TV Talk: Kaley Cuoco charms again in true-crime satire ‘Based on a True Story;’ PFO launches podcast

There may be no actor today as in tune with her strengths as Kaley Cuoco.

Coming off “The Big Bang Theory,” Cuoco wisely threw herself into “The Flight Attendant,” a flight-attendant-turned-spy caper that made excellent use of Cuoco’s gift for wide-eyed facial contortions and physical comedy.

She deploys those skills again in Peacock’s “Based on a True Story” with all eight episodes now streaming. Some viewers may see this role as too similar to her last character – the jaunty music score certainly sounds similar to music in “The Flight Attendant” – but this new role, while still calling for Cuoco to be flighty, is more down to earth. And often funnier.

Created by Craig Rosenberg (“The Boys”), the series stars Cuoco as Ava, a pregnant, struggling real estate agent who’s obsessed with true crime podcasts. Ava figures out Matt (too-tall Tom Bateman), a plumber Ava’s retired tennis star husband Nathan (Chris Messina) hired to fix a broken toilet, is a serial killer. Then Ava cooks up a plan to launch a podcast from the serial killer’s point of view – as long as Matt quits his murderous ways.

The high concept, darkly comedic “Based on a True Story” takes two overly long episodes to set up its premise, but once it does the right-sized 30-minute episodes that follow have a blast satirizing true crime stories and those who love them. It’s an entertaining yarn that taps into the American bloodlust for true crime tales.

At a true crime convention in Las Vegas, it’s a hoot to watch the hosts of a rival podcast take a break from basking in their fame to get serious and somber as they introduce their next guest, the mother of a dead girl. The hosts solemnly promise, “Our one goal is to find the monster who killed your daughter.” They do not say, “And get rich along the way,” but that’s surely implied.

If Messina’s Nathan is the story’s grounding force – he’s initially reluctant to go along with Ava’s podcast plan – Bateman’s tall, dark and psycho Matt proves to be Cuoco’s comedy-creating equal.

Matt is no passive killer who’s going to let himself be used for Ava’s podcast: He wants “final cut” on each episode. He also insists the podcast use the franchisable title “Based on a True Story” so there can be a “Based on a True Story: Miami” and “Based on a True Story: Atlanta,” just like the “Real Housewives” franchise.

“You don’t have any lived experience” as a serial killer, Matt argues in his pitch for final cut. “This is my story. I want to protect my brand!”

My only reservation about “Based on a True Story” is that it’s not a limited series. Season one ends on a cliffhanger that suggests this intends to be an ongoing series. That’s disappointing because it threatens to make the show convoluted when the concept cries out for a concrete beginning, middle and end.

PFO podcast

Late last week The Pittsburgh Film Office soft-launched “Screen Perspectives,” a podcast devoted to going behind the scenes of the film/TV/streaming industry in Western Pennsylvania by showing different pathways to a career in local production. PFO director Dawn Keezer hosts the podcast with University of Pittsburgh film and media studies instructor Kevin M. Smith.

The debut episode features the first part of a three-part interview with “Night of the Living Dead” producer Russ Streiner, founder of the PFO and current PFO board chairman. Future installments will include an interview with Vlad Wolynetz, a producer on filmed-in-Pittsburgh “Mayor of Kingstown.”

Episodes are expected to drop every other week on Friday. Listen to “Screen Perspectives” via the podcast platform of your choice.

Kept/canceled/adapted

WQED-TV’s “Cartoon Academy with Joe Wos” has been renewed for a fourth season that will premiere in late 2023 with six new digital releases that will later be compiled into two 30-minute programs for linear TV.

HBO renewed “Somebody Somewhere” for a third season but canceled its “Perry Mason” revival after two seasons.

Canada’s Citytv ordered “Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent,” a local adaptation of the 2001-11 NBC series. The Canadian version will feature original stories and new characters played by a Canadian cast.

Channel surfing

Chuck Todd will exit NBC’s “Meet the Press” by the end of the summer to become NBC News chief political analyst; Kristen Welker will be the show’s new moderator. … The Directors Guild of America reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, averting a strike by directors that would have run concurrently with the ongoing writers strike. But 98% of SAG-AFRTA members voted to authorize a strike if a new deal with Hollywood producers cannot be reached by the June 30 expiration of their current contract. … PBS debuts “Morse The Last Endeavour” (9 p.m. Sunday, WQED-TV), featuring interviews with cast members of “Endeavour,” which returns for its final season on PBS June 18. … Season two of Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” returns in two parts streaming July 6 and Aug. 3. … Padma Lakshmi exits Bravo’s “Top Chef” as host after 20 seasons.