An important message from RadioPublic
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between March 25th and March 31st as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between March 18th and March 24th as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between March 11th and March 17th as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as …
In 2016's War Dogs, we learn the true story of two young men who win a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America's allies in Afghanistan. Today, we'll talk to one of the real people the movie was based on, …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between March 4th and March 10th as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from February 26th to March 3rd as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as well …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between February 19th and February 25th as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between February 12th and February 18th as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between February 5th and February 11th as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between January 29th and February 4th as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between January 22nd and January 28th as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies …
Last year, we covered the early life of Winston Churchill with biographer Furman Daniel. Today, we'll bring chat with Furman again to learn more about Churchill during World War II as he was depicted in the 2017 movie …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between January 15th and January 21st as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between January 8th and January 14th as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as …
This summer, the Summer Olympics return to Paris, France for the first time since the 1924 games that were shown in the classic movie Chariots of Fire. So in our first episode of 2024, we'll look forward to warmer days …
Happy 2024!
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from the first week of the year as they were shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from this week in history that were shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as well as …
Why is Christmas on December 25th? Why is a tree part of the tradition? Where did the idea of giving gifts come from?
On today's episode we'll go back to an interview with Heather LeFebvre from 2019 to learn more about …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from this week in history that were shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as well as …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from this week in history that were shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as well as …
Alexander Mikaberidze is a historian and professor at Louisiana State University who specializes in Napoleonic studies. Today he'll join the podcast …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from this week in history that were shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as well as …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from this week in history that were shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as well as …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from this week in history that were shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as well as …
Author Scott Hoffman takes us inside how well the movies like Casino, Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco, and the TV series The Sopranos portray the Outfit and the Mafia. To hear more Mafia stories, pick up Scott's book called …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from this week in history that were shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as well as a …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from this week in history that were shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as well as a …
Classic film historian Scott Eyman's new book is out today! It's called Charlie Chaplin vs. America: When Art, Sex and Politics Collided, so today …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from this week in history that were shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as well as a …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events from this week in history that were shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies as well as a …
We travel back to the 1993 film Gettysburg along with military historian and author Gregory J.W. Urwin to find out how well it does showing the …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in these movies: The Patriot, MacArthur…
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in these movies: Eight Men Out, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, and The Right Stuff.
Events from This Week in …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in these movies: Black Hawk Down, …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in these movies: Robinson Crusoe, …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in these movies and TV series: Patty …
Conspiracies still swirl around the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Many of those were depicted in Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK, and today we'll dig deep into the true story with …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in these movies: United 93, A …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Geromino: An American Legend, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid, and All Eyez On Me.
Did you enjoy this …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Krakatoa East of Java, From Hell, and
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Sweet Dreams, Pompeii, and Saving …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in The Pacific, The Crucible, and The …
Historian and author Gregory J.W. Urwin joins Based on a True Story to separate fact from fiction in the 1970 satirical western Little Big Man.
Learn …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Hatfields & McCoys, The Walk, …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Rush, Patton, and Braveheart.
Did you …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in At Eternity's Gate, Bonnie and …
The author of Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Fire, Jens Heycke, joins Based on a True Story to help us separate fact from fiction in the film Hotel …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Anastasia, Eight Men Out, and Dahmer.
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Battle of Britain, Hamilton, and One …
Dan McMillan is the author of How Could This Happen: Explaining the Holocaust, and he's joining the podcast to help us separate fact from fiction in …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in 1776, Lawrence of Arabia, and …
Today's episode looks at how well the 1972 film Young Winston shows early years of Winston Churchill before he became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Joining us today is Furman Daniel, author of the upcoming …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in 37 Days, Gettysburg, and The Trench.
…
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Lizzie, The Hobbit, and They Died …
1998's The Thin Red Line is set during the Guadalcanal Campaign of World War II. How well did it do telling the true story? Historian and author Marty Morgan joins Based on a True Story to help us separate fact from …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Waterloo, J. Edgar and Amelia.
Did …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in The Longest Day and Saving Private …
We'll do something a little different today. Instead of learning about the history behind a movie, we'll learn about the history of Hollywood itself …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Watchmen, Harriet and Midway.
Did you …
HBO's Chernobyl miniseries tells the story of the worst nuclear disaster in history. Today, we'll be looking at the final episode in the miniseries …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in The Messenger, Bonnie and Clyde and …
HBO's Chernobyl miniseries tells the story of the worst nuclear disaster in history. Today, we'll be looking at the fourth episode in the miniseries …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in The Other Boleyn Girl, The Spirit of …
HBO's Chernobyl miniseries tells the story of the worst nuclear disaster in history. Today, we'll be looking at the third episode in the miniseries …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Band of Brothers, Operation Finale …
HBO's Chernobyl miniseries tells the story of the worst nuclear disaster in history. Today, we'll be looking at the second episode in the miniseries …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Gods and Generals, The Right Stuff …
HBO's Chernobyl miniseries tells the story of the worst nuclear disaster in history. Today, we'll be looking at the first episode in the miniseries …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Troy and Chernobyl.
Did you enjoy …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in The Conspirator, Pearl Harbor and …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Apollo 13, The Conspirator and …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in The Assassination of Jesse James by …
In the 2016 movie A United Kingdom, we learn about the controversial interracial marriage between Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams. How well did the movie do telling the true story? Author Jens Heycke joins Based on a …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Immortal Beloved and The Highwaymen.
…
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Waterloo, The Blue Max and Hitler: …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Schindler's List, Valkyrie and Rome.
…
Today we're learning about the 2019 movie Radioactive with Lauren Redniss, who is the artist and author who wrote the book of the same name that the …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in The Alamo, Selma and Malcolm X.
Did …
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Waco, The Crucible and Seabiscuit.
…
In this episode, we'll learn about historical events that happened this week in history as they were depicted in Malcolm X, Flags of Our Fathers and …
For the week between February 13th to February 19th, we'll be learning about historical events that were depicted in Mata Hari, The St. Valentine's …
Today we're learning about the 2006 movie One Night with the King. Dr. Michael LeFebvre is a Fellow at the Center for Pastor Theologians and an Old …
For the week between February 6th to February 12th, we'll be learning about historical events that were depicted in Mary Queen of Scots, The Pacific …
For the week between January 30th to February 5th, we'll be learning about historical events that were depicted in Lincoln, All Quiet on the Western …
For the week between January 23rd to January 29th, we'll be learning about historical events that were depicted in Steve Jobs, U-571 and The …
Today we're learning about the 2004 movie King Arthur starring Clive Owen and Keira Knightley. Professor Armstrong is a medievalist who has been published numerous times over decades for her work studying the legends of …
For the week between January 16th to January 22nd, we'll be learning about historical events that were depicted in El Chapo, La Révolution française (
For the week between January 9th to January 15th, we'll be learning about historical events that were depicted in Netflix's Roman Empire, Walk the …
Introducing Based on a True Story This Week, a fun new way to learn about movies that portray events that happened this week in history and the true story behind them.
Learn more
https://links.boatspodcast.com/thisweek
…
Today we're learning about the 1960 movie Spartacus that was directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier and Jean Simmons. We'll learn about the real history from Barry Strauss, author of The …
Today we're replaying an episode of Based on a True Story from 2018 about the 2017 movie The Man Who Invented Christmas. The story the movie tells …
Today we'll learn about the World War One armistice from our friends at the History Daily podcast.
Learn more about History Daily: …
All Quiet on the Western Front has been adapted to the screen multiple times since World War I veteran Erich Maria Remarque published his novel of …
Dahmer was watched for 865 million hours in the first 28 days, making it one of the most popular Netflix originals of all time. Today we'll dive into …
Disney has released five movies in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and while they're clearly fictional movies they pull from and have …
The 2021 Amazon Original Movie Being the Ricardos tells us the story behind the scenes of the husband/wife team behind I Love Lucy, Dezi Arnaz …
This is part 2 of 'A Nightmare Before Halloween' with 16 spooky stories to help you get into the Halloween spirit!
Find the podcasts in this episode
This Halloween season, enter the woods for a unique and truly epic podcast experience! Around the campfire, Shane Waters will introduce 31 crime …
Released in 2001, Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor is often criticized as being entirely inaccurate as it attempts to tell the story of the surprise attack on December 7th, 1941 that led to the United States entering World …
The classic TV series The X-Files is fiction, but there are some true stories and UFO cases that inspired episodes of the series. To help us learn more about them, we'll chat with UFO researcher and host of Our Strange …
Dolemite Is My Name is the 2019 biopic about Rudy Ray Moore, the comedian, singer, actor, and film producer who has often been given the nickname the …
The movie's title W.E. stands for Wallis and Edward. Was the movie correct to suggest King Edward VIII's reason for abdicating the throne in 1936 was …
Zero Dark Thirty shows the decade-long search for Osama bin Laden. Peter Bergen is the author of The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden and he joins us today to dig into the true story behind the movie.
Learn more about …
This episode was originally released on August 28, 2017. This is a remastered version of that interview.
Matt Bondurant joins us today episode as we compare what really happened with the movie Lawless. Matt's …
Jack Horner was the Paleontology Consultant on all six of the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World movies. He joins Based on a True Story to chat about the …
Not all movies try to be historically accurate, and yet they still depict moments in history. To help us extract history from the satirical comedy, …
Operation Dynamo, also known as the Miracle at Dunkirk, was an event that many believe kept Britain in World War II before the United States even joined the fight as it took place between May 26 - June 4, 1940. Today …
Today we'll be talking about the 1956 movie The Conqueror with author Ryan Uytdewilligen.
Learn more about the true story
We're joined by author Sheila Myers to learn about the real character of Thomas 'Doc' Durant in AMC's Hell on Wheels.
Want to hear more stories of the …
Author Richard Munson joins the podcast to discuss the historical accuracy of the 2020 movie 'Tesla.'
Dig deeper into the true story
The 2020 movie Worth shows how Kenneth Feinberg (played by Michael Keaton) and Camille Biros (played by Amy Ryan) tackled the impossible task of determining the worth of life to help families affected by the September …
Dr. Brian Dirck is a Professor of History at Anderson University and author of multiple books on President Lincoln. He joins us today to chat about …
Today we'll be learning about George Armstrong Custer as he was depicted in the classic 1941 film They Died with Their Boots On.
To help us separate fact from fiction in the movie, we’ll be chatting with Professor …
The 1982 movie Frances tells the story of Hollywood actress Frances Farmer and how her struggles with mental health issues affected her career. We'll …
Moneyball tells the story of sabermetrics and the Oakland Athletics' 2002 season and joining us to separate fact from fiction is attorney Will Cooper, who worked in the A's clubhouse during the timeline of the movie.
Did …
Historian and author John Neal Phillips joins the show to chat about the historical accuracy of the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde.
Learn more about the …
Today we'll be chatting with the Creator and Showrunner of the History Channel's Project Blue Book about what it takes to create a TV show that is …
Steven Naifeh is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who has a new book out called Van Gogh and the Artists He Loved. He'll be joining us today to learn …
Our three-part series covering HBO's The Pacific wraps up today with the last three episodes.
Episodes we're covering today:
8. Iwo Jima
9. Okinawa
10. …
We're continuing our look at the HBO miniseries The Pacific by looking at the three episodes that cover Peleliu.
Episodes we're covering today:
5. Peleliu Landing
6. Peleliu Airfield
7. Peleliu Hills
Learn more about Marty's …
Today we're kicking off a three-part series on the HBO miniseries The Pacific by looking at the first four episodes.
Episodes we're covering today:
1. Guadalcanal/Leckie
2. Basilone
3. Melbourne
4. Gloucester/Pavuvu/Banika
…
Roland Tec's mother, Nechama, wrote the book that 2008's Defiance was based on. He was also a co-producer on the movie, so we'll get to hear some …
The Marquis de Lafayette is a historical figure who has been largely left out of the cultural spotlight. So, instead of looking at a single movie, …
Today we'll hear from Dr. Larson, the historical consultant on the 2019 movie Harriet about the life of Harriet Tubman.
Learn more about the true story
Patrick Wyman is a historian, host of the Tides of History podcast and author of The Verge. He joins us today to dive into the historical accuracy of …
The 2011 biopic from Clint Eastwood offers a look into the life of J. Edgar Hoover. Today we'll be talking to author and former FBI agent Paul …
We're wrapping our series on Band of Brothers today as we look as the last three episodes of the HBO miniseries.
Episodes we're covering today:
8. The …
Today we're continuing our look at the historical accuracy of Band of Brothers as we cover episodes six and seven while Easy Company is in Bastogne. We'll wrap up the series in our next episode of Based on a True Story.
…
June 6th, 2021 is the 77th anniversary of D-Day. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. So, today we'll kick off a 3-part miniseries of our own where we cover Band of Brothers …
Today we'll learn about the historical accuracy of 2003's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Helping us separate fact from fiction is Gordon Laco, who was the Lead Technical Advisor and Historical …
In 2003's The Last Samurai we learn the story of Captain Nathan Algren, an American soldier who travels to Japan to train the early Imperial Japanese …
In Christianity, Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Today we're going to learn about the depiction of that event on screen as we saw in 2004's The Passion of The Christ. To help us learn more, …
On this episode of Based on a True Story, we'll learn from the research consultant on The Highwaymen about the historical accuracy of the film. John …
We're going back to 1977 and Ridley Scott's feature film directorial debut, The Duellists. The movie tells the tale of two soldiers in Napoleon's …
Released in 2020, Greyhound was written by Tom Hanks, who also starred in the lead role. The movie was based on a novel by C.S. Forester called The …
2010's The Conspirator tells the story of Mary Surratt and her alleged involvement in Lincoln's assassination. Dr. Brian Dirck joins us again to …
Today we'll learn about the classic 1970 film Waterloo and its depiction of Napoleon's final defeat. Joining us to discuss the historical accuracy of
In the movie Donnie Brasco we see the story of an FBI agent who goes into deep cover infiltrating the New York mafia families. The truth is Donnie Brasco was the under-cover name for Joe Pistone. He joins us today along …
How much of 2014's The Alamo really happened? To help us separate fact from fiction in the movie, we’ll be chatting with professor, historian and …
Wake Island was attacked on the same day as Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 (December 8th on Wake Island across the International Date Line). A few months later, on August 11th, 1942, Paramount Pictures released the …
How historically accurate was 2012's Lincoln? To help us separate fact from fiction in the movie, we’ll be chatting with Dr. Brian Dirck, who is a …
1989's Glory is currently the most requested movie to cover. Gregory J. W. Urwin is an author, military historian, and Professor at Temple University. He'll join us today to separate fact from fiction in Glory.
Learn …
Back on episode #152 of Based on a True Story, we covered season 1 of the History Channel's Project Blue Book. Today, Rob Kristoffersen comes back on the podcast to talk about the events we saw in season 2.
Learn more …
Dr. Clayborne Carson is the Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Professor of History at Stanford University and the founding director of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford. He …
Chris Wimmer is the host and producer of the extremely popular Legends of the Old West and Infamous America podcasts. He joins us today to compare …
Eric Marcus is a journalist, founder and host of the Making Gay History Podcast. He joins us today to compare history with the 2015 Roland Emmerich …
The 2002 John Woo movie 'Windtalkers' tells the story of a Navajo code talker during World War II. Is the film historically accurate?
Judith Avila is the author of Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the …
Author Furman Daniel joins us today to separate fact from fiction in the classic World War II film Patton.
Learn more about the true story
Our story today covers the capture of the notorious Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann. The operation to hunt him down and bring him to justice was …
Erica Kelley is the host of the Southern Fried True Crime podcast. She joins us today to separate fact from fiction in the 2019 movie Just Mercy.
…
Today marks the 157th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863).
How much of the movie's depiction of the battle is historically …
June 6th, 1944. D-Day.
Fast forward 76 years and today, June 6th, 2020, we'll chat with author and historian Marty Morgan to separate fact from …
Craig Symonds is the Earnest J. King Professor of Maritime History at the Naval War College as well as Professor Emeritus of History at the U.S. …
Ryan Stitt is the host of The History of Ancient Greece Podcast, and he joins us today to separate fact from fiction in the 2004 movie Alexander.
…
1962's Mutiny on the Bounty is one of the most popular requests to cover and today we'll do that with the help of Brandon Huebner, the host of The …
Maurice Samuels, Author and Yale's Betty Jane Anlyan Professor of French, joins the Based on a True Story podcast to separate fact from the fiction we saw in 1998's depiction of Les Miserables.
Learn more about the true …
Author Matthew Polly joins the Based on a True Story podcast to separate fact from the fiction we saw in 1993's Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.
Matthew's …
Today we'll learn about the historical accuracy of the movie 12 Years a Slave with Professor Greg Jackson from the History That Doesn't Suck podcast.
…
UFO expert Rob Kristoffersen joins Based on a True Story to discuss the historical accuracy of the History Channel's TV show Project Blue Book.
Learn …
Author Michael Wallis joins the Based on a True Story podcast to separate fact from the fiction we saw in Disney's 1955 film Davy Crockett: King of …
Downton Abbey was filmed at Highclere Castle, which is Lady Carnarvon's home. On this episode of the Based on a True Story podcast, she'll join us to talk about the historical accuracy of the Downton Abbey movie and TV …
There are many versions of Robin Hood's story that have been on the big screen. Today we'll chat with historian Dr. Sean McGlynn about the 1991 …
Doran Cart is Senior Curator at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. He joins us today to talk about the historical …
Mark is the producer of the official Bletchley Park podcast. He joins us today to discuss the historical accuracy of the 2014 film The Imitation Game and do some fact checking on the original Based on a True Story …
How much do you know about Billy the Kid? On the popular Infamous America podcast, Chris Wimmer has dug deep into the life of one of most famous …
As the Christmas season approaches, let's take a step back from the hustle and bustle to learn about the history and festivities over the millennia …
Our story today is as close to traveling through time and space as we can without a single mention of the Doctor. That's because today we're going to travel back in time to discuss the true story of Neil Armstrong as we …
The story of the Salem witch trials was brought to the world's spotlight thanks to Arthur Miller's play The Crucible. Today, we'll look at the historical accuracy of the 1996 movie based on that play.
Did you enjoy this …
Today (October 26th) is the anniversary of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Chris Wimmer is the Host and Producer of the Legends of the Old West podcast. He joins us today to separate fact from the fiction of the events …
Historian and Tolkien scholar John Garth breaks down the historical accuracy of the 2019 biopic about the life of J.R.R. Tolkien simply called Tolkien
The story behind 2018's Tag seems almost too ridiculous to be true. What better way to separate fact from fiction than by chatting with some of the …
In a first for Based on a True Story, today we'll chat about the TV series Turn: Washington Spies. Joining me to dive behind the history of the …
The story of Mary Stuart and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I is one that's been told many times over. We've looked at the story from Elizabeth's side …
Today I'm honored to be joined by the renowned Dr. Zahi Hawass to learn more about how much of the 1963 classic film Cleopatra was historically accurate.
Find Dr. Zahi Hawass online at: …
This isn't a normal episode of Based on a True Story. Let's take a few moments to chat about some of the changes coming to the podcast.
Questions or concerns?
Reach out to me at dan@basedonatruestorypodcast.com
Learn more …
Today's episode will talk about the renowned artist Vincent van Gogh as depicted in the movie Loving Vincent.
Did you enjoy this episode?
D-Day was June 6th, 1944. The 75th anniversary is this week, and if there's one movie that has changed the perception of the invasion it's The Longest Day. So, we'll chat with author and historian Marty Morgan to find …
Today we'll travel back in time to the days of Greek mythology as we compare the 2004 movie Troy with history.
Did you enjoy this episode?
This is the story of the 1919 Black Sox scandal that rocked the world of Major League Baseball.
Did you enjoy this episode?
It's been called a rags to riches story, and an inspiration to millions. But how much of 2003's Seabiscuit actually happened? Let's find out!
Did you …
Sometimes, Hollywood exaggerates nature's fury on screen. Today, we'll learn about one of the stories that reminds us how scary it can really be.
Did …
Two years ago, we covered The Fellowship of the Ring as an April Fools Day surprise. Last year, it was a little less of a surprise when we continued …
Today we'll learn about Malcolm X, the man whose childhood saw his family get attacked by the KKK to an adulthood where he turned to robbery and …
Last episode we learned about Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK. This week we'll learn about the 2016 film LBJ that covers President Lyndon Baines Johnson, the man who became President the moment John F. Kennedy was …
To say Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK caused a lot of controversy is an understatement. With all the conspiracies circling the assassination of President Kennedy, let's take some time to compare JFK to history.
Did you …
Rami Malek stars in the blockbuster film about Freddie Mercury's life. Since it's release, there have been many reviews who have dinged the film for its historical accuracy. Are they right? Let's compare history with …
Going from Major League Baseball player to spy isn't your average change in jobs. But then, Moe Berg wasn't your average baseball player. Let's dig into Moe's life as we compare The Catcher Was a Spy with history.
Did …
As a special treat, you'll get access to one of the minisodes that are normally exclusive to Based on a True Story patrons on the weeks between …
A couple years ago, we covered The Greatest Showman as a pre-release episode. In other words, the podcast episode came out before the movie did. In that episode, we learned about the life of P.T. Barnum. In this …
President Nixon's resignation in 1974 was the first time for a U.S. president. That same year, Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein released their book that went into detail how they broke the …
Last week on the podcast, we learned all about the life of Charles Dickens as it was told in the movie The Man Who Invented Christmas. While that’s …
It's time to get in the Christmas spirit! The subject of our episode today is the 2017 movie about Charles Dickens and his writing of A Christmas …
The 2004 film Finding Neverland stars Johnny Depp as J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan. How much of the movie was true and how much was changed? …
In his first movie after Lord of the Rings, Viggo Mortensen portrays Frank T. Hopkins as he rides on his horse, Hidalgo, in The Ocean of Fire long-distance race. How much of the movie really happened? Let's find out.
Did …
Called the Scottish Robin Hood, Rob Roy's story has been the subject of books and movies. Today, one of the most popular renditions of that is the …
After inventing the lie detector test, William Moulton Marston came up with the character of Wonder Woman. His inspiration was his wife Elizabeth, …
Today marks the 51st anniversary of revolutionary Che Guevara's capture that led to his death. How much do you know of his story?
Let's find out as we …
Author J.G. Ballard wrote the novel Empire of the Sun based on his own childhood. That's the first level of creative difference between truth and fiction. By the time it was adapted for the big screen, there were bound …
The world changed on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. Today, we'll honor the memory of those who lost their lives that day as we look at the historical …
On episode 106, we learned about the movie Elizabeth. That's the first of two movies in a series, so we're heading back to the time of Queen …
When three girls are taken from their homes, they risk their lives to find the rabbit-proof fence in Australia and walk home over a thousand miles …
Dive into the world of the supernatural as I'm joined by UFO expert Rob Kristoffersen to chat about Whitley Strieber's experience that we saw in the movie Communion.
Check out Rob's show at …
How much do you know about the story behind Winnie the Pooh? Let's dive into the beloved children's stories as we compare history with the movie …
The Ghost and the Darkness tells the story of the man-eaters of Tsavo as they terrified railway workers in 1898. Did it really happen? Let's find out.
Learn more about World War I Medal of Honor recipient who was the subject of the 1941 Gary Cooper film simply called Sergeant York.
Did you enjoy this …
Producer Melissa requested we cover the movie Elizabeth, so pack your bags and travel back in time to the days just after King Henry VIII as we …
When Hollywood covers the Battle of Mogadishu, how much of what we see is accurate? That's what Based on a True Story Producer Brian wanted to know …
The term "housekeeping" in a podcast refers to the parts at the beginning or end of a show where the host makes announcements and updates. With the podcast coming back, I'll outline some of the changes as we peel back …
One month ago today, my father passed away unexpectedly. As this podcast is something I do in my spare time, there are more important things going to eat up that time. For now, it's time to take a step back from the …
When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, a family was left without a father. A wife without her husband. That's the scenario behind the 2016 Jackie, and the subject of this week's episode.
Did you enjoy this …
For generations, James Fenimore Cooper's classic American novel has been recreated in various forms for the big and small screen. As a novel, it's not entirely factual and yet it's a film many consider to be true by its …
To celebrate the show's anniversary and episode 100, we'll be looking at a story that's special to me...that of King Arthur. We can't hope to cover everything about Arthur that's been written for thousands of years in a …
Surprise! Enjoy April Fools Day with this special bonus episode as we continue our look at The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Did you enjoy this episode?
Mac vs PC. It's a flame war that's fueled by people on both sides who love to hate the other side. How did it all start? We'll find out as we dig into the true story behind Pirates of Silicon Valley.
Did you enjoy this …
The 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde was one of the films that many consider to be the starting point for the taming of violence in mainstream Hollywood. …
Did the Nazis really steal all that artwork we saw George Clooney, Matt Damon and Bill Murray chase after in The Monuments Men? That's what we'll …
Today is the 55th anniversary of the surprise death of country music legend Patsy Cline. In honor of her life, let's learn more about it as we compare history with the 1985 biopic, Sweet Dreams.
Did you enjoy this …
The 1997 animated film Anastasia tells a beautifully touching tale of the Grand Duchess trying to find her family...but how much of the story we see …
This week we learned about Jack the Ripper's brutal murders. After you listen to the regular episode, this bonus episode will help us get a little …
Jack the Ripper was a serial killer before the term was coined. Be warned, today's episode contains some very disturbing content about the …
2008's The Other Boleyn Girl gives us a peek into what it could've been like roaming the English court during King Henry VIII's reign. But how much …
It was an event that was compared to the sinking of the Titanic, except when the Hindenburg crashed it was caught on film...ending the promising industry of commercial airship travel. This week we're comparing history …
How much of Michael Keaton's 2016 masterpiece is true to the history of McDonald's rise to the top of the fast-food industry?
Did you enjoy this …
In a highly requested episode, this week we're focusing on the film starring a young Leonardo DiCaprio heading up an all-star cast in this classic interpretation of the Alexandre Dumas classic.
Did you enjoy this episode?
It was an epic fight between two martial arts masters...Bruce Lee and Wong Jack Man. But how much of the film that was inspired by this true event is …
Ever heard of the U.S. Cavalry's attempts at replacing horses with camels? Historian, author and podcaster Scott Rank joins me on this episode to learn more about this little-known event in U.S. history.
Check out …
Happy New Year! Pack your backs for our first adventure of the year. We're headed to the Amazon today as we compare history with The Lost City of Z.
…
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! With today being Christmas, I wanted to do something a little different and share a few classic holiday tales to …
Just in time for Christmas day, a new film being released tells the story of a young P.T. Barnum's rise to riches. But who was the real P.T. Barnum and how did he really begin the "greatest show on earth"?
Did you enjoy …
Jane Austen's relationship with Tom Lefroy was something we saw on screen during the 2007 film Becoming Jane. But was it real, or just a fictional …
December 7th is Pearl Harbor Day, and the perfect day to watch a movie in remembrance of that day. Which one should you watch? This week I'm joined …
Today is the 922nd anniversary of Pope Urban II preaching the Crusades. That's why we're going back to the 12th century this week to learn the true …
Even today, Das Boot is seen as one of the defining films to showcase what World War II was like for German submariners. But was it true? That's what …
In a couple of weeks, the movie Darkest Hour will dive into the life of Winston Churchill. With that in mind, let's do our own dive into the life of …
Nicole Kidman stars as actress Grace Kelly in a film that tells the story of her transition from Hollywood royalty to actual royalty as the Princess …
Happy Halloween! To get in the spirit of the season, this week I'll be joined by Sam Fredrickson from the Not Alone podcast as we dive into what really happened surrounding The Mothman Prophecies.
Check out Sam's show at
Loving was released in 2016 and depicts the story of Richard and Mildred Loving as they struggled against racial barriers. Their case, Loving v …
The 1983 film The Right Stuff is considered by many to be an epic masterpiece. Before the Apollo program, The Right Stuff tells the story of the …
We're diving into the classics this week as we compare history with Mata Hari. Released in 1931, Mata Hari tells the story of the woman who many considered to be one of the most dangerous spies during World War I.
Did …
If you're a fan of history, 2008's Flash of Genius tells the story about something that probably never even crossed your mind. One man's journey to inventing the intermittent windshield wiper and how the huge car …
Get a look at a different angle of World War II as we compare the 2001 film Enemy at the Gates with history.
Did you enjoy this episode?
If you're a fan of Kung Fu movies, Ip Man is one you've already seen. If you think everything you saw on the screen actually happened, you might be …
Formula One racing in the 1970s was about more than just fast cars. This week we'll compare history with the 2013 Ron Howard movie Rush.
Did you enjoy …
Spies and espionage between Russia and the USA. It almost seems like it could be a subject in today's headlines, but on this week's episode we'll …
Matt Bondurant joins us on this week's episode as we compare what really happened with the movie Lawless. Matt's grandfather, Jack, and two grand-uncles that were the inspiration for his book that the movie is based on,
This week we'll conclude our look into the historical accuracy of Cecil B. DeMille's classic film, The Ten Commandments.
Did you enjoy this episode?
With almost four hours of movie and plenty of religious subject matter to cover, we'll have to split this movie up into two parts to do it justice. On this episode we'll cover all the way up until the movie's …
2016's Genius tells the story of book editor Max Perkins and the authors he discovered, including Thomas Wolfe, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest …
Can you handle the truth? This week we'll see how much of A Few Good Men we can compare with history.
Did you enjoy this episode?
Jamaica we have a bobsled team! Every sports fan loves the story of an underdog's rise to success. Disney's Cool Runnings is that and more. But is it …
Political mutiny and clandestine plots against Adolf Hitler are the subject of this week's episode as we compare history with 2008's Valkyrie.
Did you …
Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk comes out on July 21st, but before it does let's take a moment to learn the true story so you can judge the film's …
July 4th is America's birthday, and this week we'll honor that as we compare history with Mel Gibson's epic Hollywood blockbuster, The Patriot.
Did …
Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday have earned quite a reputation thanks to numerous Hollywood incarnations over the years. Arguably one of the most popular …
It was one of the darkest hours in the world and amidst the horrors, Oskar Schindler managed to help save many lives from certain death. This week we'll find out how much of it was actually true as we compare history …
In a first for Based on a True Story, we'll get an exclusive peek behind the true story of Bitter Harvest from the film's writer, Richard …
Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker put on a great performance in The Experiment in a story that's based on what most consider the most controversial …
May 30th, 1943 was opening day for a new league. Did women really replace the men in baseball during World War II? This week on the podcast we'll learn more about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League as …
Carl Brashear was the first to do many things. This week we'll compare history with Cuba Gooding Jr and Robert DeNiro's film Men of Honor.
Did you …
In a special listener request, we'll cover Cadillac Records and learn the true story behind the history of blues in Chicago.
Did you enjoy this …
Special guest Cody Wheat from the Shots of History podcast joins me this week as we compare history with The Untouchables.
Did you enjoy this episode?
Today, Citizen Kane is considered by many to be one of the greatest films of all time. However, when the movie Citizen Kane was released, the man who's life inspired the film was outraged. He tried his best to keep the …
No one expects Disney's Mulan to be very historically accurate, but let's take a few moments to learn more about the real story behind the movie.
Did …
Very few classic films from Hollywood have shaped how people in the U.S. see the Middle East more than Lawrence of Arabia...but is the movie …
It was the single worst sea disaster in the U.S. Navy, and it was covered up by the U.S. government at the end of World War II. Learn the true story …
Newsies tells the story of the little guys (quite literally, the young newsboys) against "the man". In this case, "the man" being newspaper barons …
You know the story. Frodo and his band of companions start the journey to take the One Ring to Mordor. But is the story we saw on the big screen true …
William Wallace is still considered to be an incredibly important person in Scottish history. But is Mel Gibson's version accurate to the real …
Who doesn't love a good conspiracy theory? We've got a doozy this week as we compare history with The Men Who Stare at Goats.
Did you enjoy this …
Are you a Disney fan? Then you'll love this deep dive into the remarkable early life of Walt Disney as we compare history with the movie Walt Before …
There's outdoor sports, then there's extreme outdoors activities. In this week's episode we'll compare history with Hollywood's version of Everest.
…
Did you watch the Oscars last night? What a crazy turn of events with the whole Best Picture scandal. While most of the media will be covering Warren …
This Friday, Bitter Harvest hits the theaters and tells a story that most people haven't heard. Learn the true story before you go see the film.
Did …
Florence Foster Jenkins is up for a couple Academy Awards. Let's find out how accurate the movie is by comparing Hollywood with history.
Did you enjoy …
Compare history with Hollywood's version of Black Mass.
Did you enjoy this episode?
Compare history with Hollywood's version of 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.
Did you enjoy this episode?
Compare history with Hollywood's version of The Big Short.
Did you enjoy this episode?
You've seen the movie. But how much of Titanic was true, and how much of it was made up for the film? Let's compare history with Hollywood's …
He lived through unthinkable measures. At a time when millions were slaughtered, including his family and friends, Wladyslaw Szpilman managed to …
This week we'll do something a bit different as we look ahead. Instead of learning about a movie that's already been released, we'll look ahead to a movie coming out this next weekend.
Hidden Figures tells the remarkable …
On October 11th, 1994, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced their Nobel prize winners. Three brilliant scientists jointly won the coveted award. They were Professor John C. Harsanyi from the University of …
With the Christmas season upon us, I wanted to cover a film that'd help represent the Christmas spirit.
In 2005, French filmmaker Christian Carion …
Tom McCarthy started his acting career with a short movie in 1989 called Roast Suckling. Although that's probably not something most have seen, he's one of those actors that you'd recognize when you see him. Probably …
There are few movies that stand near the top of the all-time list for income. One of those movies is The Sound of Music.
With a budget of about $8 million when it was produced in the 1960s, it was one of the bigger …
Between 2004 and 2016, Paul Greengrass directed a total of six movies. Four of those have Matt Damon in them. Three of them are about the fictitious …
With the Thanksgiving season upon us, I thought it'd be a great opportunity to travel back in time to the days of Colonial America. Then I realized …
Nechama Tec was born in Lublin, Poland in 1931. When she was eight years old, her life would forever change as Nazis invaded her hometown. As a …
The latest in the line of collaborations between actor Leonardo DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese is 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street. It received …
Happy Halloween! I wanted to do something special this week. I thought it'd be fun to cover the true story behind something scary. But after starting to look for some movies to fit the bill, I quickly realized most of …
Few can debate the huge impact Steve Jobs had on the world. So it's no wonder that after Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, there was in influx of news and media surrounding the life of the outspoken Apple co-founder and …
You've probably heard of the song Amazing Grace. It's one of those Christian hymns that just about everyone has heard, or at least heard of, at some point. It was first published in 1779 by John Newton.
While you may …
In a retelling of one of the greatest moments in U.S. Coast Guard's history, The Finest Hours is a feel-good movie of true heroism. When sitting down …
Elizabeth Short's murder was considered to be the crime of the century. And it's a mystery that many are still fascinated by, decades later. So when Brian De Palma directed a 2006 movie of the same name, many moviegoers …
The movie Deepwater Horizon comes out on this Friday. So again we're going to take some time to look ahead at a movie. Before you go see the movie in theaters, let's take a few minutes to learn what happened before, …
Despite having an all-star cast and being based on a true story, most of the characters in the film didn't actually exist. Instead, Hollywood opted …
Even though Argo starts off with text that says it's based on a true story, the movie was actually based primarily on two sources: a book by Tony Mendez, the CIA agent Ben Affleck plays, and a 2007 article on Wired by …
Pawn Sacrifice tells the story of one of the greatest chess players of all time—Bobby Fischer. How do you make the game of chess into an interesting story? With Bobby Fischer's life, you don't need to stretch it too far.
Ron Howard and Tom Hanks teamed up for their second of now four movies the duo have worked on together in 1995 with Apollo 13.
Did you enjoy this …
Lili Isle Elvenes, better known as Lili Elbe, was one of the first known recipients of a gender reassignment surgery. In 2015, her life was brought to the forefront of many people's minds when Alicia Vikander won an …
The Social Network tells the story behind one of the world's most popular websites, Facebook. It's got everything that makes for a great …
Anthropoid hits theaters on Friday. It's the story of how the Czechoslovakian government, forced into exile after the Germans occupied their homeland in 1938, tried to fight back and take down Reinhard Heydrich at the …
Will Smith would say Ali was the film he was most proud of as an actor. And it tells a very important story of a true legend: Muhammad Ali.
Although …
Pain & Gain is the first comedy we've covered here on the show. It was also the first comedy for Michael Bay since another Miami-based story, Bad Boys II in 2003. Another first for Pain & Gain is that, unlike …
In 2007, director David Fincher helmed the movie simply entitled, Zodiac, which tells the thrilling story of a rash of killings in the 1960s and 70s.
Despite the film's failure at the box office, the subject is one that …
In 2002, Steven Spielberg started filming the life of Frank Abagnale. Fortunately it only took about four months of filming for Spielberg to get the shots he needed. On Christmas Day of 2002, Spielberg's DreamWorks …
Tom Clancy is known for his captivating military stories with stunningly accurate technical details. Clancy's career started with a fascinating novel: The Hunt for Red October.
The Hunt for Red October is based on the …
Next Friday, on June 24th, director Gary Ross, the three-time Academy Award nominated writer and director behind Seabiscuit, The Hunger Games and Pleasantville, has taken his place behind the camera once again in a …
This year, Zack Snyder directed the epic Batman v Superman superhero movie, but it wasn't his first foray into comics. In fact, that came in 2006 …
Eight years ago, in 2008, Ron Howard directed the Oscar-nominated retelling of what are still the most popular political interviews to ever air on …
Benedict Cumberbatch and Kiera Knightley starred in 2014's The Imitation Game. Set in the midst of World War II, The Imitation Game tells the story of British mathematician Alan Turing and his quest to conquer the …
On April 15th, Major League Baseball celebrates Jackie Robinson Day, in honor of the man who broke down racial barriers by becoming the first black player in the MLB. A few years ago, a movie named after Jackie's jersey …
When a movie says it's based on a true story, how much of that is actually real? In our first episode we'll look at the true story behind 2015's …
Connect with listeners
Podcasters use the RadioPublic listener relationship platform to build lasting connections with fans
Yes, let's begin connectingFind new listeners
Understand your audience
Engage your fanbase
Make money