Wow, yes, I remember I was really scared…. but in the end I watched it. I truly don’t understand how people can say things like that. It’s only a series, and in general there are genuinely serious things where even in those cases you shouldn’t threaten and scare people—what does that accomplish? Personally I hope he didn’t really say it and it’s just rumors, because these are the less attractive sides of religion. I mean, it’s not the religion itself, but unfortunately some of its side effects.

Haha. The original rumor comes from a letter that was supposedly “written” by “one of the important yeshiva lecturers in Bnei Brak.”
And originally it said that R’ Chaim told him: “Whoever watches this drama has no share in the World to Come. Spread the rumor, so everyone will know that I warned them.” (You can google the pair of words “Kanievsky Shababnikim” or something like that.)
Anyone who ever heard R’ Chaim speak knows that this is “exactly his style of speaking.”
About as credible as the recent report that ‘Uri Geller helped intercept the Iranian drone attack’ (currently on a variety of leading news sites).

Honestly, I watch things that may be worse, but when it comes to a curse from a great rabbi—even just a rumor, even just the possibility of a rumor—I don’t mess with that!! Especially since the righteous are greater after their death than in their lifetime.
After 120 years, are they going to ask me, “Did you conduct your business faithfully? Did you watch Shababnikim?” Nothing will happen to me if I manage not to watch it. Some people take an ice bath to toughen themselves up mentally… so I don’t watch it in order to control my impulses..