Asyia Iftikhar
Published April 10, 2026 4:38pm
Updated April 10, 2026 4:38pm
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This haunting historical drama is returning to TV for free (Picture: HBO)
One of the most acclaimed dramas of the past decade, Chernobyl, will be airing for free on TV for the first time in seven years.
The Sky HBO series first came out in 2019 as a five-part historical dramatisation of the notorious 1986 explosion in the Soviet Union’s Ukraine, as well as the fallout and heroic clean-up efforts.
The titular man-made catastrophe is widely regarded as one of the worst nuclear disasters of all time.
Created by The Last of Us’ Craig Mazin, the acclaimed miniseries starred Jared Harris alongside Jessie Buckley and Stellan Skarsgard and went on to collect several awards.
As well as scooping up nine Bafta awards, including major categories (becoming the most awarded British TV series in a single year), it also landed multiple Emmys and Golden Globes.
Now, multiple years after it was released, Sky is marking the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster by making it free to watch for the first time ever.
The show will air on airing nightly on the free-to-air channels Sky Mix and Sky Atlantic from April 20.
And with a critics’ score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes (and an even higher 97% audience score), this is not one to miss if you have yet to give it a try.
There’s no shortage of praise for this uniquely filmed and executed show that included bold decisions such as not having the actors speak in Russian or use Russian accents.
IMDb user thegldt wrote: ‘Chernobyl is scarier than most horror movies in that it is a dramatisation of actual, real-life horror experienced by thousands of people on that fateful April 1986 morning and the years that followed,’ adding it was ‘bleak, unsettling and haunting all throughout’.
‘This mini series is a masterpiece, perfect in every way,’ curiosityonmars shared.
‘The tragedy will live forever because of this haunting masterpiece, what a brilliant creative achievement,’ stelmakh agreed.
‘Quite possibly the most intense and powerful experience in television history! Very well could be the best as well!’ Jamie Seaton declared.
It’s been hailed as a ‘heartbreaking’ but ‘necessary’ watch (Picture: Sky UK/HBO/ Liam Daniel)
‘Catastrophic, breathtaking and accurate,’ markstech-49400 echoed.
As for critics, the sentiment was much the same.
‘Chernobyl is a series where you will have to remind yourself to unclench your jaw and un-tense your shoulders while watching it. It is heartbreaking and intense… but it’s also necessary,’ Collider wrote.
‘[Chernobyl] is not just excellent television; it’s paradigm-shifting historical storytelling, the kind of tale that alters, ever-so-subtly, the texture of the real world,’ Vanity Fair declared.
The show is critically acclaimed, and the rerun will mark the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster (Picture: Sky)
‘Everything has been beautifully articulated – from the devastating human cost to the science of radiation to the machinations of the Soviet system. I’ve even enjoyed the architecture and drab decor,’ The Observer wrote.
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With millions tuning in when it first came out, creator Craig reflected on its sheer popularity.
‘We were proud of the show we made and we thought that the “some amount of people” that watched it would appreciate it.
‘What we did not anticipate — and I think this covers everyone involved — was the way it seemed to just grow and grow and turn into this moment, this fascinating thing,’ he told Vulture.
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Chernobyl will premiere on Sky Mix and Sky Atlantic on Monday, April 20 and air nightly.
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