HBO’s Chernobyl is now the top-rated TV show on IMDb, beating Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad

HBO’s period drama Chernobyl, set during and in the immediate aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986, has become the top-rated show on IMDb, beating out the likes of perennial favourites Breaking Bad, The Wire and Game of Thrones. It is the only television series with a 9.6 score on the website.

Chernobyl, a five-part miniseries that premiered on May 6, concluded its run on Tuesday, June 3. The series has received unanimous praise from critics, who’ve applauded its tense atmosphere, excellent writing, and timely political statements. You can read Hindustan Times’ five-star review here.

“Have you heard?” the official HBO account tweeted on the heels of the finale. “Chernobyl is currently IMDB’s highest rated TV show ever.” An accompanying video also announced the news.

On IMDb, Chernobyl currently sits at a 9.6 rating - the only title with such a score - ahead of Planet Earth II, which has a 9.5 score. Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones are at the number five and six spot, respectively, with a 9.4 and a 9.3 rating. Other shows in the top 10 include The Wire and Cosmos.

Also read: Chernobyl review: An outright masterpiece, HBO delivers the best new show of 2019. 5 stars

The IMDb TV top 250 ranking, like the movies top 250, is user generated. IMDb reveals its algorithm as thus: “The Top Rated TV Shows list only includes TV series and TV mini series. The list is ranked by a formula which includes the number of ratings each show received from users, and value of ratings received from regular users. To be included on the list, a series or mini series must receive ratings from at least 5000 users, and a TV series must also have aired at least 5 episodes.”

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