Based On A True Story (Season 1/USA/2023) is about the weird fixation with true crimes among American folks. It is a satirical dark comedy series about making a podcast about a serial killer. Some people even find money-making opportunities amid such heinous crimes.
Even the grim and cold-blooded murders happening in their part of the world can be successfully marketed on various platforms by savvy operators in this new digital age. And the recent poll disclosed that one in three Americans consume true crime at least once a week.
About A Killer Podcast That Focuses On The Serial Killer…
Spoiler-Free Review: Based On A True Story (Season 1/USA/2023) Series
The synopsis
Well, let us begin by clarifying that ‘Based On A True Story’ is a fictional tale; it is not a true story. In fact, it is a dark comedy series from the USA.
Three strangers - realtor Ava Bartlett (Kaley Cuoco), former tennis star Nathan Bartlett (Chris Messina), and plumber Matt Pierce (Tom Bateman) join forces and seize a unique opportunity to capitalise on America's obsession with true crime and make their dreams come true. Their plans include killing people, talking about it on modern-day media platforms like podcasts and thereby making money in today's America.
Our growing fixation with true crime
Still, it is an enjoyable show that brings to light the almost obsessive behaviour with murders and other sensational crimes, not only in the USA but around the world. In a funny take, a serial killer is recognised for the gruesome murders by his followers, who wish to take undue advantage of the general public’s obsessions with the murders and murderers. Some money-minded entrepreneurs decide to build almost supporting ancillary units around such grim crimes – conventions, seminars, podcasts, TV deals, tell-all book deals, coffee mugs, T-shirts and many other commercial ventures related to the same in America.
Perhaps, the capitalist world works like this only – the market-driven economy. No wonder some people can monetise almost anything; that is the world we are currently living in. So, this series has a CrimeCon, just like the famous ComicCon events in America and the rest of the world.
Interesting times, indeed, that we live in. And this is what this show taps into.
There is a huge untapped market out there – for the consumers of true crime tales.
It has a bunch of good actors in it
It is almost an absurd modern tale about the contemporary times that we live in. No doubt, because of its dark, comical content, I like it. The bunch of good actors, like Kaley Cuoco (Ava Bartlett), Chris Messina (Nathan Bartlett), Tom Bateman (Matt Pierce), Priscilla Quintana (Ruby Gale), Liana Liberato (Tory Thompson), Natalia Dyer (Chloe Lake), etc, have done a good job to keep this dramatic thriller going. Tom Bateman does look and sound menacing in this show. On the flip side, he also acts charming as hell.
Whereas Kaley and Chris keep the comedy going with their enactment of a clueless couple in this series. They do not fully understand the gravity of the situation when they make a monetary deal with the devil.
The conclusion
However, one does wonder whether this series is using the podcast theme to poke fun at the popular “Only Murders in the Building” series. Anyway, it is an entertaining story about the interesting times that we are living in. All in all, we reiterate that it is a good dark comedy. If you like the dark stuff, then watch it.
Rating: Based On A True Story (Season 1/USA/2023) Series
| FM Rating | 3.65/5 |
Poster: Based On A True Story (Season 1/USA/2023) Series
Key Details: Based On A True Story (Season 1/USA/2023) Series
| Genre | Drama, Comedy, Thriller |
| Released | June 2023 |
| Age-Certification | UA (13+) |
| Season & Episodes | Season (1) One & Episodes (8) Eight |
| Creator | Craig Rosenberg |
| Cast | Kaley Cuoco, Chris Messina, Tom Bateman, Priscilla Quintana, Liana Liberato, Li Jun Li, Sebastian Quinn, Natalia Dyer, etc. |
| Original Network | Peacock |
Trailer: Based On A True Story (Season 1/USA/2023) Series
Spoilers Alert – its central plot, characters & ending explained
Focus on the plot and reality of this show
No, I reiterate that it is not based on a true (crime) story.
The basic plot of the story
The central plot of the story is about the pregnant wife Ava Bartlett (Kaley Cuoco – who was pregnant in real life too, while shooting for it) and her on-screen husband star Nathan Bartlett (Chris Messina) decide to make a deal with the devil. Their plumber Matt Pierce (Tom Bateman) is the on-screen serial killer and the husband-wife duo wants to use his criminal notoriety to make quick bucks for all of them, by airing their podcasts about a serial killer Matt and his murder victims.
Focus on the (serial) killer of this show
So, who is the serial killer?
Matt is a serial killer in this show, who has eluded the police in the show. He has stayed out of jail by maintaining a low profile while working as a plumber.
After murdering as things got heated for him, he simply skipped town and changed his location. And the police remained clueless. Only the murder-crime-obsessed Ava realized that Matt was a killer.
Focus on the ending of this show in season one
The cliff-hanger ending of season one
Matt kills Ruby Gale in the penultimate episode of the show after he learns that she knows too much. Earlier in the show, we witnessed that Ruby wished for her piece of cake – the lucrative podcast business with the serial killer. She also threatens to expose all of them, in case the team trio do not include her in the podcast business. Then in the closing episodes, we see that Matt asks, persuades, threatens and forces the couple – Ava and Nathan, to get rid of Ruby’s dead body. And they did so.
This show has an open-ended ending. So, in case there is a second season of it, then its writers can have endless possibilities. The crime may pull all of them in, and we might see a dark comedy again.
Bonus Information
The Strangers on a Train (1951) Movie trailer (on YouTube)- A man tries hard to persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by executing his plan to kill each other's most-hated person.
If you like Dark Comedies from North America, then do read about the Beef and Barry series, too; you might like them.
Awards & Nomination won by this Dark Comedy Show
| Award Names | Winners – Awards and Nominations |
|---|---|
| ReFrame | 2024 Winner ReFrame Stamp – TV – For Season 1 |
| Venice TV Award | 2023 Nominee Venice TV Award – Best TV Series |
| Astra Television Awards | Kaley Cuoco – 2024 Nominee Astra TV Award – Best Actress in a Steaming Comedy Series |
Featured & Other Images: Based On A True Story | Peacock.
