Annie Weisman is taking the reins for Based on a True Story season 2, and with it comes some exciting new twists and turns for the Peacock dark comedy thriller. Having been part of the writing and producing teams of everything from the supernatural comedy Dead Like Me to the sitcom Suburgatory, Weisman went on to lead the charge on Almost Family, the American TV adaptation of the Australian drama Sisters, and was the creator and showrunner for Apple TV+'s Emmy-nominated dark comedy Physical.
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Based on a True Story season 2 picks up three months after the season 1 cliffhanger finale, with Nathan and Ava's parenting struggles being interrupted by a new killer cropping up and learning of Matt and Tory's relationship, which has progressed to an engagement. As Ava turns to launching a new form of content with TikTok to investigate the new murders, Nathan keeps an eye on Matt to help him with his desire to overcome his desire to kill. With Matt still facing many of his triggers, and Nathan facing his own problems with his career, the two find themselves leaning on one another in a potentially dangerous way.
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Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina return to lead the ensemble Based on a True Story season 2 cast as Ava and Nathan alongside Tom Bateman as Matt and Liana Liberato as Tory, as well as recurring appearances from Priscilla Quintana as Ruby, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Aisha Alfa, June Diane Raphael and Jessica St. Clair. The season also expands its cast with the introduction of Melissa Fumero as Drew, a new mommy friend for Ava who has some secrets lurking as the season progresses.
In anticipation of the show's return, Screen Rant interviewed showrunner Annie Weisman to discuss Based on a True Story season 2, the time jump from the season 1 cliffhanger to the premiere, Matt and Tory's relationship and the thematic importance behind it, why Fumero was the perfect actor for her mysterious character, and the chances of season 3.
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Based On A True Story Season 2's Time Jump Came From A Real Place
"...and then we have a new mystery story to tell..."

Screen Rant: Well, first and foremost, I'd love to dive into the fact that there's a big time jump from the end of Based on a True Story season 1 to the beginning of season 2. Where did the idea for that first come about in the writers room?
Annie Weisman: We had the very real challenge of our actress and our character having a baby, so it gave us a very organic way to jump time, which is to say that next big event, game-changing event in their life, which is the birth of their child, becoming parents. So, we were able to kind of lead to that moment to open the show, and then sort of backfill how they got out of the pretty tight squeeze they were in at the end of last season to get to where they are now. But the new baby just felt like a great, and real, reset for us to kind of move forward in season 2 that now, as parents, they kind of face a new world with new challenges, and then we have a new mystery story to tell, as well.
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Tory & Matt's Relationship Ties Into "The Challenge" Of Season 2's Story
"...it's a very heightened version of a sister story that you can relate to..."

One other thing I'd love to touch on with the time jump, too, is the fact that Tory and Matt actually keep their relationship secret for as long as they do. Obviously, Nathan and Ava are distracted by the baby, but the road you take this season as a whole is not the one I was expecting Tory and Matt to take. Can you talk me through coming up with the roadmap for their relationship going into this season?
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Annie Weisman: Well, we love the idea of having the challenge this season, of thinking about, "Is Matt redeemable? Can a serial killer change?" So, we kind of took that on through the character of Tory, played by Liana Liberato, because it's her love of him, her belief in him, that he can transform and adapt, and that maybe serial killing is more like an addiction that you can enter recovery from.
So, of course, one of the things we loved about that is that it's a very heightened version of a sister story that you can relate to of like, "What if your sister just had pretty bad taste in a boyfriend?" Or, actually, fiancée, as we learn pretty quickly in the season, I don't think that's giving too much away. So, you can relate to that idea of sort of the nightmare boyfriend of someone you love, and whether or not you can tolerate their belief in them, and their desire to rescue and redeem them.
Casting Fumero Was A "Pinch-Me" Moment For Weisman
"My whole family is a huge fan of Brooklyn Nine-Nine..."

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So, in talking about the big mystery this season, one of the new players in that is Melissa Fumero. I, of course, adored her in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, I also loved her in Blockbuster. I'd love to hear about not only developing that character, but then landing on her to be the perfect person to bring her to life.
Annie Weisman: Yeah, we felt strongly like we wanted to have a really good friendship story for Ava this season. You know, somebody who could go toe to toe with Kaley Cuoco, and just have great chemistry comedically with. And then, also, just get her out of the house and give her that friendship, because I think, in a real way, that's what a lot of new moms desire, because the experience can be so isolating. So, Melissa was sort of our dream person for this role, and we were just so lucky that she said yes, and I also am a huge fan of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
My whole family is a huge fan of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, so we kind of knew what she would bring to the table in terms of her comedy. And then, we were excited to challenge her with some other surprising character traits as well, without saying too much and giving too much away. But she definitely has some tricks up her sleeve, and some surprises for our characters and for our audience, and for fans of hers. So, it was one of those kind of pinch-me moments of getting to reach out to someone you're a fan of, and then, lo and behold, they say yes.
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There Are Hopes For Based On A True Story Season 3 With Weisman & Co.
"...but there's a really good payoff, so I think fans will feel satisfied by the end..."

Now, I'd love to ask really quickly as well, because much like season 1, this ends on a pretty big cliffhanger. I'd love to hear if there are talks, or if there are at least ideas, about season three.
Annie Weisman: Well, we certainly hope so. We definitely left the door open, but I will also say that I am proud of the fact that, in our eight episodes, we pack a lot in. There's a lot of comedy, there's some good romantic comedy storytelling, but we really do tell a close-ended mystery. There's a lot of twists and turns, but there's a really good payoff, so I think fans will feel satisfied by the end, but then we also couldn't resist maybe opening the door to you know some more.
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About Based On A True Story Season 2
Season 2 finds new parents Ava and Nathan Bartlett three months into parenthood. Focused 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. But a series of new murders pulls her back in – is Matt behind the slayings? Is Tory, now entangled in a relationship with Matt, in danger? For a while, life is good -- Ava’s TikTok habit and her new friend Drew provide a welcome distraction, and Nathan’s all in on reigniting his tennis career as well as his friendship with Matt -- until danger comes knocking, literally.
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Stay tuned for our other Based on a True Story season 2 interviews with:
- Chris Messina
Based on a True Story season 2 premieres on Peacock on November 21.
Source: Screen Rant Plus

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Based on a True Story
TV-MA
Comedy
Thriller
Based on a True Story is a Peacock original crime thriller starring Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina as a married couple who starts their own True Crime podcast. Ava and Nathan Bartlett are expecting their first child despite marital troubles as their finances continue to plummet, and their decision to hire a charming plumber to install a new toilet leaves them stuck in a true crime story of their own.
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*Availability in US
- Cast
- Kaley Cuoco , Chris Messina , Tom Bateman , Liana Liberato , Natalia Dyer , Priscilla Quintana
- Release Date
- June 8, 2023
- Seasons
- 2
- Streaming Service(s)
- Peacock
- Writers
- Craig Rosenberg
- Showrunner
- Craig Rosenberg