Based on a True Story (TV series)

Based on a True Story is an American comedy thriller television series created by Craig Rosenberg, and it stars Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina. The series premiered on Peacock on June 8, 2023.[2][3] In October 2023, the series was renewed for a second season.[4]

Based on a True Story
GenreComedy thriller
Created byCraig Rosenberg
Written byCraig Rosenberg
Starring
Music bySherri Chung
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Kyle Weber
  • P. Todd Coe
Cinematography
  • Mark Schwartzbard
  • Michelle Lawler
Editors
  • Varun Viswanath
  • Chris A. Peterson
  • Nick Olah
  • Marissa Mueller
Running time25–55 minutes[1]
Production companies
Release
Original networkPeacock
Original releaseJune 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)

Cast and characters

Main
  • Kaley Cuoco as Ava Bartlett, a pregnant real estate agent who is passionate about true crime
  • Chris Messina as Nathan Bartlett, Ava's husband and a tennis coach at the Beverly Club who used to be a famous tennis player before a career-ending knee injury
  • Tom Bateman as Matt Pierce, a plumber who befriends Nathan
  • Priscilla Quintana as Ruby Gale, Ava's affluent friend
  • Liana Liberato as Tory Thompson, Ava's younger sister who lives with her and Nathan
  • Natalia Dyer as Chloe Lake, a bartender who catches the eye of Matt and Nathan at a bar one night

Recurring

Guest

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"The Great American Art Form"Alex BuonoCraig RosenbergJune 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
Ava and Nathan Bartlett are a Los Angeles couple expecting their first child in the midst of financial struggles and a failing marriage. They hire a charming plumber, Matt Pierce, to install their new toilet, and Nathan quickly befriends him. While at a bar with Matt one night, Nathan shares a flirty interaction with a bartender, Chloe Lake, who is later brutally murdered in her apartment. The media reports Chloe as the latest victim of the "Westside Ripper", a local serial killer targeting young women. When the police finds the same shoe covers as Matt's at the crime scene, Ava, an avid true-crime follower, deduces that Matt is the Westside Ripper. She also noticed scratches on Matt's arms, and connects him to the unsolved murder of a young woman in his apartment building in Pomona two years earlier. Instead of contacting the police, Ava proposes to Nathan that they start their own podcast so they can interview Matt. Despite initially declining, Nathan confronts Matt on a secluded beach and accuses him of being the Westside Ripper, while Ava watches them from afar.
2"BDE"Anu ValiaCraig RosenbergJune 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
A flashback reveals that Matt killed Chloe after following her for some time. In the present, Nathan offers Matt the opportunity to join his podcast in exchange for his silence, but Matt scoffs at Nathan's accusation. At the Beverly Club, LAPD detectives Quincy Burrell and Jessie Peterson question Nathan about his connection to Chloe and Matt; Nathan claims he vaguely remembers Chloe, while admitting that Matt is his friend. Unnerved, Nathan insists to Ava that they hand Matt over to the police. The following day, Nathan discusses his proposal with Matt, denying Ava's involvement in order to protect her. To support his accusation, Nathan cites Matt's bloodstained shoe covers, his scratches, and the murdered Pomona woman. After Matt agrees to participate in the podcast, Ava and Nathan choose an empty warehouse as their recording location. Instead of meeting Nathan at the warehouse, Matt surprises Ava at the couple's house.
3"Who's Next"Anu ValiaCraig RosenbergJune 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
Matt pretends to fix the plumbing and reveals to Ava that he knows she is the one who figured out that he is the serial killer. He brings Ava to the warehouse with him and demands a location change. The trio records the podcast and Matt names it 'Based on a True Story'.
4"The Survivor"Jennifer ArnoldCraig RosenbergJune 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
5"Ted Bundy Bottle Opener"Jennifer ArnoldCraig RosenbergJune 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
6"Love You, Buzzfeed"Francesca GregoriniCraig RosenbergJune 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
7"National Geographic"Francesca GregoriniCraig RosenbergJune 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
8"The Universe"Alex BuonoCraig RosenbergJune 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)

Production

In April 2022, it was announced that Peacock had given a straight-to-series order to a comedy thriller series created by Craig Rosenberg and Jason Bateman.[2] In August, it was announced that Kaley Cuoco had joined the main cast as a realtor, Ava Bartlett.[3] In October, it was announced that Chris Messina had been cast as Nathan, the husband of Ava,[5] with additional casting including Tom Bateman, Liana Liberato, Priscilla Quintana, Natalia Dyer, and Li Jun Li announced the following month.[6][7] In October 2023, Peacock renewed the series for a second season.[4]

The series will be executive produced by Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan through Aggregate Films, and Craig Rosenberg. Roxie Rodriguez will serves as co-executive producer for Aggregate Films.[2] Production companies for the series include Aggregate Films and Universal Content Productions.[2]

Release

All eight episodes were released to stream on Peacock on June 8, 2023.[8]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 74% based on 42 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "True crime enthusiasts have been satirized more sharply, but engaging leads and a lightly humorous touch make Based on a True Story worth investigating."[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 60 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[10]

References
  1. "Watch Based on a True Story Streaming Online". Peacock. Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  2. White, Peter (April 11, 2022). "'Based On A True Story' Comedy Thriller From Craig Rosenberg & Jason Bateman Lands Straight-To-Series Order At Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  3. Andreeva, Nellie (August 8, 2022). "Kaley Cuoco To Star In 'Based On A True Story' Peacock Comedic Thriller Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  4. Petski, Denise (October 12, 2023). "'Based On A True Story' Renewed For Season 2 At Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (October 7, 2022). "Chris Messina To Star In 'Based On A True Story' Peacock Comedic Thriller Series, Joining Kaley Cuoco". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  6. Otterson, Joe (March 21, 2023). "Peacock Series Based on a True Story Adds Tom Bateman, Liana Liberato, Priscilla Quintana to Cast (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  7. Otterson, Joe (March 21, 2023). "Stranger Things Star Natalia Dyer, 'Industry's' Alex Alomar Akpobome Among Five Cast in Peacock Series Based on a True Story (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  8. Campione, Katie (May 2, 2023). "Based On A True Story Gets June Premiere Date, Peacock Releases First-Look Images". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  9. "Based on a True Story: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  10. "Based on a True Story: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
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