While we're all still reeling from HBO's new miniseries, Chernobyl, people have been asking the question just how accurate actually is it?
How unbelievable the whole story seems makes it seem dramatised to the max - but it's actually more accurate than any of us would want to believe.
As can be seen from this side-by-side footage of the actual event and HBO's version, we can see that even down to tiny details it's almost exactly the same.
This includes the gruesome effects of radiation poisoning, the boron and sand being dropped onto the reactor, the actions of the liquidators and the response of the Soviet Government.
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The footage also shows the harrowing scene of the famous helicopter crash. In 1986, Ukranian director Vladimir Shevchenko gained access to the remains of the Chernobyl power plant and filmed efforts to seal up the gaping wound caused by the meltdown. The scene is almost exactly the same, with Valery Legasov ((played by Jared Harris) and Boris Shcherbina (Stellan Skarsgård) watching on, motionless, as the horror unfolds.
This tragic moment is based on the crash of the MI-8 Hip helicopter, which fell from the sky after colliding with a crane and fell into the smouldering remains of the reactor, killing all those on board.
Speaking on the first episode The Chernobyl Podcast, director Craig Mazin spoke about the extensive amount of research that went in to the series.
He said: "If I have a choice between going for something that sounds dramatic or something that sounds less dramatic, I actually try to opt for less because I think what is dramatic about Chernobyl doesn't need extra.
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"Believe it or not, this is the restrained version of what actually happened because believe it or not, there are some accounts where it gets even worse."
Although largely accurate, there are two talking points when it comes to the subject.
Ulana Khomyuk is a nuclear physicist who realises what has happened long before the authorities decide to give the unsuspecting public any insight in to the truth.
But the character played by Emily Watson, is actually an amalgamation of multiple people - a 'fictional composite character' who is the personification of a whole group of scientists who tried to get to the bottom of what went on at Chernobyl.
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The other thing that drew a hefty amount of criticism was the accents - they were all mainly British. But Mazin had a very reasonable explanation though - he simply didn't want the accents to take away from the acting and the story.
It worked, the show has an unreal 9.6/10 on IMDB and is well worth a watch if you haven't already.
Featured Image Credit: HBOTopics: TV and Film