10 Most Intense Nuclear Bomb Scenes in Television

Top-10-Nuclear-Bomb-Scenes-in-TV

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the moments from TV that feature a nuclear weapon exploding.

#10: Deimos Destroyed

“The Expanse” (2015-22)

There are several notable nuclear destruction scenes in this grounded sci-fi series. Although the inciting destruction of the Cant, and Mars nuking South America were tempting alternatives, Earth’s strike against Mars is arguably the most “striking.” Following the destruction of an Earth-owned research facility on Saturn’s moon Phoebe (along with the rest of the moon), Earth and the UN decide to retaliate against Mars for blowing it up. They decide to do so by blowing up one of Mars’ moons, Deimos. In nearly one continuous shot, we follow the missiles through space, even switching to a POV camera, as they make impact.

#9: Sheridan Nukes the Artifact

“Babylon 5: Thirdspace” (1998)

In this TV movie, the eponymous Babylon 5 station is threatened when a huge mysterious artifact is discovered and brought near the station. Dreams are disrupted and people start getting violent. Finally, when the device is activated, violent aliens from another dimension start attacking Babylon 5. Fortunately, the station’s commander is John Sheridan, whose go-to option tends to be the nuclear one! Sheridan goes aboard the artifact himself, places the nuke, and escapes, in what is a spectacularly crazy plan - even for him! The artifact explodes, the day is saved, and the commander’s reputation as John “Nuke ‘em” Sheridan is solidified!

#8: The Nazis Hit Washington

“The Man in the High Castle” (2015-19)

Set in an alternate history where the Nazis won WWII, “The Man in the High Castle” features a very different development of the atomic bomb. In a flashback centered on John and Helen Smith, we see the future collaborators return home in 1945. However, their homecoming is sparked with tragedy, as their view of Washington D.C. is marred by the Nazis dropping a nuclear bomb, or Heisenberg Device, on it. Most of the U.S.’s civilian and military leadership are killed in the attack, making the future German victory all but inevitable. The domestic setting contrasts horrifically with the destruction.

#7: Praimfaya

“The 100” (2014-20)

In this post-apocalyptic series, humanity survives in the ruins of the old world, or else above it. Legends are told of Praimfaya, the fire that ended the world. However, in several flashbacks, the characters and the audience learn the truth about what happened to Earth. A rogue A.I., named A.L.I.E., concluded that the world’s biggest problem was that there were too many people. As people panic and try to stop it, it takes control of the world’s nuclear arsenal, launching nukes from several countries to devastate most of the world’s population. The explosions seen both from the ground and space are terrifying.

#6: Fall of the 12 Colonies

“Battlestar Galactica” (2003-09)

In this rebooted sci-fi series, the 12 Colonies of Kobol are attacked by their old enemies, the Cylons. These artificial foes use the element of surprise (and human-like Cylon infiltrators) to disable a large portion of humanity’s fleet, and attack all 12 colonies with nuclear weapons. We see mushroom clouds from the ground, from the air, from space. The utter devastation and shock of the attack leaves the survivors reeling and viewers in awe of the scale of the destruction. While other scenes arguably showcase nuclear bombs better, none of them quite match the scale of multiple planets getting bombed into oblivion.

#5: The Incident

“Lost” (2004-10)

On very rare occasions, blowing up a nuke is better than the alternative! The survivors of Oceanic 815 find themselves in the past of the mysterious Island they crashed on (long story). Thanks to their knowledge of the future, they try to prevent an electromagnetic disaster from happening on the Island by detonating a hydrogen bomb at the energy’s location. However, dropping the bomb does nothing. Then, after Juliet is pulled in and trapped at the bottom of the shaft by the magnetism, she decides that rather than wait for a slow death, she’d rather blow it up herself. The whole scene is frantic, dramatic, and intense, with the resulting explosion changing everything going forward.

#4: Trinity

“Twin Peaks” (1990-91; 2017)

David Lynch always goes wild with surreal imagery and events, but the eighth episode of the “Twin Peaks” revival sees the creator go all out. Filmed almost entirely in black and white, we’re treated to the bizarre and difficult-to-interpret origins of the titular town’s strange darkness. At the heart of it is a protracted sequence showing the first nuclear test in New Mexico. Displayed in slow-motion, we see the gradual creation of the mushroom cloud as Krzysztof Penderecki's “Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima: plays in the background. The eerie music and lavishly rendered explosion make the scene unforgettable.

#3: Missile Rain

“The Leftovers” (2014-17)

In this final season episode, Kevin Garvey travels to the world of the undead, where he’s both an assassin and his twin brother, the president of the United States (yeah, “The Leftovers” gets weird). Kevin kills his assassin persona while both versions reflect on their past mistakes. Kevin launches the nukes and goes outside to watch them come down hand in hand with Patti. Along with being a powerful examination on Kevin’s self-destructive tendencies, the scene’s beautiful, haunting score matches perfectly with the spectacle of nuclear missiles falling like rain.

#2: Horizon Nukes the Asurans

“Stargate Atlantis” (2004-09)

The folks from Earth who take up residence in the lost city of Atlantis have a habit of using nukes. While they’re certainly their preferred weapon against the Wraith, the Atlantis crew also use them against other foes, like the Asurans. In a preemptive strike to destroy the Asuran’s shipyards, they send the ship Apollo to launch Horizon, a space-to-surface nuclear delivery system. The camera follows Horizon on its way down in one uninterrupted shot, from space to the atmosphere, until the shell separates and the separate warheads are launched. The Asurans may strike back hard, but this first strike is still mighty impressive!

#1: Your Thumb or Mine?

“Fallout” (2024-)

Everything is fine and dandy in the opening scene of this post-apocalyptic show. We see cowboy actor Cooper Howard and his daughter Janey at a birthday party. However, while most of the partygoers mistake a flash for a camera, Janey sees the mushroom cloud and compares it to her thumb. While Cooper tries to assure her that it’s just smoke, the shockwave hits and all hell breaks loose! The partygoers panic and Cooper rides off on a horse with Janey as more bombs drop. The awesome, terrifying mushroom clouds and grounded horror of the scene makes this scene feel frighteningly realistic.


Is there a nuke explosion scene that you think is “da bomb?” We hope your comments about your favorites blow up down below. Are these puns in poor taste? We feel like they’re in poor taste.