Are You Watching Chernobyl Yet? Because It's Currently IMDb's Highest-Rated Show on TV
:upscale()/2019/05/28/840/n/1922283/3932ffd35ced87bdc32bc4.67104115_.jpg)
Everywhere I've gone lately, all anyone seems to want to talk about is Chernobyl. With Game of Thrones now officially over, HBO's latest miniseries — which follows the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic explosion at the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine — has audiences hooked. Just in case you're still on the fence about watching the historical drama, which is currently three episodes in, I have another tidbit of information that might sway you: Chernobyl is currently ranked as IMDB's highest-rated TV series in history. In history, people!
Although there are still a few more episodes to go in the series (scratch that — only two episodes remain), clearly the people have already spoken. IMDB's fan voting system isn't perfect, obviously, but a pretty significant amount of audience members have felt compelled to vote the series into the top spot, which certainly bodes well for the show. And it makes a lot of sense. Chernobyl is not only a painstakingly authentic retelling of the harrowing events, but it's also stunningly shot and produced, with phenomenal acting from leads Jared Harris, Emily Mortimer, Stellan Skarsgård, Jessie Buckley, and more.
If you happen to be curious about which other shows occupy the top 10, we've gone ahead and rounded them up. While recent hits like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad are on the list, there are also a few surprising choices. Check them out, below!
Blue Planet II
David Attenborough's acclaimed documentary series Blue Planet returns with this excellent sequel, which explores the devastating problems our oceans face. It currently holds a 9.2 rating on IMDB with 19,000 votes.
Cosmos
95,000 votes secured this documentary exploring the laws of nature, space, and time a 9.2 rating, edging out Blue Planet II.
Our Planet
Netflix's 8-episode nature documentary has brought viewers into the diverse habitats of animals around the world, from Africa's vast plains to the remote wilderness of the Arctic. IMDB lists the docuseries as having a 9.4 rating, thanks to 10,600 votes.
The Wire
HBO's groundbreaking drama about the Baltimore drug scene ran from 2002 to 2008, and starred heavy-hitters like Dominic West, Idris Elba, Michael Kenneth Williams, and a young Michael B. Jordan. It's currently on the list with a 9.3 rating with nearly 245,000 votes.
:upscale()/2019/05/28/841/n/1922283/45933f27646cd43b_8e0a126f83fe2d195b6ff1f787e7cb58a426cabccc77b0501565754e9b18e587c98bab3a24918d0a65641dc4a8113e27.jpg)
Game of Thrones
Season eight of HBO's fantasy epic might have rubbed its viewers the wrong way, but the surprising twists and turns weren't enough to diminish Game of Thrones' 9.4 rating (and 1.5 million votes).
:upscale()/2019/05/28/841/n/1922283/a2bfad84ae9ce856_TCDBRBA_EC336.jpg)
Breaking Bad
Walter White's evolution from high school teacher to drug kingpin has a 9.4 rating on IMDB with a little over 1.2 million votes.
Planet Earth
147,000 votes lands Planet Earth — an Emmy Award-winning 11-episode nature documentary series — in the fourth spot with a 9.4 rating.
Band of Brothers
HBO is ruling this list, huh? In the third spot is the network's Band of Brothers (9.5 rating, 318,000 votes), a miniseries chronicling a company in the Army's airborne division throughout World War II Europe, starring Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Michael Fassbender, and more impressive names.
Planet Earth II
The 2016 sequel to the award-winning original documentary series once again sees David Attenborough narrating eye-opening events across the planet. In the second spot on the list, it has a 9.5 rating and nearly 72,000 votes.
:upscale()/2019/05/28/841/n/1922283/3baac5b6b96560eb_17882f202daa9430b82ad74a603dfb4750f9301fec71f2f329f9ede1b18c1240754cf93109a475986a622eeae3aed107.jpg)
Chernobyl
At the time of publication, Chernobyl was sitting pretty at the top of the list with a 9.7 rating, thanks to almost 67,000 votes. It will be interesting to see if its place on the list shifts after its final two episodes air.