're going about it, but then again do we have any kind of health stats relating to the people who regularly go there/have worked in the area for the last thirty-three years? Yeah ... I think I'm fine with some armchair tourism on this one. :p

I still can't believe the three workers who went in the for the water valve all survived radiation free!

[MinionZombie]

I still can't believe the three workers who went in the for the water valve all survived radiation free!

Well, I guess it was down to them having far more protection compared to some white cotton coveralls like the guys in the control room, but even still it is stunning. I wouldn't be surprised if they had some sort of health issues later on, but the fact that they survived is astonishing.

The liquidators who had to go up onto the highest part of the roof - that was quite fascinating as again there was a lot of protection (including lead armour plates), but they had their strict time limit to be up there and then that was their lifetime's fill of radiation in 90 seconds. :stunned: They got scrubbed down and off they went back to normal life.

What's also fascinating is how certain wildlife has thrived in the area despite the radiation.

[MinionZombie]

It seems Dyatlov's delusion has become something of a meme...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eckdfSzN07Y

This is a fan's 'delusion montage' video ... the comments below are morbidly hilarious.

[bassman]

“The reactor core has exploded!”

“It’s delusional, take it to the infirmary”

:lol:

[shootemindehead]

A decent and entertaining drama. But, no doubt highly fictionalised in some areas and it's depiction of contemporary Russia and Russians is clearly a "westernised" one to a bit of a silly degree, which was completely unnecessary.

I also never really like composite characters in general, but I liked Emily Watson in her role (she's always a good watch) and it's understandable why the producers would create this character as a means to drive the procedural part of the show, otherwise we'd have a series three times its length.

Over all though, it's pretty good and well worth a watch. But, like all supposed TV shows and movies that are "based on true events", I'd have some salt ready to be taken in regular pinches.

[MinionZombie]

“The reactor core has exploded!”

“It’s delusional, take it to the infirmary”

:lol:

There's quite a few creative spins on it in the comments, isn't there? :lol:

"Netflix: HBO dies with GOT.
HBO: Hold my Graphite."

"it's not 3 roentgen , it's 15000
dyatlov : the decimeter is in shock , take it to the infirmary"

"It will burn and spread its poison until the entire continent is dead!
Dyatlov: "Completely normal phenomenon, can happen with minimal radiation."

"Comrade Dyatlov did you see graphite?
Yes i did but i was delusional. Take me to the infirmary."

"AKIMOV BREATHES
DYATLOV: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE."

"starts vomiting his organs out
Dyatlov: "Not good, but not terrible"

"Joffrey: I am the most delusional character in any HBO series.
Dyatlov: Hold my graphite."

"You didn't see graphite. This is not the graphite you're looking for" - obi wan dyatlov

"Dyatlovs pencil stops working*
Dyatlov: THERE IS NO GRAPHITE!!! Take it to the infirmary."

[Neil]

A decent and entertaining drama. But, no doubt highly fictionalised in some areas and it's depiction of contemporary Russia and Russians is clearly a "westernised" one to a bit of a silly degree, which was completely unnecessary.

I also never really like composite characters in general, but I liked Emily Watson in her role (she's always a good watch) and it's understandable why the producers would create this character as a means to drive the procedural part of the show, otherwise we'd have a series three times its length.
Watch the documentary "The Real Chernobyl" - I think you might be surprised maybe how reasonable the interpretation of the depiction of the "Russian system" was.

And don't forget, Gorbachev himself said the issues around the processes in and around the accident caused the end of the Soviet Union.

[MinionZombie]

Watch the documentary "The Real Chernobyl" - I think you might be surprised maybe how reasonable the interpretation of the depiction of the "Russian system" was.

And don't forget, Gorbachev himself said the issues around the processes in and around the accident caused the end of the Soviet Union.

Aye, that was a good little overview of the main events, a nice supplement.

Also well worth listening to is the Chernobyl Podcast, in which the writer Craig Mazin goes over each episode.

[EvilNed]

A decent and entertaining drama. But, no doubt highly fictionalised in some areas and it's depiction of contemporary Russia and Russians is clearly a "westernised" one to a bit of a silly degree, which was completely unnecessary.

I also never really like composite characters in general, but I liked Emily Watson in her role (she's always a good watch) and it's understandable why the producers would create this character as a means to drive the procedural part of the show, otherwise we'd have a series three times its length.

Over all though, it's pretty good and well worth a watch. But, like all supposed TV shows and movies that are "based on true events", I'd have some salt ready to be taken in regular pinches.

I don't agree at all. Having recently read a book on the events surrounding the accidents I found the series remarkeably accurate in it's depiction of what happened. The sole exception I can think of (apart from the stated Emily Watson character) is the depiction of Bruchanov as a villain - which by most accounts he was not.

[shootemindehead]

Watch the documentary "The Real Chernobyl" - I think you might be surprised maybe how reasonable the interpretation of the depiction of the "Russian system" was.

And don't forget, Gorbachev himself said the issues around the processes in and around the accident caused the end of the Soviet Union.

I've seen plenty of Chernobyl documentaries over the years.

That's a bit of Hyperbole on behalf of Gorby. The Soviet Union was heading inexorably toward its end long before Chernobyl happened and it would have happened with or without it.

- - - Updated - - -


I don't agree at all. Having recently read a book on the events surrounding the accidents I found the series remarkeably accurate in it's depiction of what happened. The sole exception I can think of (apart from the stated Emily Watson character) is the depiction of Bruchanov as a villain - which by most accounts he was not.

There are too many "villainous" roles going on and an unnecessary "evil commie" slant in the show. It comes across as a of bit petty drama. Bryukhanov is practically made up of whole cloth, and is about as fictional as Emily Watson's character. He also accepted his responsibility for the accident too. Dyatlov, as well, is almost a panto villain and was nothing like that in real life. Additionally, Shcherbina starts off as a caricature, even if he does balance out toward the end. All the KGB nonsense is pure fiction also. Legasov was interviewed, but he wasn't detained by the KGB or threatened either and he never met Chebrikov. He wasn't even at the trial, as depicted in Ep.5. Nobody followed him and he didn't have hidden tapes of information as shown at the the beginning of EP.1. The miners, as well, were never threatened at gunpoint to dig the underground tunnel to help prevent the core from further depression. All of that as done to create a certain type of sinister atmosphere and it really wasn't needed.

It's a good show, well made and, yes reasonably accurate for the most part. But, I could have done without the unnecessary and cheap political point scoring. For instance the lines by the absurdly cartoonish and completely fictional party apparatchik, "Yes, I worked in a shoe factory. And now I’m in charge. To the workers of the world." are particularly eye rolling.

On the flip side we have silly reactions from modern day Russian media claiming that 'Chernobyl' was just pure propaganda, with Russian TV station NTV writing its own version to combat HBO's, in which they're trying to claim that it was a CIA operation all along.

[MinionZombie]

The sole exception I can think of (apart from the stated Emily Watson character) is the depiction of Bruchanov as a villain - which by most accounts he was not.

I never really saw Bruchanov as being deemed a villain at all, really more of a jobsworth or a company man, if you will. He's a part of the system, he has his place in the system, and he's quite happy with that, and with the way the system worked he reacts as the system pushes people to react.


That's a bit of Hyperbole on behalf of Gorby. The Soviet Union was heading inexorably toward its end long before Chernobyl happened and it would have happened with or without it.

But who knows how long it would have limped on for, even with talks going on between the USA and Soviet Russia. It's probably quite fair to say that Chernobyl - such a huge international incident, the exposure of Soviet lies and failings etc - was the final decisive event.


He wasn't even at the trial, as depicted in Ep.5.

Mazin talks specifically about this in the Chernobyl Podcast (again, I'd recommend listening to it). His reasoning for having Legasov and Shcherbina there is more for narrative purposes. One, there was a bit of a 'wrap up' needed for the relationship between Legasov and Shcherbina, and two (the main one) was to be able to condense an entire examination of the incident into a single episode while also explaining to the audience exactly how and why the event happened. To have shown the trial as it precisely happened would have made for dreadful television - it would have been utterly confusing with a screed of nameless random faces we've never met before, to whom the audience have no connection, your main characters would have vanished, the whole thing would have been a clunky slab of show trial legalese, and the audience would have been baffled. You're telling a true story, but you're also presenting it as a narrative drama, and the rules of real life and television are two different things ... it's impossible to make a square peg fit in a round hole, as it were.[/QUOTE]


I could have done without the unnecessary and cheap political point scoring. For instance the lines by the absurdly cartoonish and completely fictional party apparatchik, "Yes, I worked in a shoe factory. And now I’m in charge. To the workers of the world." are particularly eye rolling.

On the flip side we have silly reactions from modern day Russian media claiming that 'Chernobyl' was just pure propaganda, with Russian TV station NTV writing its own version to combat HBO's, in which they're trying to claim that it was a CIA operation all along.

1) So, what, that sort of nonsense didn't go on in Soviet Russia? The KGB weren't feeling people's collars? People's reputations weren't tarnished because they fell out of favour or did something 'wrong'? :rockbrow:

2) Yeah, I've heard about that ... what a load of old cobblers. :lol:

[shootemindehead]

But who knows how long it would have limped on for, even with talks going on between the USA and Soviet Russia. It's probably quite fair to say that Chernobyl - such a huge international incident, the exposure of Soviet lies and failings etc - was the final decisive event.

Chernobyl had nothing to do with the wind down of the Soviet Union.


Mazin talks specifically about this in the Chernobyl Podcast (again, I'd recommend listening to it). His reasoning for having Legasov and Shcherbina there is more for narrative purposes. One, there was a bit of a 'wrap up' needed for the relationship between Legasov and Shcherbina, and two (the main one) was to be able to condense an entire examination of the incident into a single episode while also explaining to the audience exactly how and why the event happened. To have shown the trial as it precisely happened would have made for dreadful television - it would have been utterly confusing with a screed of nameless random faces we've never met before, to whom the audience have no connection, your main characters would have vanished, the whole thing would have been a clunky slab of show trial legalese, and the audience would have been baffled. You're telling a true story, but you're also presenting it as a narrative drama, and the rules of real life and television are two different things ... it's impossible to make a square peg fit in a round hole, as it were.

This has nothing to with what I've said. I understand the narrative decisions that were made in the making of the program. I also understand that it's fiction and should be viewed as such. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be any dramatic licence taken at all. But, nobody should be walking away from the TV show thinking they have all the facts or thinking that the portrayal of the people involved is absolutely truthful. Nobody should walk away from any TV show or movie thinking that.

But, while it was a good TV show, its "villains and heroes" approach lessens it, in my eyes.


1) So, what, that sort of nonsense didn't go on in Soviet Russia? The KGB weren't feeling people's collars? People's reputations weren't tarnished because they fell out of favour or did something 'wrong'? :rockbrow:

I didn't say that.

But the KGB didn't act in the way that was presented in the program, especially with Valery Legasov. It's more dramatic licence. A shadowy "commie" spectre and it's a bit silly, because it comes across as cartoonish.

That doesn't excuse real actions that the KGB engaged in during it's time, nor its precursor, the NKVD, or its successor, the FSK. But in 'Chernobyl', it was unnecessary and cheap.

The KGB at the time were more concerned with putting out damage limitation propaganda for international consumption and reducing the capital that such a disaster handed to the Americans. This wasn't a hair brained fear either, especially at the height of the Cold War. But, it's not as if this type of misinformation could only happen in Russia. That type of bureaucratic desire to keep the lid on things, even to the detriment of ones own citizens, was and is endemic everywhere. Could the Politburo have done things better or differently. Absolutely. But, even so, the Russians achieved remarkable feats in managing the disaster too. A disaster that nowhere in the world had experienced, even if one could say a disaster that should never have happened in the first place.

But, that's the thing about disasters. They're only disasters when they happen. And it's only after they happen that measures are put in place to combat similar scenarios. It took Three Mile Island to kick the Americans into shape about their own lacking in their nuclear industry and if there are been a full meltdown in that reactor, it wouldn't have gone down that much differently that Chernobyl did.

[EvilNed]

There are too many "villainous" roles going on and an unnecessary "evil commie" slant in the show. It comes across as a of bit petty drama. Bryukhanov is practically made up of whole cloth, and is about as fictional as Emily Watson's character. He also accepted his responsibility for the accident too. Dyatlov, as well, is almost a panto villain and was nothing like that in real life. Additionally, Shcherbina starts off as a caricature, even if he does balance out toward the end. All the KGB nonsense is pure fiction also. Legasov was interviewed, but he wasn't detained by the KGB or threatened either and he never met Chebrikov. He wasn't even at the trial, as depicted in Ep.5. Nobody followed him and he didn't have hidden tapes of information as shown at the the beginning of EP.1. The miners, as well, were never threatened at gunpoint to dig the underground tunnel to help prevent the core from further depression. All of that as done to create a certain type of sinister atmosphere and it really wasn't needed.

As I pointed out, most of the actions by Dyatlov in the show are accurate. He was a cursing, domineering and hard ass of a boss. The depiction is not that far off. Only the slapping of the clipboard has no basis in reality, but the threats made to the people under him are.

Most of Bruchanovs actions in the series are likewise accurate, but the series of course did not portray any of his positive sides. But he himself has admitted that when he arrived at the plant one of his first thoughts were "My career is now over" and I think his character in the show reflects that. However he was not as hard with his colleagues as he is shown here, except during stressful moments.

As for Scherbina I don't think he's a caricature at all. Legasov wasn't present at the trial, that much is true, but that entire episode functions only to explain the accident it to us viewers (so I forgive it for that). However the KGB stuff is accurate. Legasov lied at Vienna and was due for a promotion in doing so, and he did record and hide tapes from the KGB. As for the Miners, all we know is that they were drafted to do the dig. The manner in which they were drafted is up for speculation. We don't know. So it's tough to single that out as something as inaccurate, because the truth is unknown to us.

[MinionZombie]

As for the Miners, all we know is that they were drafted to do the dig. The manner in which they were drafted is up for speculation. We don't know. So it's tough to single that out as something as inaccurate, because the truth is unknown to us.

Something that was really interesting on the Chernobyl Podcast was hearing that the Miners were a rare group in that they held a fair bit of sway, they were literally fuelling the Soviet empire - and they knew it - so they could be brusque and hardy in the face of government. Now, 'at gunpoint' is a bit askew from the show as I don't recall them having guns pointed at them. Yes, some armed soldiers turn up, but so does the Minister for Coal (or whatever his title was) ... did they smear him with coal when they trundled off to do as requested/told? I don't know, but it certainly gets the point across as to their little extra strength as a group compared to others under that same system who'd be under the thumb of bureaucracy.

[shootemindehead]

As I pointed out, most of the actions by Dyatlov in the show are accurate. He was a cursing, domineering and hard ass of a boss. The depiction is not that far off. Only the slapping of the clipboard has no basis in reality, but the threats made to the people under him are.

I'm talking about character, not "most of" his "actions". He may have been a hard ass boss to some degree, but Paul Ritter's panto villain caricature doesn't reflect the real life man. Not that it actually has to either, mind you. This is a fictional television program we're talking about here, not a documentary. Here's an interview with the real Anatoly Dyatlov. People are free to take what they want from it. He could, of course, be putting on an act for the camera. Or, more than likely, Paul Ritter was playing a "bad guy" in a TV show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8__v9EswN4


Most of Bruchanovs actions in the series are likewise accurate, but the series of course did not portray any of his positive sides. But he himself has admitted that when he arrived at the plant one of his first thoughts were "My career is now over" and I think his character in the show reflects that. However he was not as hard with his colleagues as he is shown here, except during stressful moments.

And equally likewise, I am not talking about the show for its depictions of some people's actions. It's the cartoonish characterisations that sparked my, pretty mild, criticism.

[EvilNed]

There is nothing really out-of-character in the depiction of Dyatlov. In the trial he stood up and blamed everyone else but himself for the accident. If any one person ought to be depicted as a villain in the series, it's him - and it's in keeping with his personality.

Bruchanov I agree with, however.

[Neil]

Just started watching this again. So good!

[MinionZombie]

Just started watching this again. So good!

I watched "Ben Fogle: Inside Chernobyl" last night on Channel 5, and it's got me all interested for a re-watch myself.

Seeing the hospital with the basement sealed up - because the clothes removed from the firefighters are just so damn radioactive - was chilling.

The miniseries was superb. Have you listened to the accompany podcast? Six episodes - wonderfully informative about both the writing process and the historical accuracy. Very worthwhile listening to.

[Neil]

I watched "Ben Fogle: Inside Chernobyl" last night on Channel 5, and it's got me all interested for a re-watch myself.Snap... Hence me watching it ;)


Seeing the hospital with the basement sealed up - because the clothes removed from the firefighters are just so damn radioactive - was chilling.I remember in a documentary them going into that basement and measuring the radioactivity from those clothes :(

[Tricky]

I hope it was worth the youtube hits for this guy going down into that basement to film his geiger counter going off the scale

https://youtu.be/C4g3FkXUhx0

[MinionZombie]

I hope it was worth the youtube hits for this guy going down into that basement to film his geiger counter going off the scale

Innit!

Like, ooh, here's the highest reading so far on these boots covered with radioactive mud from outside the burning Reactor #4 ... better really linger beside them ... ooh, wait, a room chock-full of firemen's clothes?! Better actually go inside it ... TWICE.

Bonkers! And only wearing, what, a Tyvek suit and a pretty ordinary face mask?

What's really worrying are the stalkers who take things from the area - radioactive trophies - even worse are the ones who try and sell that shit online. Imagine the items that are successfully shipped around the world, oozing radiation, to then sit in someone's home continually oozing radiation over that person and everything in their home. Crazy!

I was quite happy to do my dark tourism in STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl etc, ta muchly.

[EvilNed]

God damnit guys, I want to rewatch this so bad now.

[Neil]

God damnit guys, I want to rewatch this so bad now.

I'd forgotten how effortlessly good the drama in it was. The music (sound effects) are also so effective. And the summary of the events in the final episode is again, so well done.

Yes, watch it again :)

[MinionZombie]

God damnit guys, I want to rewatch this so bad now.

haha - I know! Every time I see it scroll by on the list of box sets On Demand I get a bit itchy to rewatch it.

I definitely will rewatch it some time, that's for sure. Maybe sooner rather than later, once I've finished the current show I'm binge viewing.


I'd forgotten how effortlessly good the drama in it was. The music (sound effects) are also so effective. And the summary of the events in the final episode is again, so well done.

Yes, watch it again :)

Agreed. So well written, which is the main thing, and then on top of that you've got wonderful performances, super cinematography and direction, and quite importantly with a true life historical event as complex as this one - editing. As you say, that final episode really lays it all out. While it sidesteps the truth a bit (i.e. the scientist chap wasn't actually present at the actual hearing), it manages to wrap up the mini-series perfectly in terms of the history, the plot, and the characters - and visually it helps the viewer a great deal (with those 'good' and 'bad' placards, as it were, being moved and removed as he explains exactly what happened and why). It was accessible without being 'dumbed down'.

[Neil]

It was accessible without being 'dumbed down'.
Nice way to summarise it...


sDnT_ORAnVg

[MinionZombie]

I've just realised that the actor who plays Dyatlov is the father in Friday Night Dinner (which, admittedly, I only just got around to watching last month - bingeing all six series).

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2a/3f/bf/2a3fbf63eac6ab96decfc0f76632c06c.png

Dyatlov ... what a pillocking pillock.

[Neil]

I've just realised that the actor who plays Dyatlov is the father in Friday Night Dinner (which, admittedly, I only just got around to watching last month - bingeing all six series).

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2a/3f/bf/2a3fbf63eac6ab96decfc0f76632c06c.png

Dyatlov ... what a pillocking pillock.

Yes... He's great - "Shit on it!"

"Friday Night Dinner"... We still regularly watch it, even though we've seen every episode like 3-4 times!

[MinionZombie]

Yes... He's great - "Shit on it!"

"Friday Night Dinner"... We still regularly watch it, even though we've seen every episode like 3-4 times!

"Alright bambinos? Any females?" :lol:

I never got into it when it first started in 2011, as I had plenty of other things to watch, and then once it was 2 or 3 series deep they still weren't really doing On Demand properly, so I was never able to catch up. However, I stumbled across it on Netflix (first five series) and then downloaded series 6 via Sky and just rinsed through them. Excellent series! It's been very tough times here lately, but FND was able to bring some much-needed wheezes of laughter.

All this talk of Chernobyl's really getting me hot to trot for a rewatch now ... I'm half-way through season one of The Man In The High Castle right now, and come Friday season three of Formula 1: Drive To Survive will be on (but considering how fast I blasted through season two last year I'll have that done in a jiffy). Perhaps I'll have a Chernobyl-shaped interlude between High Castle seasons, while I'm all hot and bothered for it.

[Neil]

"Alright bambinos? Any females?" :lol:

I never got into it when it first started in 2011, as I had plenty of other things to watch, and then once it was 2 or 3 series deep they still weren't really doing On Demand properly, so I was never able to catch up. However, I stumbled across it on Netflix (first five series) and then downloaded series 6 via Sky and just rinsed through them. Excellent series! It's been very tough times here lately, but FND was able to bring some much-needed wheezes of laughter.

All this talk of Chernobyl's really getting me hot to trot for a rewatch now ... I'm half-way through season one of The Man In The High Castle right now, and come Friday season three of Formula 1: Drive To Survive will be on (but considering how fast I blasted through season two last year I'll have that done in a jiffy). Perhaps I'll have a Chernobyl-shaped interlude between High Castle seasons, while I'm all hot and bothered for it.

One last off topic Friday Night Dinner point. Did you see the 2nd or 3rd episode of the first series where Jim was talking totally normally? It was really odd! It was I believe the first episode they shot and the actor hadn't decided on the character's voice, hence him coming across as 'normal', and just not as effective (funny)!

[MinionZombie]

One last off topic Friday Night Dinner point. Did you see the 2nd or 3rd episode of the first series where Jim was talking totally normally? It was really odd! It was I believe the first episode they shot and the actor hadn't decided on the character's voice, hence him coming across as 'normal', and just not as effective (funny)!

I'm not sure if I recall ... I think so ... might have to look again just to see. He must have settled into the voice and intonation quite quickly, although I think he sunk further into it over the first few episodes and really cemented Jim's voice.

[MinionZombie]

Paul Ritter - that's the name of the actor we're talking about.

Anyway - I started on my rewatch of Chernobyl last night with episode one. Again, bloody amazing. It was so clever to begin everything (well, aside from the opening sequence) with the explosion being miles away through a window, to not view it from the inside initially, and to slowly peel back the layers of just how bad the situation was, drawing the viewer in - plus the madness of the government members.

"I saw graphite."
"No you didn't."

[Neil]

Paul Ritter - that's the name of the actor we're talking about.

Anyway - I started on my rewatch of Chernobyl last night with episode one. Again, bloody amazing. It was so clever to begin everything (well, aside from the opening sequence) with the explosion being miles away through a window, to not view it from the inside initially, and to slowly peel back the layers of just how bad the situation was, drawing the viewer in - plus the madness of the government members.

"I saw graphite."
"No you didn't."

Yes, and then go into the full detail/reveal of the explosion in the last episode...

And the music/audio is great too!

[MinionZombie]

Yes, and then go into the full detail/reveal of the explosion in the last episode...

And the music/audio is great too!

There's a great atmosphere to the music, yes - has that sense of tragic obliviousness that many of the people caught up in it had, like those people watching on from the bridge, thinking the light beaming up into the night sky was beautiful, or that sense of despair stalking closer to shove an ugly dose of realisation in the face of those right there in the middle of the disaster itself. There's an immense feeling of "uh oh" about the music, of a tragedy unfolding, of this invisible killer lurking in the atmosphere.

[MinionZombie]

Well, I re-watched it - and it was brilliant a second time around.

Anyone else re-watched it after Ben Fogle got them revved up to do so? :D

Also - this haunting piece of music from the closing historical montage in episode five:

Homin Lviv Municipal Choir - Vichnaya Pamyat

dLZPfMHWPWk

[Neil]

Yep, epic! And the audio/music too!

And yes, watched it after the Ben Fogle thingy.

[MinionZombie]

I've been re-listening to the Chernobyl podcast with writer Craig Mazin, too - excellent background information on not only the production and writing process, but on the actual history of certain people and moments from the story.

[Neil]

I've been re-listening to the Chernobyl podcast with writer Craig Mazin, too - excellent background information on not only the production and writing process, but on the actual history of certain people and moments from the story.

This? - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-chernobyl-podcast/id1459712981

[MinionZombie]

This? - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-chernobyl-podcast/id1459712981

Aye, that's the one. Highly recommended listening for fans of the miniseries, and only six 45-50 minute episodes, so it's not a huge time suck either.

[bassman]

Aye, that's the one. Highly recommended listening for fans of the miniseries, and only six 45-50 minute episodes, so it's not a huge time suck either.

I took your advice and recently gave the series another spin, listening to the podcasts after every episode. Thank you kindly for that recommendation! Loved it!

I discovered this may be a regular thing for HBO’s series going forward, as there is also an official podcast for Watchmen. Coincidentally, hosted by Chernobyl creator Greg Mazin. Also a fantastic way to revisit that phenomenal series!

[Neil]

Right up there as one of the best series ever, along with Band Of Brothers for me...

[MinionZombie]

Right up there as one of the best series ever, along with Band Of Brothers for me...

Darn tootin'.

I've watched Band of Brothers several times through over the years and no doubt I'll do the same with Chernobyl as well (twice so far).

[Neil]

I would include Game Of Thrones in there too, excepty the last 1-2 seasons are so poor in comparison to the rest of the series, they rip out my will to watch them all again :(

[MinionZombie]

I would include Game Of Thrones in there too, excepty the last 1-2 seasons are so poor in comparison to the rest of the series, they rip out my will to watch them all again :(

I thought the penultimate season was really good. Didn't have any issues with it.

I think it is fair to say that season 8 felt like it was in a little too much of a rush at times, trying to tie everything up slightly quickly, but then again Seasons 7 and 8 are basically the third act of the whole thing, so their pacing should indeed be much more brisk and all aiming towards conclusion.

I had no issues with how Dany ended up - the clues were all there from season one - and I was satisfied with how everything wrapped up. It's a bit 'cool' to hate on GoT's ending, I feel, it's basically a meme unto itself at this point. Last week's episode of Inside No.9 even did their spin on it, haha!

[Neil]

I thought the penultimate season was really good. Didn't have any issues with it.

I think it is fair to say that season 8 felt like it was in a little too much of a rush at times, trying to tie everything up slightly quickly, but then again Seasons 7 and 8 are basically the third act of the whole thing, so their pacing should indeed be much more brisk and all aiming towards conclusion.

I had no issues with how Dany ended up - the clues were all there from season one - and I was satisfied with how everything wrapped up. It's a bit 'cool' to hate on GoT's ending, I feel, it's basically a meme unto itself at this point. Last week's episode of Inside No.9 even did their spin on it, haha!
GoT - Season 7 was OK, but 8 for me just felt - as you say - rushed, and almost a lazy box ticking exercise, where the depth of the earlier seasons (story/characters) was squandered, almost to frustrating levels...

Anyhoo :)

[MinionZombie]

GoT - Season 7 was OK, but 8 for me just felt - as you say - rushed, and almost a lazy box ticking exercise, where the depth of the earlier seasons (story/characters) was squandered, almost to frustrating levels...

Anyhoo :)

I don't really agree there on 8, as I feel all that deep character legwork stuff had already been done, so why trundle through yet more of it without really adding much at this point after so many seasons and episodes of rich development. Like I said, it was time for the big-ass payoff of the whole tale's third act.

Was it perfect? No. Does it deserve the flack it has received? No.

[Neil]

RIP Paul...

650suDIBB2k

[Neil]

Of interest?

5kxUOKqSxNs

[MinionZombie]

Saw "The Lost Tapes" a little while back - very worthwhile seeing.

Lots of fascinating documentary footage throughout, as well as some quite revealing clips in the wake of the disaster and how the citizens were questioning the 'reality' that the Soviets were presenting to them. They saw the fallout with their own eyes, yet their Soviet overlords insisted otherwise.