Created by Craig Rosenberg, Peacock's dark comedy Based on A True Story features a couple Ava (Kaley) and Nathan (Chris Bartlett) who set out to solve a serial killing spree and host the murderer on their true-crime podcast in a bid to become famous. In Season 1, their plans go horribly awry and as the second season premieres this week, we learn what the Barletts have been up to since welcoming a baby. In an interview withZoom, the show’s executive producer Michael Costigan discussed where the show goes next this season, with new addition Melissa Fumero, and how they’ve kept themselves open for the story to go further in the possible third season.
Excerpts below:
Based on a True Story is a satire on true crime, which seems to be a fascination that doesn't seem to abate. Where does the new season take viewers?
At the end of Season 1, I remember audiences were asking us where does it go? And we said we can't tell you. The dirty secret was, we didn't know yet. We have a new showrunner this season, Annie Weisman, who did a brilliant show called Physical. She came in as a fan and said, "I know where I want to take this." She and her team of writers took us even further than Season 1 because they have a baby now. You think you've stopped something but once you kind of step over the line, can you stop it? Hopefully the audience is going to agree that there are a ton of surprises this season.
How was casting key in the show especially with Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina?
We got really lucky because our creator wrote two scripts in the very beginning. When we gave the script to Kaley, we had just seen The Flight Attendant, and all were blown away. She called us two days later and said, "This is hilarious, crazy and I've never read anything like it. And I love true crime." It really called out to her, and I think she became the character and the character became her. And then we were trying to figure out, who was Nathan? Who was that character at this stage of his life and who would feel married to her? We couldn't believe they didn't know each other. So, they met, hit it off instantly. Now, the chemistry that you see on screen continues. That chemistry is infectious both onscreen and offscreen. They've become the best of friends and it's very true to who Ava and Nathan are. Two people who are so different from each other, and still, who really both appreciate each other and love each other for who they are.
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And this season we have Melissa Fumero joining the show as well.
We were all such big fans of Melissa Fumero, [including] Jason Bateman, my partner-in-crime at Aggregate Films. I think the way Kaley was in The Flight Attendant, this brand-new way they got to see her. I think for audiences who already love her from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, wait until you see her in this new character. People are going to be very thrilled and surprised by her character.
Everyone around the world is interested in true crime. Do you have any true-crime story that got you interested in the genre?
Jason Bateman and I laughed that we are the only two people who are not obsessed with true crime. But we're obsessed with people's obsession with it. And I think that's what really fueled this. A number of years ago, I made a movie about Ted Bundy where Zac Efron played him. My fascination with that screenplay was his power on somebody else, how were we seduced by these people? What I love in our show is… Tom Bateman, who is so brilliant as Matt, is he manipulating us? Can we believe what he is saying? Is he Nathan's friend? I believe he really is. I think that's also what fuels our obsession with true crime. How can these regular people turn out to have these lives we never really knew?
A story like this can have so many possibilities. Have you guys also had any conversations about what's next? Maybe for another season.
We also can't get enough of Chris and Kaley and these other characters. I think what makes Season 2 fun is that at the end of Season 1 we didn't say okay, great that part of the story is done, now we are going to do this part of the story. We felt that both for the audience and ourselves, if we went this far, how do we go further? Where do we want to explore with the characters? Bigger stakes, more surprises, more comedy, more suspense, how do we raise it all? And I think now without giving too much away for the end of season 2, we want to give ourselves still that room to really go further. We now know who these characters are, and I think it's going to get even more suspenseful. No one is in control anymore. It's very explosive what it builds to, and hilarious for the possibilities to where it could keep going next.