Kaley Cuoco’s next TV series, Based on a True Story, is a new comedy thriller for Peacock, co-starring Chris Messina. Peacock released the first photos from the show last week, ahead of the show’s June 8 premiere. The series was created by Craig Rosenberg and is a satire on the true crime boom. Rosenberg is an Emmy nominee as a co-executive producer on Prime Video’s The Boys.
“Over the last decade, a true crime phenomenon has swept over America,” Rosenberg said in a statement. “Podcasts, documentaries, fictional shows based on true stories – they dominate the culture. Murderers have become celebrities and celebrities have become murderers which inspired me to create this show.”
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Cuoco and Messina play Ava and Nathan Bartlett, a married couple who see the true crime wave as a chance to change their lives and save their marriage. They live in Los Angeles, which Rosenberg describes as a “vivid backdrop to our story of fame, ambition, aspiration, and murder.”
The cast also features Tom Bateman, Liana Liberato, Priscilla Quintana, Natalia Dyer, Alex Alomar Akpobome, Aisha Alfa, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, and Li Jun Li. Jason Bateman is an executive producer, and the series was produced by Universal Content Productions and Aggregate Films. All eight episodes will be released on June 8.
‘Based on a True Story’ is Kaley Cuoco’s first series since ‘The Flight Attendant’
Based on a True Story is Cuoco’s first series since HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant. The two-season series earned Cuoco two Emmy nominations and was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2021. The show’s future remains a mystery, but Cuoco appeared to tell Variety in August 2022 that there will be no third season.
Chris Messina plays Cuoco’s on-screen husband
If The Flight Attendant does return, it’s unlikely to come soon as Cuoco has other projects lined up. She still voices the title character in the Harley Quinn animated series and just filmed the upcoming movie Role Play. Cuoco and her boyfriend, actor Tom Pelphrey, also welcomed their first child together, Matilda, on March 30.
Aisha Alfa and Annabelle Dexter-Jones also star
“I like when shows take a breath,” Cuoco told Variety last year. “This isn’t The Big Bang Theory days – it’s different. So I want to be wanted, I don’t want to force this down people’s throats. I want the storyline to be perfect enough. And I know that producers and everyone feels the same. I’ve talked to a lot of the main cast, and they are up for it, too. So that’s a great sign. I could see it happening. But probably not anytime soon.”
Tom Bateman has a mysterious role
Scroll on for a look at more photos from Based on a True Story.
Chris Messina
Chris Messina recently starred in Ben Affleck’s AIR as Michael Jordan’s agent. He also stars in the upcoming horror movie The Boogeyman, based on a Stephen King story.
‘Good Trouble’ star Priscilla Quintana has an important role
Sebastian Quinn and Priscilla Quintana (Good Trouble) also have key roles.
Messina and Cuoco’s characters try to capitalize on the true crime phenomenon
Rosenberg described Messina and Cuoco’s characters as “a relatable married couple whose youthful dreams hadn’t come to fruition and who saw the true crime tidal wave as an opportunity to change their lives and save their marriage.”
