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20 TV shows you may not know were inspired by real-life events
Netflix

20 TV shows you may not know were inspired by real-life events

Why write something original when real life is so dramatic? These 20 television shows weren't works of total fiction but were inspired by real-life events. 

 
1 of 20

'The Shrink Next Door'

'The Shrink Next Door'
Gloria Sanchez Productions

First, a real story, then a podcast, then an Apple TV+ original series. The Shrink Next Door is the bizarre story of Marty Markowitz and his former therapist. It won’t scratch your itch if you’re into shows about violent crimes, but it will make you a bit leery of therapists. 

 
2 of 20

'The Staircase'

'The Staircase'
Annapurna Television

If this story fascinates you at all, there’s plenty of content to consume it. Author Michael Peterson was accused of murdering his wife and went to great lengths to prove himself not guilty of the crime (though, spoiler alert, he was found guilty). The wild true story was a documentary and then an original HBO miniseries. 

 
3 of 20

'Candy'

'Candy'
Iron Ocean

The story of Candy Montgomery is so wild it’s inspired two television series and a made-for-TV movie. Candy, Love & Death, and 1990’s A Killing in a Small Town all portray the chilling axe murder that Montgomery was accused of committing in 1980 after her husband had an affair with her friend, the victim, Betty Gore. 

 
4 of 20

'Mindhunter'

'Mindhunter'
Denver and Delilah Productions

Mindhunter is one of the few television series inspired by real events that we’re grateful happened. No, we’re not grateful for the serial killers John E. Douglas, the man who inspired the show, worked with, but Douglas’ work led to improved methods by which serial killers and mass murderers are brought to justice. 

 
5 of 20

'A Friend of the Family'

'A Friend of the Family'
Eat the Cat

A Friend of the Family was released to Peacock in 2022, and it told the true story of a girl who was abused and kidnapped by — you guessed it — a friend of the family. The show’s creator was inspired to make the series after reading two separate books written about the horrifying events. 

 
6 of 20

'Alias Grace'

'Alias Grace'
Netflix

Alias Grace is based on a novel of the same name that tells a fictionalized account of the murders of Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery. The novel was written by Margaret Atwood, the same woman who wrote The Handmaid’s Tale, which was later adapted to the Emmy-winning series of the same name. 

 
7 of 20

'The Wire'

'The Wire'
Blown Deadline Productions

Considered by many to be one of the best television shows of all time, many of the characters on The Wire were inspired by real people. One such character was Avon Barksdale, a criminal inspired by Nathan Barksdale, who was also arrested for drug crimes. 

 
8 of 20

'Band of Brothers'

'Band of Brothers'
Playtone

Though it seems like miniseries are a new addition to television possibilities because streaming services release original content, they’ve been part of television for a while. Band of Brothers is a miniseries released in 2001, and it tells the tale of the 506th Infantry Regiment during World War II.

 
9 of 20

'Unorthodox'

'Unorthodox'
Studio Airlift

Unorthodox, a series that came to Netflix in 2020, was inspired by the autobiography Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots. It follows Etsy Shapiro as she leaves the United States in rejection of the Jewish beliefs she was raised to have. 

 
10 of 20

'GLOW'

'GLOW'
Tilted Productions

The Netflix original GLOW might seem like a completely made-up show, and while it is a fictionalized account, it was inspired by the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, founded in the late ‘80s. The organization is so intriguing it even inspired a documentary before the television series. 

 
11 of 20

'Orange is the New Black'

'Orange is the New Black'
Tilted Productions

There are television shows that take place in prison that are completely fictionalized, but Orange is the New Black is not one of them. Based on the memoir of the same name, the Netflix original series tells a dramatized account of Piper Kerman’s (Piper Chapman in the show) 13 months in a federal prison. 

 
12 of 20

'Dr. Death'

'Dr. Death'
Littleton Road Productions

The rise of true crime podcasts has made it easier than ever for television producers to find real-life stories to inspire silver-screen series. After the podcast of the same name was released, Dr. Death was brought to life on Peacock. Fortunately for the viewers, but unfortunately for his patients, there’s enough material that Dr. Death was picked up for a second season. 

 
13 of 20

'Unspeakable'

'Unspeakable'
Mezo Entertainment

Lots of television series are based on a singular story, book, or podcast, but Unspeakable drew inspiration from two books: Bad Blood and The Gift of Death. Both detail the horrible realities of the beginning of the HIV/AIDs epidemic. Specifically, Unspeakable stories of the people who contracted HIV and Hepatitis C via infected blood from Canadian Red Cross blood banks. 

 
14 of 20

'Devil in Ohio'

'Devil in Ohio'
1001 Pictures

Some television series you wish were completely fictional, like Devil in Ohio. The Netflix show is based on the book of the same name, and the book was inspired by real events. The series’ creators made up significant parts of the show, but unfortunately, the idea for the book and the show was based on real events. 

 
15 of 20

'The Thing About Pam'

'The Thing About Pam'
Weird Egg Productions

File The Thing About Pam next to Devil in Ohio under Shows You Wish Weren’t Based On True Events. The story of Pam Hupp has been so intriguing to audiences that it’s also been documented by Dateline and a podcast of the same name. 

 
16 of 20

'Boardwalk Empire'

'Boardwalk Empire'
HBO Entertainment

HBO loves to air a television series based on real people. Boardwalk Empire, a show about the Prohibition era in the 20th century, was inspired by Enoch L. Johnson, a corrupt man with political power and lots of money. You can imagine how well things worked out for him. 

 
17 of 20

'The Girl from Plainville'

'The Girl from Plainville'
Happy Friday Productions

In the streaming era, it’s easy for shows to slip under our noses, even if highly publicized events inspired them. In the mid-2010s, the United States was rapt by the case of Michelle Carter, a young woman who went to prison after encouraging her boyfriend to take his own life. The twisted story is portrayed in The Girl from Plainville.

 
18 of 20

'Special'

'Special'
Warner Bros. Television

Not all television series inspired by reality are dark and hopeless. Special is a comedy series about Ryan Hayes, played by and based on the show’s creator Ryan O’Connell, who navigates life in Los Angeles as a gay man with cerebral palsy. The diagnosis isn’t especially positive, but the show's overall tone certainly is. 

 
19 of 20

'The Serpent'

'The Serpent'
Mammoth Screen

The Serpent is based on the crimes of Charles “The Serpent” Sobhraj. (You know a criminal is dangerous when they’re awarded a nickname.) Sobhraj was a prolific serial killer for two decades, and if you’re wondering why his name sounds so familiar, and you haven’t seen the show, it’s because he was released from prison in 2022.  

 
20 of 20

'Seven Seconds'

'Seven Seconds'
KMF Films

Netflix’s Seven Seconds is a crime-drama miniseries about police brutality and racism. While most true crime shows inspired by real life are based on just one case, Seven Seconds draws inspiration from several different instances of horrific violent racism among police forces. 

Acacia Deadrick

Acacia Deadrick is a South Dakota-based writer who has written for sites such as Nicki Swift, The List, and Glam. She loves music and all things pop culture, and she can be found watching TV, completing a crossword puzzle, or reading in her spare time. 

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