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Artwork for Based on a True Story

Based on a True Story

Dan LeFebvre
World War II
Pearl Harbor
Apollo 11
Cold War
Black Hawk Down
Civil War
The Pinkertons
The Great Fire Of London
Wake Island
Operation Paperclip
Project Blue Book
UFO
Maria Callas
Battle Of Mogadishu
Roswell Incident
Manhattan Project
Winston Churchill
Oppenheimer
Indiana Jones
Opera

We've all seen movies that claim to be 'based on a true story', but have you ever wondered how accurate they are? That's what we'll find out as we compare Hollywood with history.

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes554Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryFilm HistoryTV & Film

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Artwork for Based on a True Story

Latest Episodes

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 390) — Captain Michael "Mak" Makatura joins us to break down the historical accuracy of Top Gun (1986). Drawing from his own experience in Central Europe during the Cold War, Mak explains what the movie gets right abo... more

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 389) — Are you a baseball fan? Today we're digging into some baseball history as it was depicted in the 1976 movie "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings." Learn about the history of barnstorming baseball t... more

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BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 388) — Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (2026) brings Homer’s epic journey to the screen as we follow Matt Damon’s Odysseus from the Trojan War through monsters, sirens, and a long road home. In this episode, we'll lea... more

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 387) — How accurate is the 1990 movie Memphis Belle? Military historian Joshua Donohue returns to Based on a True Story to break down what the movie gets right, where Hollywood takes liberties, and what the real crew ... more

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Recent Guests

Captain Michael Mak Makatura
Captain, Fighter Pilot, Executive Officer of the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron
U.S. Air Force
Episode: Top Gun with Captain Michael Makatura
Ben Railton
Professor of American Studies at Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg State University
Episode: The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings with Ben Railton
Neil Laird
TV director and executive producer for National Geographic, BBC, Discovery, PBS; author of Primetime Travelers series
Episode: The Odyssey with Neil Laird
Joshua Donohue
Military historian
Author / Historian
Episode: Memphis Belle with Joshua Donohue
Rich Napolitano
Host of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs, maritime historian
Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs
Episode: The Terror with Rich Napolitano
Stephen Pressfield
Historian and historical novelist
Author of The Legend of Bagger Vance and The Arcadian
Episode: The Legend of Bagger Vance with Steven Pressfield
John Barker
Host of All the Right Movies, invited guest
All the Right Movies
Episode: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with John Barker
Alice Lovejoy
Film historian and professor at the University of Minnesota, author of Tales of Militant Chemistry
University of Minnesota
Episode: The Manhattan Project in Oppenheimer with Alice Lovejoy
Dorsey Armstrong
A medieval literature professor at Purdue University who specializes in Arthurian legend.
Purdue University
Episode: Classic: King Arthur with Dorsey Armstrong

Hosts

Dan Lefebvre
Host of the show; central figure guiding analyses of history vs. film.
Dan LeFevre
Variant spellings observed; same host role across episodes.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 823 ratings
  • True Story, this is a great listen!

    True Story, this is a great podcast to listen to Dan does the homework and presents it in an interesting way. Its fun to compare and contrast real hisorical events with the Hollywood entertainment.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Steel City Celtic
    United States5 months ago
  • Love it

    FYI your pod is an absolute disaster trying to find it on yt! Been waiting for you to do it. Love the pod. Top quality content

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ffsICantFindAGoodNickName
    Australiaa year ago
  • Started at the beginning

    I’ve gone back to episode 1. Gotta say I much preferred the old style intro without the long Hellooooooooo. Otherwise I’m a solid fan of Dan.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Chermac55
    Canadaa year ago
  • What?!?

    Podcast Addict
    5
    lwood the great!!!
    2 years ago
  • What?!?

    Podcast Addict
    5
    @patrickjones
    2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are knowledgeable and well-versed in their fields.
Listeners appreciate deep historical context paired with film analysis.
Production quality and host preparation are consistently highlighted.
Some listeners note audio quality variance with guests.
The format shift to multi-film episodes draws mixed reactions, but depth is valued by many.

Top History Podcasts

World War II with Tom Hanks
World War II with Tom HanksThe HISTORY Channel | Back Pocket Studios | Audacy
History's Greatest Mysteries
History's Greatest MysteriesThe HISTORY Channel | Rewind Studios
The Ancients
The AncientsHistory Hit
Lore
LoreAaron Mahnke
In Our Time
In Our TimeBBC Radio 4

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Top Gun with Captain Michael Makatura
Q: But if you were to take a step back and look at Top Gun from an overall perspective to give it a letter grade for its historical accuracy, what would it get?
The guest says it would receive an A, noting that while the movie isn't trying to tell an exact true story, it uses a lot of historical detail accurately where it matters.
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings with Ben Railton
Q: Were barnstorming teams more of a performance show or just regular baseball?
The guest explains barnstorming as a hybrid: a high-skill baseball product wrapped in a performance designed to draw crowds, with the show element integral to the reach and impact of the games.
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings with Ben Railton
Q: If you were to give The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings a letter grade for its historical accuracy, what would it get?
Ben Railton argues it's a strong piece of historical fiction with solid grounding in the broader histories of Negro leagues, barnstorming, and labor dynamics, earning a strong A-minus while noting specific liberties taken for narrative and entertainment purposes.
Memphis Belle with Joshua Donohue
Q: What are some specific technical inaccuracies or liberties the film took regarding bombing technology?
The film presents scenarios like escort fighters being present for 1943 missions and uses a dramatic dive to extinguish engine fires; in reality, long escort missions were not as common early in the war, and engine fires were typically addressed through other means and not usually resolved by dramatic dives. The Norden bomb sight is shown as nearly flawless, but historians note its limitations and the broader context of bombing accuracy in World War II.
Memphis Belle with Joshua Donohue
Q: Can you summarize how accurate the 25th mission depicted in the movie was compared to the real events?
The actual 25th mission wasn't as harrowing as the film makes it seem, and several dramatic elements were added or altered for storytelling. The documentary footage and later research show that some of the most intense moments were either dramatized or drawn from other missions, not the Belle's final flight exactly as portrayed.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Based on a True Story

What is Based on a True Story about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show systematically examines how films based on real events stack up against actual history, blending rigorous research with accessible storytelling. Episodes pair a host with historians, authors, and experts to dissect scenes, timelines, and choices, weighing what's faithful, what's dramatized, and why those decisions matter to audiences. Across samples, the format ranges from single-movie deep dives to multi-film comparisons, sometimes featuring behind-the-scenes anecdotes, production context, and practical takeaways for viewers who want to understand history through cinema. A notable strength is the willingness to challenge Hollywood tropes with documented context, while keeping discussions engaging through storytelling and interacti... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Based on a True Story?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Based on a True Story:

1. Infamous America
2. Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs
3. American History Tellers
4. Against The Odds
5. 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast

How many episodes of Based on a True Story are there?

Based on a True Story launched 11 years ago and published 554 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Based on a True Story?

Recent guests on Based on a True Story include:

1. Captain Michael Mak Makatura
2. Ben Railton
3. Neil Laird
4. Joshua Donohue
5. Rich Napolitano
6. Stephen Pressfield
7. John Barker
8. Alice Lovejoy

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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