All good stories must come to an end. Peacock has trimmed its original programming, canceling Based on a True Story after two seasons.
Per Deadline, despite earning largely positive reviews from critics, Based on a True Story will not return for a third season on Peacock. Created by Craig Rosenberg, the dark comedy thriller series is a satire of the true crime genre with elements loosely inspired by true events. Both seasons follow married couple Ava and Nathan Bartlett, played by Cuoco and Chris Messina respectively, as they capitalize on America’s growing obsession with true crime by launching a podcast with serial killer Matt Pierce (Tom Bateman). The second, and now final, season of eight episodes was released in its entirety on Peacock back in November 2024.
Based on a True Story Season 2 picked up three months into parenthood for Ava and Nathan. As they focus 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. Priscilla Quintana, Liana Liberato, and Natalia Dyer also starred in the Peacock original series, with Melissa Fumero and Sara Paxton appearing in a recurring capacity during the second season.
The show’s cancelation will likely disappoint the show’s fandom, as well as producer Michael Costigan, who told The Direct back in December that there is still more story to tell for the Bartletts and Matt. «And that’s where with Season 3, which we certainly feel like, if the audience is there with us in Season 2, we really think and hope that they’re going to want to go with us again. Yeah, because there’s a lot more to do,» he said.
Peacock Also Cancels Mr. Throwback
Based on a True Story wasn’t the only show Peacock canceled this week, as the mockumentary Mr. Throwback has also been axed after a single season. The series, from Happy Endings creator David Caspe and writing duo Matthew Libman and Daniel Libman, centers on Danny Grossman (Adam Pally), a down-on-his-luck memorabilia dealer who looks for redemption by reuniting with his sixth-grade teammate, NBA great Steph Curry. SNL star Ego Nwodim and Jackpot! actor Ayden Mayeri rounded out the main cast, while Tracy Letts, Layla Scalisi, Tien Tran, and Rich Sommer recurred.
Based on a True Story‘s cancelation won’t slow down Kuoco, who has remained in high demand following the conclusion of The Big Bang Theory in 2019. She recently signed on to lead a new television series titled Vanished, which is set to begin filming by the end of the month in Paris and Marseilles. The Hunger Games alum Sam Clafin is also set to star in the suspense drama series, whose logline reads as follows: «When a romantic getaway to Paris takes a dark turn with the sudden disappearance of her boyfriend Tom (Claflin) aboard a train to the south of France, Alice (Cuoco) is plunged into a web of intrigue and danger, uncovering shocking secrets about the man she thought she knew.»
Both seasons of Based on a True Story are available to stream on Peacock.
