Kaley Cuoco, Chris Messina, Tom Bateman and Liana Liberato are back with more murder and mayhem in Based on a True Story season two. And this time, there’s a new pint-sized accessory in tow.
Based on a True Story is based on (or partly inspired by) a true story. The series, which satirizes true-crime tropes, introduced Cuoco and Messina as Ava and Nathan, a down-on-their-luck couple who crossed paths with an infamous serial killer, “The Westside Ripper,” in Los Angeles. Ava, a pregnant true-crime obsessive, suggested making a podcast with the killer as a way out of their marital rut.
Now, after the events of season one, season two opens with Ava and Nathan as new parents who attempt to now get out of the true-crime game — but, as the trailer shows, those aspirations are fleeting. The season opens on Ava and Nathan struggling to balance parenthood with waking away from their obsession. But their close ties to the Westside Ripper (spoiler alert!) make that nearly impossible.
All eight episodes of the 30-minute dark comedy drop Nov. 21 on Peacock.
For season two, Physical creator Annie Weisman took over as showrunner; creator Craig Rosenberg remains an executive producer. Melissa Fumero joins the series in what’s being described as a surprising new role.
“I first discovered Based on a True Story as a fan of Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina, and I instantly loved the show’s addictive blend of dark humor, pulpy action and relatable characters,” said Weisman in a statement when joining the series. “In season two, we’ve built on those exciting themes while introducing propulsive new character dynamics and a forward-moving murder mystery.”
Here’s the logline: “Season two finds new parents Ava and Nathan Bartlett three months into parenthood. Focused on taking care of her family, Ava is determined to resist her true-crime obsession and return to work as a real estate agent while Nathan trains private tennis clients. But a series of new murders pulls her back in – is Matt (Bateman) behind the slayings? Is Tory (Liberato), now entangled in a relationship with Matt, in danger? For a while, life is good — Ava’s TikTok habit and her new friend Drew (Fumero) provide a welcome distraction, and Nathan’s all in on reigniting his tennis career as well as his friendship with Matt — until danger comes knocking, literally.”
Rounding out the cast is Priscilla Quintana, Natalia Dyer, Alex Alomar Akpobome, Aisha Alfa, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Li Jun Li, June Diane Raphael, Brandon Keener, Jessica St. Clair, Claire Holt, Miles Mussenden, Sebastian Quinn, Belmont Cameli, Aaron Staton, Timm Sharp, Yvonne Senat Jones, Lizze Broadway and Ever Carradine.
Showrunner Weisman is writer-executive producer; Jaclyn Moore is writer-executive producer and Alex Buono is director-executive producer. Executive producers also include Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan for Aggregate Films, Rosenberg, and stars Cuoco and Messina. Based on a True Story is produced by UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.
