Chernobyl (2019)

Chernobyl delivered a visceral dramatization of the 1986 nuclear catastrophe, briefly becoming the highest-rated TV show on IMDb with a 9.4 score—0.2 points above the average for #7 on this list. The five-part miniseries earned 10 Primetime Emmy Awards from 19 nominations, a 53% win rate that outpaces the average for historical dramas. Its opening episode drew 3.2 million live viewers on HBO, doubling to 8 million across platforms within a week, a cross-platform growth rate 50% faster than the typical miniseries premiere.