TV Shows Based on True Stories
Lady in the Lake: History vs. HollywoodCrime | A housewife-turned-reporter investigates two unrelated deaths in Baltimore: the murder of a young Jewish girl and the death of a female bartender.
We Were the Lucky Ones: History vs. HollywoodWar | Members of a Jewish family each embark on their own path to safety during WWII, hoping to reunite again after the war.
The Crowded Room: History vs. HollywoodCrime | Tom Holland portrays alleged rapist Danny Sullivan, a character inspired by Billy Milligan.
White House Plumbers: History vs. HollywoodPolitical | Meet the real-life Watergate masterminds who unintentionally toppled a presidency.
The Watcher: History vs. HollywoodHorror | Is the real-life stalker story as disturbing as the miniseries?
Black Bird: History vs. HollywoodSerial Killer | Does this story of a prison inmate who goes undercover to befriend a serial killer stick to the facts?
Candy: History vs. HollywoodCrime | Meet the real axe-wielding mother and find out if the real-life account ends like the miniseries.
The Girl from Plainville: History vs. HollywoodCrime | How accurate is this Hulu series about the circumstances around the death of Conrad Roy, namely Michelle Carter's involvement?
Franklin: History vs. HollywoodPolitical | Michael Douglas portrays diplomat, publisher, and statesman Benjamin Franklin, who at age 70 traveled to France to secure the Franco-American Alliance of 1778.
Masters of the Air: History vs. HollywoodWar | The 100th Bomb Group takes on scores of German fighters during WWII, but does the series hit the target when it comes to the truth?
A Small Light: History vs. HollywoodWar | In this Nat Geo miniseries, Miep Gies risks her life to help hide Anne Frank and her family.
Dear Edward: History vs. HollywoodDrama | Is this series about a boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash at all similar to the real-life events that inspired it?
Five Days at Memorial: History vs. HollywoodDrama | A hospital's doctors and staff are accused of euthanizing patients during Hurricane Katrina.
The Staircase: History vs. HollywoodCrime | Does this story of the Michael Peterson murder trial stick to the facts?
We Own This City: History vs. HollywoodCrime | Meet the real members of the Baltimore PD's Gun Trace Task Force and find out if the HBO Max miniseries accurately depicts their corruption.
WeCrashed: History vs. HollywoodDrama | Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway portray the couple who guided WeWork on its meteoric rise and fall, but does the Apple TV+ series stick to the facts?
ALL TRUE STORY TV Shows
While most people are familiar with Lifetime made-for-TV movies, many don't realize that quite a few of their favorite TV shows are also based on true stories. This includes Boardwalk Empire, Orange is the New Black, Deadwood and The Goldbergs, to name a few. Here, we not only research such TV shows, we also explore various history-based components of some of the most popular TV series, answering many questions that you've probably wondered at one point or another. Oh, and we also research made-for-TV movies based on true stories. Tune in and enjoy.
Lady in the Lake
A reporter investigates two unrelated deaths in Baltimore: the murder of a young Jewish girl and the death of a black female bartender.
Franklin
Michael Douglas portrays Benjamin Franklin, who at age 70 worked to secure the Franco-American Alliance.
We Were the Lucky Ones
Members of a Jewish family each embark on their own path to safety during WWII, hoping to reunite again.
Masters of the Air
Does the series hit the target with regard to the facts about the 100th Bomb Group during WWII?
The Crowded Room
Tom Holland portrays Danny Sullivan, a character inspired by The Campus Rapist, Billy Milligan.
White House Plumbers
Meet the Watergate masterminds who unintentionally toppled a presidency.
A Small Light
The Nat Geo miniseries tells the story of Miep Gies, one of the people who helped hide Anne Frank and her family.
Dear Edward
A 12-year-old boy is the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills 191 people, including his family.
The Watcher
A family moves into their dream home only to start being harassed by someone obsessed with the home.
Five Days at Memorial
The series examines the controversial events at Memorial Medical Center during Hurricane Katrina.
Black Bird
A prison inmate (Taron Egerton) befriends a suspected serial killer to try and get a confession.
Candy
The Hulu miniseries explores the killing of Betty Gore by friend Candy Montgomery (Jessica Biel).
The Staircase
The HBO Max series focuses on novelist Michael Peterson (Colin Firth), who was accused of killing his wife.
We Own This City
This HBO miniseries chronicles the corruption surrounding the Baltimore PD's Gun Trace Task Force.
The Girl from Plainville
The Hulu series explores Michelle Carter's involvement in Conrad Roy's suicide.
WeCrashed
The Apple TV+ series focuses on Adam and Rebekah Neumann's role in the rise and fall of WeWork.
The Thing About Pam
Does this series about Pam Hupp (Renée Zellweger) and the murder of Betsy Faria get the details right?
The Dropout
Hulu's series explores the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, CEO of blood-testing startup Theranos.
Inventing Anna
How much of this Netflix mini-series that explores the rise and fall of conwoman Anna Delvey is factual?
Maid
Does the truth get washed away in this series about a struggling single mother?
The Serpent
Does this miniseries about serial killer Charles Sobhraj accurately depict the real-life killings?
The Right Stuff
How accurate is this Disney+ TV adaptation of Tom Wolfe's book about John Glenn and the space race?
Mrs. America
Hollywood finds the villain in conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, but is it the truth?
Tiger King
This wildly popular Netflix documentary tells the at-times exaggerated story of big-cat zoo operator Joe Exotic.
For Life
How much of the ABC TV series For Life is rooted in fact?
When They See Us
The Netflix miniseries presents a searing tale of racial injustice while distorting the truth.
Chernobyl
Does this HBO miniseries about the Chernobyl disaster deliver a heavy does of fiction or fact?
The Act
How accurate is this story of a mother who keeps her daughter captive by fake illnesses?
I Am the Night
A ruined reporter helps a young woman investigate the mystery of her birth, but how much really happened?
Waco
Authorities lay siege to religious leader David Koresh's Branch Davidian compound in 1993.
The Crown
Meet the real people behind more than 16 characters from the Netflix series and find out how much is fiction.
The People v. O.J. Simpson
Meet 27 characters and their real-life O.J. Simpson trial counterparts.
Entourage
Meet actor Mark Wahlberg's real-life posse who inspired the Entourage TV show characters.
Texas Rising
Does Texas Rising retell or rewrite the rise of the Texas Rangers?
Bessie
Queen Latifah portrays bisexual blues singer Bessie Smith, who rose to fame in the 1920s.
Manhattan
We compare the Manhattan TV show to real life at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project.
The Goldbergs
Meet the real-life Goldbergs and learn how much of the show is true.
Boardwalk Empire
Which of your favorite characters are real?
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