Based on a True Story (TV series)

Based on a True Story
Genre	Dark comedy Thriller
Created by	Craig Rosenberg
Starring	Kaley Cuoco Chris Messina Tom Bateman Priscilla Quintana Liana Liberato Natalia Dyer
Music by	Sherri Chung
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	8
Production
Executive producers	Craig Rosenberg Jason Bateman Michael Costigan Alex Buono Kaley Cuoco Annie Weisman Chris Messina Jaclyn Moore
Producers	Kyle Weber P. Todd Coe
Cinematography	Mark Schwartzbard Michelle Lawler
Editors	Varun Viswanath Chris A. Peterson Nick Olah Marissa Mueller
Running time	25–55 minutes
Production companies	Overlook Productions Aggregate Films Universal Content Productions
Original release
Network	Peacock
Release	June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08) – present (present)

Based on a True Story is an American dark comedy thriller television series created by Craig Rosenberg, starring Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina. The series premiered on Peacock on June 8, 2023. In October 2023, the series was renewed for a second season which is set to premiere on November 21, 2024.

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
• Melissa Fumero as Drew (season 2), a new mommy friend who provides a distraction from the case for Ava

Recurring

• Li Jun Li as Michelle, Nathan's colleague at the country club
• Annabelle Dexter-Jones as Serena, one of Ava's best friends
• Aisha Alfa as Carolyn, another of Ava's best friends
• Alex Alomar Akpobome as Ryan, a client of Ava's who is looking to buy a mansion
• June Diane Raphael as Lipinski sister No. 1
• Brandon Keener as Paul, Serena's husband
• Miles Mussenden as Detective Quincy Burrell
• Sebastian Quinn as Carlos, Ruby's paramour

Guest

• Pierson Fodé as Jamie
• Jessica St. Clair as Lipinski sister No. 2
• Aaron Staton as Simon, Ruby's husband
• Timm Sharp as Richard, Carolyn's husband
• Yvonne Senat Jones as Detective Jessie Peterson
• Lizze Broadway as Dahlia Stone
• Ever Carradine as Melissa Lake, Chloe's mother
• Claire Holt as a TV writer
• George Sear as Jacob, Tory's Bumble date

Episodes

Series overview

Season	Episodes		Originally released
1	8		June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
2	8		November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)

Season 1 (2023)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	1	"The Great American Art Form"	Alex Buono	Craig Rosenberg	June 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 find 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	2	"BDE"	Anu Valia	Craig Rosenberg	June 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	3	"Who's Next"	Anu Valia	Craig Rosenberg	June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
Matt informs Ava that he knows she is the one who figured out that he is the serial killer. He brings her to the warehouse with him and insists on a new location for the podcast where they will not be easily identified. Matt also reveals that he has named Nathan as his alibi when the LAPD visited him. Ava learns from Ruby that the new season of Sisters in Crime, a hugely popular true-crime podcast, will also focus on the Westside Ripper. Matt takes Ava and Nathan to the new location, a mansion where he once installed a toilet. Matt names the podcast Based on a True Story and the trio records the first episode, in which Matt confesses he has murdered over 20 women. Dissatisfied with Ava and Nathan's cut of the first episode, Matt persuades them to upload his own cut, which he feels is more original. Ava convinces a hesitant Nathan to confirm Matt's alibi to the LAPD detectives. As the podcast goes live, the Bartletts anxiously check the download numbers.
4	4	"The Survivor"	Jennifer Arnold	Craig Rosenberg	June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
The Bartletts and Matt attend CrimeCon, a true-crime convention in Las Vegas, in an effort to improve their podcast, which has reached just over 100 downloads. The Lipinski sisters, the hosts of Sisters in Crime, introduce a surprise live speaker named Dahlia Stone, the supposedly sole survivor of the Westside Ripper, who is raising money for charity. During the panel, she recounts how she survived the Westside Ripper and asserts that she would instantly recognize him if she saw him again. Indignant, Matt assures Ava and Nathan that he has never met Dahlia and sets out to discredit her. Ava and Nathan run into Ruby and her lover Carlos, who are also attending CrimeCon. Matt confronts Dahlia at the rooftop bar that night, accusing her of running a charity fraud. Shortly afterward, Dahlia falls from the rooftop to her death, impaling herself on a patio umbrella in front of Ava, Nathan, Ruby, and Carlos while they are having dinner.
5	5	"Ted Bundy Bottle Opener"	Jennifer Arnold	Craig Rosenberg	June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
Immediately following Dahlia's suicide, Ava suspects Matt pushed her off the balcony while Matt denies any involvement in her death. Ava wants to leave the convention and return to her normal life in L.A and confess everything to the police, but Nathan is convinced that they cannot just throw this all away and they are in too deep to turn back having already lied to police about their involvement with Matt. At CrimeCon, Matt begins selling Westside Ripper 'merch' and runs into a TV writer named Susie who explains her interest in the Westside Ripper. That night, they are all dancing on the dance-floor high off ecstasy Ruby smuggled in and Matt follows Susie to the bathroom and they talk some more about a need for more "fresh content". Matt fantasizes making out with Susie before slitting her throat with a shard of glass and then going on a killing spree of everyone else on the dance floor. The Bartletts reignite their love for each other in their room. The next morning, the Lipinski sisters are hosting a memorial service for Dahlia Stone, which is interrupted by Matt hosting his own event in the next room where guests have a chance to "meet the real Westside Ripper" and he confesses (through a voice-changer in a remote location) to pushing Dahlia off the roof, claiming Dahlia's survival story is fabricated and that her charity is only for her personal gain. Ava tries to confront Matt about this, but gets stuck in the massive crowd of people and drops her burner phone on the floor. Ruby later picks up the phone and reads the messages about Ava accusing Matt of killing Dahlia.
6	6	"Love You, Buzzfeed"	Francesca Gregorini	Craig Rosenberg	June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
Based on a True Story sees a massive boost in subscribers after Matt's stunt at CrimeCon and the podcast is now an American sensation. The Bartletts are expecting a massive payout from this and go visit Simon and Ruby at a dinner-auction at their huge Hollywood mansion. Matt shows up to the party as well with Michelle as his date. Matt's ego is also boosted by his popularity in the podcast and he wants to commit more murders to produce more "fresh-content" for the podcast. Ruby pulls Ava aside and shows her the burner phone she left behind at CrimeCon and states she suspects Matt is the Westside Ripper (she earlier called Matt on the burner and saw him pick up on his own burner, thus confirming her theory) and later blackmails the Bartletts to cut her in to their scheme (she got Matt to drink from a wine-glass, which now has his DNA) or she will go to the police. Ava denies the allegations, saying Matt is actually a family friend and is only pretending to be the Westside Ripper for the podcast because they are broke and this was a good way to make some money. Nathan wants to reclaim his dog "McEnroe" (whom they gave to Simon because their backyard is too small and who has since been renamed "Duke") since the money from the podcast will allow them to get a bigger house, so Nathan tries to buy the dog back. Simon and Ruby get into a fight in front of everyone after he paid off her lover Carlos (whom she invited) to leave her. Simon then uses a gun to kill McEnroe when his barking annoys them all, then returns to the audience with the gun in his hands and brandishes it at Nathan. Matt defuses the situation, but after that gets a message that their podcast has been deleted from Spotify.
7	7	"National Geographic"	Francesca Gregorini	Craig Rosenberg	June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
Jessica Alba tweets a scathing indictment of the podcast Based on a True Story where she calls out the moral depravity of the interviewers and the Ripper. This sets off a chain reaction where Based on a True Story is removed of all streaming platforms, each company citing the podcast's promotion and glorification of violence against others. It was all for nothing. Nathan suggests they create their own platform to host their podcast and charge a monthly subscription fee. Matt additionally suggests a tiered subscription setup with "premium service" at the top (this service being "fresh exclusive content" which is code for "more murders"). Nathan and Ava have a fight over McEnroe wherein Nathan blames Ava for not letting him get the dog out. Matt and Nathan go to a bar and play darts, during which Matt discusses "making things right" and not to mull on his guilt for McEnroe. He tries to convince Nathan to let him kill again to keep the podcast alive, but Nathan then punches Matt in the face and strangles him to the ground. When he gets home Ruby shows up and tries to take advantage of Nathan's underlying lust for her, which works and he tells Ava to include Ruby in their podcast. Ava refuses and Nathan to tries to make amends with her by buying the beach house in Malibu that they have always wanted, but Ava isn't as pleased as Nathan had hoped and they continue arguing. As they argue, they hear a knock at the door. When they open it, they find Ruby's dead body on the welcome mat with a blue dart in her neck.
8	8	"The Universe"	Alex Buono	Craig Rosenberg	June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)
The Bartletts have to dispose of Ruby's body, so they go to Matt for help. Matt decides to leave it up to them, as a challenge. Nathan suggests disposing it in the sinkhole at the tennis club. Upon going through her phone, they find that she had gone to the police already and was planning on turning the Bartletts in to them. They go to the tennis club at night to dump the body in the sinkhole. Another fantasy occurs where they notice the dart in Ruby's neck is missing when Ruby comes back to life and murders the Bartletts with the dart and the shovel they were using and buries them in the pit under the tennis court. Matt meets with a few other serial killers on Zoom to discuss further expanding the podcast Based on a True Story to include spin-offs about other killers. Simon shows up at their beach house while the Bartletts are cleaning up Ruby's blood, while Matt and Ava's sister Tory are having an affair.

Season 2

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
9	1	TBA	TBA	Annie Weisman	November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
10	2	TBA	TBA	Jaclyn Moore	November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
11	3	TBA	TBA	Sono Patel	November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
12	4	TBA	TBA	Max Searle	November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
13	5	TBA	TBA	Spindrift Beck	November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
14	6	TBA	TBA	Amelia Swedeen	November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
15	7	TBA	TBA	Max Searle & Debbie Ezer	November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
16	8	TBA	TBA	Jaclyn Moore & Sono Patel	November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)

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. In August, it was announced that Kaley Cuoco had joined the main cast as a realtor, Ava Bartlett. In October, it was announced that Chris Messina had been cast as Nathan, the husband of Ava, with additional casting including Tom Bateman, Liana Liberato, Priscilla Quintana, Natalia Dyer, and Li Jun Li announced the following month. In October 2023, Peacock renewed the series for a second season. In March 2024, Rosenberg had been replaced by Annie Weisman as showrunner for the second season as he still remains as an executive producer, but wanted to pursue other projects.

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. Production companies for the series include Aggregate Films and Universal Content Productions.

Release

All eight episodes of the first season were released to stream on Peacock on June 8, 2023. The eight-episode second season is scheduled to be released on November 21, 2024.

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating for the first season of 76% based on 49 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." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 59 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

External links

• Based on a True Story on Peacock
• Based on a True Story at IMDb