7 Shows Like Lead Children You Must See

‘Lead Children’ or ‘Olowiane dzieci’ is a Polish drama series that chronicles the life of Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król (Joanna Kulig). She risks her life to uncover the truth when she notices suspicious activity at the Szopienice smelting plant in Soviet-era Poland. Set in 1974 Silesia, the narrative, based on real events, picks up when children in the town start showing signs of lead poisoning. As the smelting plant officials deny their role in it, the town administration awaits the visit of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. As more kids show symptoms of lead poisoning, the community faces dangers it has never seen before.

Jolanta takes it upon herself to cure the children and expose the reality of the factory. However, she faces opposition from social forces in the town and the political establishment. To convince others to fight alongside her, she has to overcome greater odds. Directed by Maciej Pieprzyca and written by Jakub Korolczuk, the show is based on Michał Jędryka’s book ‘Przemilczana epidemia.’ In this list, we bring you shows like ‘Lead Children’ that portray the struggles of individuals and communities against established institutions.

7. The Dropout (2022)

Hulu’s ‘The Dropout’ is the story of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried), the founder of the biotechnology company called Theranos. Based on the eponymous ABC News podcast, the drama series delves into Elizabeth’s efforts to achieve technological advancements in the health industry. She drops out of Stanford and focuses on inventing blood-test-related machines at her company. As she enters the corporate world, she faces financial challenges and the need to prove that her technology actually works. Caught in a storm, she is questioned by other players in the game who wish to begin questioning and investigating her claims. Created by Elizabeth Meriwether and inspired by true events, the show resembles ‘Lead Children’ due to its exploration of systemic issues, moral corruption, a complex female lead, and health hazards.

6. Dopesick (2021)

‘Dopesick’ revolves around the opioid crisis in the United States, investigating the widespread impact on individuals and families. The show highlights the actions of Purdue Pharma and its aim to push OxyContin as a drug for pain relief. In a mining town in Virginia, Betsy Mallum (Kaitlyn Dever) and others face addiction issues related to the drug. In other parts of the country, officials try to find out the truth about Purdue Pharma, run by Richard Sackler (Michael Stuhlbarg) and his family, and expose its operations.

Created by Danny Strong and inspired by true events, the show focuses on the struggles of various individuals who wage uphill battles against the opioid epidemic. Based on the book ‘Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America’ by Beth Macy, the Hulu drama show is a riveting tale. Akin to ‘Lead Children,’ it is a story of the struggles of individuals against greater political and social powers during a health crisis perpetrated by an industrial establishment.

5. Painkiller (2023)

Created by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, Netflix’s ‘Painkiller’ is a drama series that centers on Richard Sackler (Matthew Broderick), the leader of Purdue Pharma. He aggressively pushes the opioid OxyContin into the market, portraying it as an essential pain reliever. However, people quickly become addicted, facing a tough battle for recovery, which seems a remote possibility amidst their suffering. As the victims struggle with the drug’s side effects, a woman named Edie Flowers (Uzo Aduba) resolves to fight back against Purdue and the Sackler family.

Based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s article ‘The Family That Built an Empire of Pain,’ it is an intense portrayal of the opioid epidemic. It is also based on Barry Meier’s book ‘Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic,’ and focuses on a moral fight. It is connected to ‘Lead Children’ as it is about a woman’s fight against an unfair system, the perspectives of victims, and the fragility of economic and political power.

4. The Railway Men (2023)

Netflix’s ‘The Railway Men’ or ‘The Railway Men: The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984’ narrates the story of the gas leak at the chemical company Union Carbide India Limited’s plant in Bhopal, India, in 1984. Inspired by real events, the thriller-drama chronicles the efforts of station master Iftekaar Siddiqui (Kay Kay Menon), Central Railways GM Rati Pandey (R. Madhavan), and their team of unlikely heroes as they strive to save the lives of workers trapped in the factory.

As people battle for their lives, Iftekaar and his group go to extreme lengths to ensure that their mission is successful. However, they may have to come to terms with the possibility that not everyone can be saved. Created by Shiv Rawaill, the Indian Hindi-language series is the tale of a relentless fight. The actions of Iftekaar’s group in the narrative resemble the efforts of Jolanta to save people in ‘Lead Children.’

3. Five Days at Memorial (2022)

Created by John Ridley and Carlton Cuse, ‘Five Days at Memorial’ is set in a New Orleans hospital during the five days after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. It depicts the struggles of Dr. Anna Pou (Vera Farmiga) and other medical professionals as they battle against the odds amidst devastating power outages and infrastructure issues. Based on Sheri Fink’s book ‘Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital,’ the Apple TV+ show highlights the experiences of hospital staff as the death count rises and patients desperately search for answers. Much like ‘Lead Children,’ the drama series is rooted in true events and offers a visually tense examination of individual battles, an escalating healthcare crisis, and moral dilemmas.

2. Chernobyl (2019)

HBO’s ‘Chernobyl,’ created by Craig Mazin, explores the perspectives of various characters, including Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) and Boris Shcherbina (Stellan Skarsgård). They grapple with the complexities and aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union. The catastrophic nuclear leak not only endangers the country but also the broader geopolitical region as alarms ring in remote corners of the world. With the state seemingly hiding the truth, it is up to heroes on the ground to not only save lives but also ensure that the world knows what really happened inside the nuclear plant. Inspired by true events, the drama series is closely connected to ‘Lead Children’ as it comments on real events that transpired during the Soviet era and also depicts the battles fought by brave men and women against a corrupt system.

1. Toxic Town (2025)

Created by Jack Thorne, Netflix’s ‘Toxic Town’ deals with the trials and tribulations of Susan McIntyre (Jodie Whittaker), Tracey Taylor (Aimee Lou Wood), and other mothers in the British steel manufacturing town of Corby. After a redevelopment project starts in the town, toxic elements surround the natural environment and cause birth defects in newborns. Susan and Tracy, whose kids grew up with difficult health issues, decide to take on the powerful people in the community and hold them accountable for their actions in ruining the lives of their kids. With other mothers in their team, they wage an uphill battle for the truth.

However, those responsible for the health crisis play their own tricks. Based on a true story, the British drama series, akin to ‘Lead Children,’ is a story surrounding complex female characters who fight for the rights of kids in a corrupt setup. Both tales feature characters who show the courage to take on powerful adversaries in the pursuit of justice.