Inspiration can strike at any time and from any supply. For some TV, the thought comes from true occasions all through historical past.
Whereas the storyline might get dramatized or embody occasions that did not happen, the true components may be sufficient to encourage a narrative match for leisure.
We have discovered our favourite 11 TV reveals primarily based on real-life occasions. Discover out about every story’s reality, the actors who made it superior, and the place you’ll be able to watch each bit.
American Crime Story (2016-ongoing)
The place to look at: Hulu subscription
American Crime Story is an anthology sequence specializing in criminals and crimes all through the U.S.
This sequence has portrayed a few of the greatest prison circumstances fought within the American court docket system, beginning with the trial of OJ Simpson in American Crime Story Season 1.
Different high-profile circumstances coated on this award-winning sequence embody the demise of common garments designer Gianni Versace and the affair between President Invoice Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.
We have seen a few of our favourite celebrities lend their abilities to this true crime sequence, together with Cuba Gooden Jr. as OJ Simpson, David Schwimmer, John Travolta, Courtney V. Vance, Edie Falco, Kenneth Choi, and Beanie Feldstein.
Chernobyl (2019)
The place to look at: Max subscription
Chernobyl is a Max five-episode miniseries that recounts the worst nuclear occasion in world historical past and the chaos it is nonetheless producing.
The sequence follows the Soviet Union’s nuclear energy plant failure in 1986, with the primary episode portraying the chaos as the ability plant failed.
The ultimate 4 episodes depicted all of the courageous individuals who risked their lives to comprise the nuclear explosion.
Together with the tragic deaths and sicknesses of a whole bunch of individuals, viewers additionally skilled anger on the failure of the individuals who ran Chernobyl and of the federal government who tried to downplay the severity of the accident.
Emily Watson, Jared Harris, and Paul Ritter have been forged members on this gripping true documentary drama, which received quite a few awards for each the writing and the performing.
I Am the Evening (2019)
The place to look at: Google Play motion pictures
I Am The Evening is a six-episode sequence primarily based on the memoir of Fauna Hodel, the granddaughter of suspected Black Dahlia killer George Hodel.
From the horrific mutilation of aspiring actress Elizabeth Brief to the terrible claims of getting intercourse together with his 14-year-old daughter, Tamar, George gave the impression to be a nasty man throughout.
Not that anybody ever proved it.
I Am the Evening follows Fauna as she units out to find the reality of her blood household and as an alternative uncovers an internet of horrors and household secrets and techniques.
India Eisley portrays Fauna, who grew up pondering she was biracial, solely to find she has relations to one of the crucial notorious murders in trendy historical past.
Chris Pine lent his abilities as Jay Singletary, an L.A. journalist who helps Fauna seek for her organic household. S
ingletary investigates George Hodel for the demise of the younger actress nicknamed Black Dahlia.
Regardless of every thing recognized concerning the crime, a suspect has by no means been arrested for the grotesque and terrifying L.A. homicide.
Narcos (2015-2017)
The place to look at: Netflix
Anybody obsessive about true crime in the US is aware of the notorious Pablo Escobar, expertly performed by Wagner Moura on this three-season sequence.
Generally known as essentially the most infamous drug kingpin within the US, Escobar made billions of {dollars} between the Nineteen Seventies and his seize within the 90s.
Narcos is against the law drama sequence depicting Pablo’s a few years of criminality as one of many greatest cocaine sellers within the historical past of the U.S.
From high-stakes drug offers to conflicts between kingpins and authorities officers, Narcos provides viewers an inside have a look at life because the chief of the Medellin Cartel.
The ultimate season reveals the aftermath of Escobar’s reign because the DEA tried to cease the expansion of the Cali Cartel.
Wagner Moura performs the well-known drug kingpin, and Steve Murphy, Alberto Ammann, and Paulina Gaitan co-star.
We Personal This Metropolis (2022)
The place to look at: Max Subscription
We Personal This Metropolis provides viewers a sensationalized recounting of the corruption of the Baltimore Gun Hint Activity Pressure police earlier than its disbandment.
A number of members of the GTTF confronted fees in 2017 after years of improper conduct by cops, resulting in a gripping six-episode drama sequence that gave us a first-hand view of the wrongdoings.
Starring large names like Jamie Hector, Jon Bernthal, and Josh Charles, followers will face the horrors of dangerous policing and the aftermath of corruption in a complete police division and metropolis.
Genius (2017 – Ongoing)
The place to look at: Lease on Apple T.V.
Genius is an anthology sequence that offers viewers an in-depth exploration of a few of the best minds of our time.
Season 1 centered on one of many smartest males on the earth, Einstein, capturing every thing from his early years up till he found the speculation of relativity as a famend physicist.
Geoffrey Rush performed an older Einstein, whereas Johnny Flynn portrayed the younger Einstein.
In Season 2, we explored the lifetime of Pablo Picasso, one of many best painters of all time and presumably essentially the most troubled.
Antonio Banderas gave a charming portrayal of the notorious mad painter.
Season 3 depicted the life and work of well-known singer Aretha Franklin, performed by Cynthia Erivao.
From her childhood being pregnant on the tender age of 12 to her success as top-of-the-line feminine singers of the century, there really is nobody like her.
We additionally get to journey by a few of the best political activists in historical past, with Season 4 specializing in Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X, performed by Aaron Pierre.
Band of Brothers (2001)
The place to look at: Netflix, Hulu, Max Subscriptions
You may acknowledge some large names among the many Band of Brothers forged, as lots of the actors have since gone on to grow to be profitable film stars.
This struggle drama miniseries, primarily based on the Band of Brothers nonfiction novel, was the imaginative and prescient of Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
The sequence received Golden Globe and Emmy awards.
The ten-episode sequence follows a army outfit named Straightforward Firm, a gaggle of troopers from the one hundred and first Airborne Division – 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Every episode of Band of Brothers options Straightforward Firm all through World Struggle II, from their coaching to the U.S.’s invasion of Germany to the top of the struggle.
The present centered on a person character each week, offering real-life recounts from extreme accidents to deaths.
The sequence’ stars included David Schwimmer, Scott Grimes, Ron Livingston, Damian Lewis, Donnie Wahlberg, Nicholas Aaron, and Doug Allen.
Inventing Anna (2022)
The place to look at: Netflix
Netflix launched the single-season miniseries Inventing Anna in 2022.
The sequence centered on the true retelling of Anna Sorokin, a fraudulent socialite who scammed practically $300,000 out of New York Metropolis companies.
Sorokin claimed to be a German heiress from 2013 to 2017, giving her entry to a few of the most elite and unique places and scenes.
Her identify was Anna Delvey, and he or she was from Russia, performed by Julia Garner. Vivian Kent performed Anna Chlumsky, the journalist who reported on the pretend heiress.
Inventing Anna is the imaginative and prescient of Shonda Rhimes, the thoughts behind Gray’s Anatomy and Station 19.
Orange is the New Black (2013-2019)
The place to look at: Netflix subscription
Orange is the New Black hooked viewers with its comedic portrayal of life in a girls’s jail.
Whereas dramatized, the storyline and essential character have been primarily based on actual occasions.
The thought got here from Piper Kerman’s 2010 memoir Orange is the New Black: My Yr in a Girls’s Jail.
Within the sequence, Piper Chapman — performed by Taylor Schilling — is a 33-year-old feminine with a 15-month jail sentence on account of unknowingly transporting drug cash for her ex-girlfriend Alex Vause, performed by Laura Prepon.
This Netflix dramedy reached peak reputation, leading to seven seasons by the point it went off the display screen in 2019.
It is the work of showrunner and creator Jenji Kohan, the thoughts behind the Showtime sequence Weeds.
Different vital names that joined the Orange is the New Black forged embody Taryn Manning, Danielle Brooks, Uzo Aduba, and Natasha Lyonne.
The Crown
The place to look at: Netflix
Netflix aired The Crown, a six-season historic drama depicting six many years of life as British royalty.
The sequence is the work of Peter Morgan, a playwright and screenwriter recognized for his 2005 work Frost/Nixon.
The primary two seasons of the deep dive into royalty achieved main success, although the next 4 seasons have been considerably much less charming.
The Crown follows the lifetime of Queen Elizabeth II, beginning in 1947 earlier than she married Prince Philip and persevering with by 2005 when her son Prince Charles married Camilla.
We noticed Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton lend their abilities because the queen in varied many years, Gillian Anderson in Season 4 as Margaret Thatcher, and portraying the position of Princess Diana in Season 4 as Emma Corrin.
Though we have solely listed 11 of our favourite sequence primarily based on a real story, there are various extra.
So we’ll flip the dialogue over to you.
What’s your favourite TV present primarily based on real-life occasions?
Go away your ideas within the feedback.
Sara Trimble is a workers author for TV Fanatic. You possibly can observe her on X.
