Have you ever felt intrigued by a murder mystery that you thought you didn’t care about? All the unsolved cases and crimes might make you anxious and excited at the same time. If you wonder why it is so, do not worry. Almost everyone is in this together.
It is the human instinct to know about the danger and solve mysteries themselves. That is the reason for the global success of crime shows, podcasts, magazines, and more. The large recognition of the recently released show of 2023, “Based on a True Story” by Peacock, is a prime example.
If you vaguely remember the premise, here is a quick snapshot for you. The show is based on a couple, Ava and Nathan(Nate), who are ready to welcome a new family member. With their first baby on the way, they have a shrinking income to support their beachside house and a good life.
Ava works as a realtor, and Nate is a tennis instructor who has recently lost his job. To add up to their problems, a serial killer named the westside ripper. He roams around the streets and bars committing gruesome murders. Rather than being scared, the duo Ava and Nate view this as an opportunity to cash in some money.
Following the American craze for true crime shows, they decide to start a podcast and blackmail the killer to appear on the show. Finding the true killer is not a big suspense for Ava as she finds out from her friend that the psycho killer is none other than the plumber Matt. Finding his joy in killing ladies, the psycho gears up for the podcast, and the rest is what we know as this comedy thriller show.
This show is an apt satire on the crime show addiction of people and brings out a different perspective. With a messy approach and pangs of laughter, it followed the straight-to-series order, and the whole season was dropped altogether on 8 June 2023. Being only eight episodes long, you might have binge-watched it in a day or a week at max.
So if you liked it and cannot wait for updates of season two, you will be delighted to know that there are quite some shows like it. This article covers a list of 12 shows like Based on a True Story that you must watch.
Only Murders in The Building
The lighthearted approach of Peacock’s show Based on a True Story is believed by many to be inspired by the 2021 hit show Only Murders in The Building. The show stars the iconic celebs Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as their main characters.
The story follows three residents of a building named the Westside Apartment. These strangers, Mabel Mora, Oliver Putman, and Charles Haden Savage, hold something in common. It is their fascination for true crimes. To their surprise, they are caught in such a mystery in reality.
When a death occurs in their building, they suspect a murder and start a podcast about it. Three of them make the best use of their skills to investigate the matter. As they detangle the mystery threads, it trails back to the past unfolding secrets from years ago.
Their journey is full of lies they tell one another, and the killer is someone they might be living with within the neighborhood. The trio chases time and follows the clues trying to make the cut just in time.
The show is very close to the comedy thriller Based on a True Story. Ironically, none of them is based on true stories and rather are inspired by real-life crime incidents and their growing obsession making the perfect comical satire. This new approach towards grisly crimes is praiseworthy, and the comical notes of Only Murders in the Building are far better than its counterpart.
This first season of the show was ten episodes long, and the second season is already out with another ten episodes. The good news is the third season will make a great comeback this year in August. So fasten your seatbelts to binge this comical rollercoaster thriller.
Veronica Mars
Another American television series that makes rounds and hits the charts is Veronica Mars. Taking a sway from the comical approach, this noir drama focuses on suspense and teen life.
Veronica, a high schooler in the fictional town Neptune of, California, has a tough time with her boyfriend, but the worst is yet to come. The unimaginable incident of her best friend Lily Kane’s murder shatters her world into a million pieces.
Her father, Sheriff Keith Mars, accuses Lily’s father of involvement in his daughter’s murder. This move proves career-threatening as he is voted out from his job. He then started his own investigation agency named Mars Investigation.
Veronica is no longer part of the elitists and makes a bunch of new friends. After losing her best friend and being shadowed by the old group she considered friends, her hardships continue to grow.
She joins her father as a part-timer while also transcending from high school to college. Veronica is determined to find the real culprit behind her friend’s murder and uses her connections and those of her father to get her hands on the delinquent.
Its first season aired in 2004 and continues to be loved to date. It is the popularity of the show that the film “Veronica Mars” was solely funded by the fans to witness it on the big screens.
The show has a total of 4 seasons, the last of which came in 2019. The first two seasons were based on just one crime solved by the finale, but the last two seasons were based on a variety of interesting cases.
Although it does not involve any crime podcasts and comic angles, the murder mystery is convincing enough to make it similar to Based on a True Story. The first season alone is of 22 episodes, each of which is 42 minutes long. All four seasons have a total of 72 episodes making it a long series. So you will need ample time to watch this one.
Poker face
Another show that dropped on Peacock in 2023 is Poker Face. Although you find endless variety here, but also some closely similar shows, and Based on a True Story and Poker Face are two such siblings.
This offbeat narrative tells you a story about Charlie Cale, a former poker player. She has a weird ability to detect when a person is telling lies, which turns bittersweet for her down the road. The first cost of her psychic ability was getting blacklisted at the poker circles.
She finds her happiness working as a waitress at a Casino which is owned by Sterling Frost Jr. The sudden murder of her coworker and friend opens doors to suspicion of some heinous crimes.
Again her detective instinct gets into the action, forcing her into a world of interrogation and mysteries. She keeps traveling from town to town, having an arch with numerous colorful characters.
Just before you can catch up with any of them, the story moves ahead, creating no sense of attachment to special appearances and focusing entirely on the cases. Charlie does not take a permanent shelter anywhere but faces numerous cases of finding killers and making new friends.
The show follows a case of the week fashion, which has the essence of paying homage to the shows from the 80s and 90s. It keeps you ahead of the protagonist, so you have not much to solve but a whole lot to enjoy. Despite being an open mystery, it does not get boring throughout the course of 10 episodes.
The punch of comedy, limited episodes, and murder mystery make it a close call to Based on a True Story. Its second season is anticipated to hit the screens by next year. So if you like a short series, this one is the right pick.
Also read: Best Shows Like Modern Family For Comedy Sitcom Lovers
The Flight Attendant
In 2018, a book took the sale to spikes and probably made it to your bookshelf as well. That’s right, the Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian was such a commercial success that it was turned into a television series by Steve Yockey in 2020.
Cassie Bowden is the morally grey main protagonist who is a flight attendant. Her love for alcohol and hooking up with random people is an everyday chore for her, just like her work. Having frequent blackouts, hangovers, and a hard time remembering things is normal thing for her until one night changes her life.
She wakes up clueless in a Bangkok Hotel room, with a dead man lying in bed with a pool of blood all around. The slashed throat of her flight passenger gives her trauma, and even after a few close looks, she fails to recognize him.
So what does this lone woman with an unknown man in the room do? Informing the police is certainly not the correct option, in her opinion, so she begins a life of lies. She leaves the room to join her crew. The nightmares don’t leave her side, and she is questioned by FBI agents in New York City about her Bangkok encounter.
Without the slightest idea of what happened that night, she starts suspecting herself of murder. This series indeed has a dark plot but does not leave out any chance at humor, mystery, and thrill. It will keep giving you “Based on a True Story” vibes. The antihero traits make the main characters in both series fun to watch.
The first season comprises eight episodes and also has a second season of eight episodes in continuity with the storyline. Tune in to watch this comical take on a gruesome crime story and join the dots to know what happens in the next season when she herself turns into a CIA agent.
Good Girls
Enough of murder mysteries already. Let’s take a break and move to the motherly side. Love, nurturing, and emotions! Wait, there’s more as you will explore a wild angle in the comedy-drama named Good Girls. As we know, there is nothing a mother can’t do, but are you ready for this take on the potential of three suburban mothers?
Beth and Annie are two sisters who have let rules control their entire lives. Their friend Ruby is no different and is fed up with this life like the other two. Beth has given her all to marital life. She is all a man could ask for a good wife, a great mother, and the best woman. Seemingly that’s not enough as the car dealer’s husband cheats on her and also loads up on financial burden.
Annie is a single mom fighting the custody battle with her ex. Ruby has a happy marriage with a policeman but not a happy life. She struggles with the bills and medical requirements of her daughter.
Clearly, the three are not in the best financial situation possible and desperately decide to take matters into their own hands. The best they can think of is planning the heist, a supermarket robbery, but these rookies have no idea of the troubles ahead. They keep sinking into the crime world, and working together is the only way out.
The series ran from 2018-2021, covering four seasons. The first season has ten episodes, and you can expect a lot of laughter tagging along with crime. Just like Based on a True Story follows real life closely but is fictional, Good Girls is relatable to the masses despite being an imaginary story. With the abrupt cancellation of season five, four seasons are out, and all that you have to make the best out of this masterpiece.
Ghosts
The name might already give away a lot of what to expect, but that is not all. This one is not a crime mystery, so it cannot be a direct replacement for Based on a True Story.
In case you like something dark but lighthearted, not particularly sticking to the crime world, this might be it. Although the mystery and comedy make it somewhat similar to Based on a True Story, it also opens the doors to a supernatural universe.
There are two series by the name Ghosts- a UK version and an American one. The former was released in 2019, becoming an inspiration for the latter, which made it to the screens in 2021.
The basic plot is the same. The UK sitcom revolves around a young and financially unstable couple, Alison Cooper and Mike. The two think they hit the jackpot when Alison inherits a countryside house from a distant relative. The two convert it into a luxury hotel without knowing the whole truth.
The inherited house is not an empty one but a hub of spirits from different historical periods, which will stay there till they reach the afterlife. The ghosts are not happy with the new hosts and their renovation plans, so they make several attempts to boo them away. After a near-death experience, Alison gains the ability to see ghosts which they did not expect.
The American version has changed the couple’s name to Samantha, a freelancer, and Jay, a chef-to-be. They decide to convert the inherited property into a bed and breakfast which does not please the ghost band of a hippie, singer, militiaman, and more. Samantha also becomes the first human to possess the ability to spot these old residents.
While the basic theme is the same, even the remake has a touch of originality. It has some new ghosts and new stories to offer. If you like more horror elements, the UK version is better, but if light heart horror shows are to your liking, the US one does better.
Both shows are still under production, so you can expect to see more seasons. This comedy sitcom is perfect for some family time.
Also read: 50 Best Shows Like Why Women Kill That You Might Consider Watching.
Search Party
Up next is a lost and found series. Starring Alia Shawkat as the main character named, Doey, it focuses on the millennial group and the problems they encounter. Doey lacks motive in life and is thoughtlessly driven to things.
One day her wandering eyes lay on the poster of a missing woman in the streets of Manhattan with a handsome amount to find her. Her curious eyes finally recognized the lady as an old college acquaintance who was a sweet and kindhearted girl named Chantal.
She gets obsessed with her not-so-best friend’s sudden disappearance and makes it her mission to find her. She is not alone on the journey as her group of young coevals joins her in the quest.
These weird 20-somethings are Elliot, a narcissist who convinces himself enough to help Dory keep his ego aside, and Portia, the desperate attention seeker craving the limelight. And Drew, a manchild and Dory’s boyfriend. Opposite to them is the truth-lover Julian, Dory’s ex, who is a journalist by profession. He often clashes with others, but he hardly cares.
Dory is convinced of something fishy, and the group tags along to find Chantel, but hiding their own secrets. The consequences of this quest are not easy to bear for the newbie detectives who are unprepared.
Search Party is like a doppelganger to Based on a True Story in certain aspects. The comic angle maintained throughout the critical situation is enticing. It is not merely a mystery drama about finding a girl but a satire with each character enjoying a life of its own.
It offers more surprise, suspense, and laugh-out-loud moments than you expect. The show has a total of 5 seasons following the incidents of season one, but it feels like a different story and genre.
The first season has ten episodes of clip-hanger mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seats with a ridiculously entertaining character plot. You will need some time to get hold of it and the rest to binge-watch all the seasons.
Dead to me
Losing a loved one is the hardest loss to incur. The grief seeps in slowly, and everyone seeks a shoulder to cry. That is how our next series on the list commences. If you are expecting a merely sad story of loss and grief, the twist will be happily disappointing for you.
Dead to Me is a story about two ladies dealing with their own losses, but the approach to this tragic situation in this show is sometimes hilarious. Christiana Applegate plays Jen Harding, one of the two main female protagonists. She has lost her husband in a hit-and-run case recently.
The grieving widow joins a grief support group and also decides to find the culprit responsible for her husband’s untimely demise. Her world seems dark, and so does her life, with a negative hue all through. Exercising and therapy are her coping mechanisms.
Her polar opposite second main character is Judy Hale, who is played by Linda Cardellini. She has also lost her fiancé to a heart attack. The tragic incident still does not dim the light of her colorful character bringing in positive vibes.
The two ladies meet in the grief support group, and their opposite personalities click. A seemingly cliche friendship blooms into a deep bond. Everything seems like a fairytale, but Judy is hiding a dark secret, something that can shatter Jen’s world again.
This series will leave you awestruck and yearning for more tragic comedy shows. Although it has wrapped up with three seasons, each of 10 episodes, you can watch and rewatch it without getting bored. It will convince you to get indulged and live the characters. The rollercoaster of emotions from funny to deep and anger to tears is worth watching.
Just like Based on a True Story, Dead to Me offers some of the funniest one-liners and nail-biting mysteries.
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Too long for a title to keep up with, but it has its own purpose. The Woman in the House, its shorter title, will still give you hints about some uncanny similarities to older shows. It is a parody of murder mysteries solved by women, be it “The Woman in The Window” or “The Girl on The Train.”
The show follows Anna, a grieving mother who has lost her daughter and is separated from her husband. She searches for peace in some cheap red wine mixed with medications. Her apartment window is her all-time companion, and she sees days and life pass by with her soulless eyes.
Hallucinations are not new to her after the trauma she endured, and life seems stagnant. Soon, her monotonous life changes when a handsome hunk, Neil, shifts into a neighboring apartment with his little daughter Emma. Anna finds a ray of hope and a hand of help in this dark world.
Emma, the little princess, reminds Anna of her daughter. Only when things seem on the right track life pulls out a darker card when she witnesses a murder, or does she? When no one believes her, and perhaps she’s no different. Emma decides to find out the truth herself.
The Woman in the House cannot be everyone’s cup of tea. You need a strong hold over murder mystery shows to catch up with the witty references. Being a parody, cliche, and cringe are two goals it successfully executes. It is not too big of a mystery or humor, but being ordinary is its specialty.
The twists and jokes are more or less radiating the theme of Based on a True Story. The dilemma maintained throughout between reality and imagination, the lighthearted satire, and the good show put on by Kristen Bell make this 8-episode mini-series enjoyable for a casual watch.
Also read:10 Reality Shows Like Alone To Watch
The Afterparty
Parties are loved, and so is a reunion with old friends. Perhaps, life may have other plans. Getting the party mood ruined is frustrating enough already, but what if the obstacle is murder?
The frustration soon turns into fear and trauma. However, the makers of The Afterparty saw otherwise. They seized the opportunity of the buts and ifs into a comedy murder mystery that will keep you wondering.
The show follows Xavier, who is now a popular pop star and wishes to plan a reunion with his buddies. The high school reunion afterparty is organized, which is graced by many. Events take a drastic turn when the host Xavier is murdered.
Everyone is under the lens of suspicion, and the detective kicks off his work. The chaos begins when everyone has a different tale to tell. Every character has their version of the story about the night.
Better understood as the millennial whodunnit, a crime thriller that focuses on who the murderer is, The Afterparty is a crazy space for comedy and puzzle-solving storytelling. The characters find the drastic situation an opportunity to beat the monotony of their boring life, just like ordinary grownups.
The series is divided into eight episodes, each dedicated to one character and his share of the story. The performance and plot put to work are not only praiseworthy and loved by the audience but also award winners.
The love for the show has also secured a season two that will be dropping this year with another humorous tale. In this season, the wedding venue turns into a crime spot which will carry on to be solved for ten episodes. Since murder mystery and comedy are the cruxes of Based on a True Story, The Afterparty not only matches it but provides more than you ask for.
Truth Be Told
Finding a series sibling can be harder than you think. Fortunately, Based on a True Story has quite a few, and Truth Be Told is one of them. Do not confuse this one with the 2015 series with the same name, which is about two couples. This one is a thriller mystery starring Octavia Spencer as Poppy Parnell.
Poppy was a famous podcaster in her old days, and her love for truth and justice helped solve crime mysteries. As we’ve heard, honesty is the best policy but blatantly ignore the risk and consequences that follow.
Poppy relaunches her podcast based on true crimes and reopens a case from 1999. This was a murder case in which Poppy thought she did a great job by finding the real culprit and putting him behind bars.
Unfortunately, what she thought was wrong as the accused man Warren Cave was falsely framed. The new evidence forces her to start from scratch to find the real mastermind. Season two is a different story, with Poppy investigating the murder of her friend’s possibly gay husband upon her request. Time tests not only Poppy’s potential but her friendship with the widow friend Micah.
The third and final season focuses on Poppy once again, who is set to investigate the far-from-media limelight case. A large number of black girls keep disappearing without a clue, and Poppy discusses her concern with the school principal. The chain of events hints towards sex trafficking, and Poppy has to deal with it all.
Truth be Told is no satire and is pretty dark. The comic angle of Based on a True Story is missing, but thrill and mystery are fully loaded. Excellent acting showcased by Octavia Spencer makes her role as a true crime podcaster lively and intriguing. The series has wrapped up after three seasons and a total of 28 episodes.
American Vandal
Bashing tragic murders, crime scenes, shows, and true crime addiction was a motto of Based on a True Story, so let’s close the list with something similar. Although Based on a True Story is a satire show with a lighthearted take on something heinous, American Vandal is rather something harmless and weird.
The story is set in a high school that has seen numerous pranks. The doors of absurdity are opened when someone mysteriously paints Phallic images on 27 cars. The targets seem chosen, and the fingers point at the popular prankster Dylan Maxwell. He is neither to the liking of students nor the teachers, making him an easy accused.
The documentarian duo of boys Peter Maldonado and Sam Ecklund is not convinced enough by the accusations and tries to find out the truth. Dylan holds a rigid stand of innocence, provoking the question of who else it could be.
The whole show revolves around resolving the mystery and keeping the suspense till the very end. Amidst, you are introduced to several shady and colorful characters contributing to a peal of hearty laughter.
It offers a space of open interpretation and is a satire on crime mysteries. Of course, the plot and revelation are all about mocking. The first season of 8 episodes was released in the year 2017.
It also has season two of 8 episodes that came in 2018 with the same documentary’s main aspirant characters and a different story. This time the boys are after the self-proclaimed “Turd Burglar” who adds laxatives to the cafeteria lemonade.
Quite some time has passed, blurring the hopes for season three. However, the series succeeds in making fun of the entire crime mystery genre.
The fictional plot is still not far from reality and relatable to all the teens and the bygone days for grownups. After all, it does not have to be based on a true story to be “Based on a True Story.”
Also read: Top TV Shows Like the Rookie That You Can Check Out.
