TV Shows Based on True Stories
The Serpent: History vs. HollywoodSerial Killer | Do the facts survive in this story of serial killer Charles Sobhraj?
Waco: History vs. HollywoodCrime | Is this miniseries about the Waco siege factual or fictional?
Tiger King: Fact vs. FictionCrime | The Netflix documentary is arguably filled with as much fiction as most biopics. Find out what's true and what's not.
When They See Us: History vs. HollywoodCrime | The miniseries tells a one-sided story of the Central Park 5. We examine both sides.
The Act: History vs. HollywoodCrime | How much of this story of a mother who lies and convinces the world her child is gravely ill is true?
Benedict Cumberbatch "Brexit" Movie Targets Dominic CummingsPolitical | Cummings was the campaign manager for Vote Leave.
The People v. O.J. Simpson: History vs. HollywoodCrime | The verdict on what's fact and what's fiction in the TV show.
Meet the Real People Behind the "Entourage" CharactersComedy | We pit Entourage vs. Mark Wahlberg's entourage.
The Right Stuff Series: History vs. HollywoodDrama | Does the Disney+ astronaut TV series leave the truth on the launchpad?
Mrs. America: History vs. HollywoodPolitical | Hollywood takes aim at conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, but is its depiction the truth?
For Life: History vs. HollywoodDrama | We reveal which parts of this courtroom drama are fictional.
Chernobyl: History vs. HollywoodDrama | This nuclear disaster miniseries delivers a higher dose of fear than fact.
I Am the Night: History vs. HollywoodCrime | Are the shocking revelations in this noir miniseries rooted in fact?
The Crown: History vs. HollywoodPolitical | We separate fact from fiction in this Netflix series about Queen Elizabeth II.
WATCH
Netflix Takes on Pablo Escobar and the Medellín CartelCrime | New series focuses on the drug kingpin and the DEA agent assigned to take him down.
WATCH
HBO Miniseries Looks at Rise and Fall of Yonkers Mayor Nick WasicskoPolitical | The mayor's efforts to see that federally-mandated public housing be built in a white neighborhood cost him his career.
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.
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?
LATEST ADDITIONS
Concrete Cowboy (2021)
The Serpent (2021)
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
The Mauritanian (2021)
The Courier (2021)
The Serpent (2021)
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
The Mauritanian (2021)
The Courier (2021)