TV Shows Based on True Stories

  
Narcos TV series
WATCH
 Netflix Takes on Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel
Crime  |  New series focuses on the drug kingpin and the DEA agent assigned to take him down.
Show Me a Hero miniseries
WATCH
 HBO Miniseries Looks at Rise and Fall of Yonkers Mayor Nick Wasicsko
Political  |  The mayor's efforts to see that federally-mandated public housing be built in a white neighborhood cost him his career.
Bessie movieBessie: History vs. Hollywood
Music  |  Find out if Bessie sings in tune with the truth.
Manhattan TV showManhattan: History vs. Hollywood
War  |  WGN America's TV show about the Manhattan Project uses real history as the backdrop for its mostly fictional characters.
Game of Thrones TV showHow Much of Game of Thrones is CGI? Plenty.
War  |  It makes you wonder how much of what we see in movies and on TV is real vs. computer generated.
Boardwalk Empire TV showBoardwalk Empire: History vs. Hollywood
Gangster  |  Find out which of your favorite characters and locations are based in reality.
Entourage movieMeet the Real People Behind the "Entourage" Characters
Comedy  |  We pit Entourage vs. Mark Wahlberg's entourage.
Texas Rising miniseriesTexas Rising: History vs. Hollywood
War  |  We do battle with the fiction in this 10-hour miniseries.
Houdini miniseries
WATCH
 Adrien Brody Portrays Escape Artist Harry Houdini in History Channel Miniseries
Drama  |  Can Adrien Brody pull off the illusion of making us believe he's Harry Houdini?
The Last Ship TV showIs the USS Nathan James a Real Navy Ship?
War  |  Learn about the origin of The Last Ship's USS Nathan James and find out whether parachute sails are a real technology.
The Goldbergs TV ShowThe Goldbergs: History vs. Hollywood
Comedy  |  Meet the real family and discover what parts of the TV show are true.


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.
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