In a year that was history making itself, historical and political TV shows dominated our screens. While cinema was largely at a standstill, television could thrive through various lockdowns. Whenever there was the need to escape the realities of 2020, television could transport us into different eras...
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Welcome to Elena Watches, dedicated to all things historical and political TV. Look further and you will find reviews, recommendations, essays and character profiles. I’ll analyse the authenticity of shows and give you the context you need to watch on. And at times, I’ll talk about the shows that are history making.
We’ll explore how individuals navigate complex political issues. We’ll watch fictional stories in historical times, or those based on true events and real people who confronted conventions and challenged the powerful. And we’ll remember those who were forgotten by history.
There will be spoilers.
Chernobyl, 1986: a nuclear reactor explodes, pumping unimaginable amounts of radiation into the air. It’s one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Thousands put their lives on the line to prevent complete devastation.
Based on a true story.
1986 / Soviet Union
Two people sitting on a park bench are poisoned with a nerve agent. The victims: a former Russian spy and double agent for the UK, and his daughter. The authorities rush to stop the spread of the poison.
Based on the true story.
2018 / UK
US Army scientists find the ebola virus in the heart of Washington as they perform tests on monkeys. They must contain the spread or risk a deadly epidemic in the United States.
Based on the true story.
1980s / USA
A team of eight, selected by “The Professor”, break into the Royal Mint of Spain. Their meticulous plan: take 67 people hostage and leave with €2.4 billion.
Present Day / Spain
Talent agency ASK juggles the tumultuous careers (and personal lives) of the French film industry’s elite. Each episode features an icon of French media, as themselves, disrupting the lives of the agents.
Present Day / France
A diverse group of teenage girls are stranded on a remote island after their plane crashes. As they struggle for survival, intermittent flashbacks show us who they really are.
Present Day / USA
Chernobyl, 1986: a nuclear reactor explodes, pumping unimaginable amounts of radiation into the air. It’s one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Thousands put their lives on the line to prevent complete devastation.
Based on a true story.
1986 / Soviet Union
Talent agency ASK juggles the tumultuous careers (and personal lives) of the French film industry’s elite. Each episode features an icon of French media, as themselves, disrupting the lives of the agents.
Present Day / France
US Army scientists find the ebola virus in the heart of Washington as they perform tests on monkeys. They must contain the spread or risk a deadly epidemic in the United States.
Based on the true story.
1980s / USA
Two people sitting on a park bench are poisoned with a nerve agent. The victims: a former Russian spy and double agent for the UK, and his daughter. The authorities rush to stop the spread of the poison.
Based on the true story.
2018 / UK
A team of eight, selected by “The Professor”, break into the Royal Mint of Spain. Their meticulous plan: take 67 people hostage and leave with €2.4 billion.
Present Day / Spain
A diverse group of teenage girls are stranded on a remote island after their plane crashes. As they struggle for survival, intermittent flashbacks show us who they really are.
Present Day / USA
XX
Based on a true story.
1960s–80s / USA
XXX
Based on a true story.
1939–1945 / Norway & USA
The bureaucracy of spying.
1960s / France
XXX
1973 / Chile
XXX
1993 / Italy
XXX
Future / UK
