Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
Absorbing, disturbing docu has cursing, radiation effects.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Meltdown: Three Mile Island
What's the Story?
The docu-series MELTDOWN: THREE MILE ISLAND offers a detailed account of the bungled response to the 1979 commercial nuclear plant accident near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the subsequent efforts to cover it up. With the help of interviews, archive footage, and reenactments, it discusses what happened on the morning of March 28, 1979, when, thanks to a valve malfunction and human error, one of the cores at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant began melting down. In addition, a bubble of hydrogen gas that had the potential of exploding and contaminating the surrounding area was also released into the cooling tower. The series reveals how, during the five-day alert, the utility company tried to downplay the problem while local government officials struggled to handle the situation. It also shows how distributing conflicting information to the public led to a panic. What happened in the years that followed, including how Bechtel Corporation and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission attempted to cut corners during the cleanup operation -- and how whistleblowers Rick Parks and Larry King kept that from happening -- is also addressed.
Is It Any Good?
The informative but disturbing four-part docu-series reveals how close the Three Mile Island accident came to becoming a horrific catastrophe. While some of the information about what happened on the day is well known, Meltdown: Three Mile Island offers a lot of behind-the-scenes details about what transpired, highlighting the problematic political and economic issues associated with the use of nuclear power in the United States. It also underscores the important role whistleblowers Rick Parks and Larry King played in protecting the public from what could have been a second disaster, and introduces viewers to the community activists who fought to protect their town. The series will be especially interesting to those who remember what happened. But regardless of whether the events are before your time, chances are that what you learn from Meltdown: Three Mile Island will leave you feeling unsettled.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about nuclear power. How much of the world relies on nuclear power as an energy source? How many nuclear power plants are there in the U.S.? What are the benefits to relying on nuclear energy? The risks?
What is the China Syndrome? How does Meltdown: Three Mile Island link the entertainment industry to the way people thought about nuclear power in the 1970s?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 4, 2022
- Cast : Rick Parks , Larry King , Lake Barrett
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Reality TV
- Topics : Activism
- Character Strengths : Courage
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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