5 Reasons Why Hbo's Chernobyl Became An Instant Hit

A week before HBO’s Chernobyl premiered, a very little number of people were aware of world’s worst nuclear disaster. In a fast paced world, the people have forgotten to look into the matters of the past that have altered the entirety of human existence for the world.

The series is the next big thing for HBO since Game Of Thrones ended on quite a bad note for the fans. But since Chernobyl, the faith in HBO is restored to some degree from the fans of Chernobyl.

The following are a few reasons why HBO’s Chernobyl is a clear hit:

1. Language - It is not that the Chernobyl disaster had not been covered earlier by producers. Of course, a tragedy so devastating will take upon film easily. In 2016, Voices of Chernobyl (La Supplication) it was a Luxembourgian production. So the fact that it didn’t have a wider reach could be understood and explained.

2. Duration - With only 5 episodes explaining the entirety of the disaster, Chernobyl does not take much time in building up the premise of the disaster. Within 10 minutes of the first episode, we are clearly made aware of what has occurred. One of the more prominent things about Chernobyl is that it is straight to the point; it chooses not to dramatize the story more than it requires.

3. Drama – What works for the series is the fact that it is a perfect balance of drama. Its not too much, its not too less. The production houses have been telling the story of Chernobyl in a very neat and strained manner. Craig Mazin, (the writer of HBO’s Chernobyl) pays respect to the survivors and the people who died in the tragic event.

4. The Production – The set design, the setting, art team all work so efficiently that the series demands your attention from the very beginning and holds it together till the very end. The trauma, the fight and the suffering of the citizens of Pripyat is depicted brilliantly even with the visuals of the series. Had the production team been any lacking to the brilliance of its writing, the series would have fallen apart.

5.The Writing – Craig Mazin started researching for the project in 2014. After reading in and out about Chernobyl from the government resources to the stories of the survivors, he wanted to keep the story authentic. He chose not to give the characters a very strict accent so that the focus doesn’t shift to that but remains only on the story. In an interview, he said that he wanted the show to portray how we are on a global war right now and the consequences of it.

Along with Johan Renck, (the director) Craig Mazin create something so horrifying and real, it almost becomes impossible to not sympathize with the people of Pripyat. Chernobyl is a series that not only focuses on the tragedy and the people affected by it; but also the people who had a hand in this tragic event.

Most of all, it humanizes the story of Chernobyl rather than fictionizing it or by making it a clean cut documentary.