We’ve rounded up the 12 best true story dramas that are impossible to tear yourself away from. From jaw-dropping legal battles and unbelievable heists to real-life survival stories and extraordinary personal journeys, these UK-based series and films based on true events will have you laughing, crying, gasping, and bingeing all in one sitting.
Whether you’re into gripping true crime dramas, inspiring stories, or shocking historical events, this list has something for everyone!
Mr Bates vs The Post Office
Stream now on ITVX and STV Player
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 🍅95%
Freely truth rating: 9/10
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or completely off the Wi-Fi grid), you must have heard whispers of the jaw-dropping Post Office scandal… right? Well, buckle up, because this shocking drama plunges headfirst into one of the most extraordinary miscarriages of justice in British legal history!
Mr Bates vs The Post Office chronicles the ongoing scandal in which hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly accused, prosecuted, and financially ruined, all thanks to the infamous Horizon IT system. By the final episode, you’ll be cheering for justice, gasping at the ridiculousness of it all, and maybe even questioning how something so catastrophic could ever happen in the first place. Starring Toby Jones, Will Mellor, Katherine Kelly and Shaun Dooley, it's a must-watch UK legal drama!
How true is Mr Bates vs The Post Office?
Apart from a sprinkling of imagined scenes and minor details, Mr Bates vs the Post Office is accurately based off true events. These unfold exactly as they did in real life, key legal findings are spot on, and most of the characters are depicted with striking accuracy! Sure, the inner workings of the Horizon system were simplified for the screen, and as with most true story dramas, some private conversations and filler scenes were creatively imagined to fill gaps where public records don’t exist—but overall, this one is veryyyy close to reality!
The Gold
Stream now on BBC iPlayer
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 🍅96%
Freely truth rating: 5/10
Imagine 6,800 gold bars, six daring robbers, and a heist so legendary it’s still surrounded in mystery decades later—this is The Gold in a nutshell. Inspired by the infamous 1983 Brink’s-Mat robbery, the drama follows six armed men who stormed the Brink’s Mat security depot and walked away with gold bars worth a staggering £26 million. Over two seasons, the story unfolds as a police investigation hunts not only the robbers but also the elusive network of people who handled the stolen gold. With a star-studded cast including Hugh Bonneville, Dominic Cooper, Tom Cullen, and Jack Lowden, the tension, betrayals, and twists will have you glued to your screen, wondering if the full story will ever truly be uncovered!
How true is The Gold?
While many of the criminals, dealers, and police investigators are based on real people, a number of characters are fictionalized composites that blend multiple real-life figures. With so much of the actual heist still shrouded in mystery and speculation, the drama does fill in the gaps with fiction. There's certainly elements of truth sprinkled throughout, but overall, The Gold is definitely more cinematic than factual!
I Fought the Law
Stream on ITVX and STV Player
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 🍅100%
Freely truth rating: 9/10
I Fought the Law tells the jaw-dropping true story of Ann Ming (Sheridan Smith) and her relentless quest for justice after her daughter Julie was brutally murdered in 1989—only to be let down not once, but twice, by the law. With the archaic double jeopardy rule blocking a retrial, Ann refused to back down, campaigning tirelessly for years to change the law and finally give Julie’s killer a second chance in court. This drama beautifully captures an extraordinary battle for truth, hope, and justice to show how Ann’s fight ultimately reshaped British legal history forever!
How true is I Fought The Law?
This drama is extremelyyyy faithful to reality, nailing the major events, timelines, outcomes, and the emotional weight of what actually happened. Some minor timelines have been tweaked for cinematic effect, and yes, there’s a touch of dramatic enhancement, but nothing that takes away from the heart of Ann Ming’s incredible story. Ann herself was heavily involved, and the drama is based on her own book, so you know it’s packed with authenticity and emotional truth.
Quiz
Stream on ITVX
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 🍅95%
Freely truth rating: 8/10
What happens when a primetime game show turns into one of the biggest scandals in TV history? Quiz takes you right into the madness behind the infamous Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? “coughing” scandal. The drama follows Charles Ingram (Matthew Macfadyen), a seemingly mild-mannered army major, and his wife Diana (Sian Clifford), as their obsession with winning big spirals wildly out of control. Quiz is part true crime, part high-stakes drama, and every bit as addictive as the game show itself!
How true is ITVs drama Quiz?
The quiz show bits are 100% accurate because they’re straight from the recordings. The behind-the-scenes stuff is dramatized, so we can’t be sure exactly what happened off-camera, but the big events, the court case, and the crazy scandal are all real. And the cherry on top of the how true is this? cake? Charles Ingram himself has said the ITV drama got a lot right, revealing that “episode two is much more lifelike than the composite tape played in court and broadcast around the world” — meaning that infamous cough wasn’t nearly as loud or obvious in real life as the version we all saw!
The Hack
Stream on ITVX and STV Player
Freely truth rating: 7/10
The Hack dives headfirst into the explosive phone-hacking scandal that rocked the UK tabloids in the early 2000s. With David Tennant playing relentless journalist Nick Davies, uncovering the truth piece by piece, and Robert Carlyle as former Met Police detective chief superintendent Dave Cook, steering the investigation, you’re in for a whirlwind of tension, twists, and jaw-dropping reveals. From shocking exposés to courtroom battles, this true crime drama pulls you behind the headlines and into a world where secrets, lies, and ambition collide.
How true is The Hack?
While it paints a fairly accurate picture of the scandal, many characters are redacted, and names have been changed, meaning some portrayals are more “inspired by” than literal. Certain storylines and scenes have been added for dramatic tension, but the core events and main characters remain grounded in reality, giving you a gripping peek into one of the UK’s most notorious media scandals.
Read more about The Hack here!
A Cruel Love: Ruth Ellis Story
Stream on ITVX and STV Player
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 🍅94%
Freely truth rating: 8/10
Step into post-war 1950s London, where jealousy, love, and heartbreak collide in the tragic true story of Ruth Ellis. Inspired by Carol Ann Lee’s A Fine Day for Hanging: The Real Ruth Ellis Story, this captivating ITV drama introduces you to Ruth (Lucy Boynton) and the torment she endured at the hands of her abusive lover David Blakely. Prepare to be gripping your seat as the layers of this tale reveal the secrets, heartbreak and the complexities of a woman caught in a society designed to turn against her.
How true is A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story?
Based firmly in fact thanks to the book, the drama hits the key events, major facts, and even courtroom scenes drawn from real trial transcripts. That said, many private conversations, relationships, and motivations are creatively reconstructed for the screen, adding layers of emotional depth where historical records are silent. Overall, it’s a powerful and largely accurate portrait of life as a woman navigating the male-dominated, post-war 1950s.
Interested? We've done a deep dive into this show and we even have some exclusive quotes!
Joan
Stream on ITVX and STV Player
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 🍅81%
Freely truth rating: 7/10
Drama, glamour, and diamonds—Joan sweeps you straight into the criminal underworld of the 1980s. Sophie Turner shines as Joan Harrington, an infamous jewel thief whose story sparkles with danger and heartbreak in equal measure. Fleeing a violent husband and putting her daughter into care, Joan’s life takes a dramatic turn when she starts working at a jeweller’s… and makes one life-changing choice: to steal her first diamonds. From that moment, she dives deeper into a dazzling, dangerous world of high-stakes crime alongside her charismatic partner, Boise (Frank Dillane).
Want to discover who else is in Joan?
How true is Joan?
Joan Harrington herself was heavily involved in the making of the series, and much of the story is based directly on her memoir. The key events (especially her ingenious method for smuggling diamonds) are completely fact-based. However, the ending strays noticeably from reality, opting for a more dramatic twist than what actually happened. Otherwise, this would be a solid 9/10.
Four Lives
Stream on BBC iPlayer
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 🍅82%
Freely truth rating: 8/10
Four Lives is the kind of true story drama that will stay with you longggg after the credits roll. It follows the courage and determination of the families of four young gay men who lost their lives to killer Stephen Port, played chillingly by Stephen Merchant. This deeply human series exposes the shocking failings of the police investigation as the families refuse to give up their fight for justice.
Starring: Sheridan Smith, Leanne Best and Tim Preston.
How true is Four Lives?
The show strongly touches on the failings of the Met Police and sticks closely to the major The show strongly touches on the failings of the Met Police and sticks closely to the major known facts. Some moments are dramatized, particularly internal motivations and private conversations. Overall, it’s a truthful and compassionate portrayal that honours the victims and the families who refused to be silenced.
If you're a Sheridan Smith fan, we've assembled some of her best shows!
Rillington Place
Stream on BBC iPlayer and U
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 🍅83%
Freely truth rating: 8/10
Set in the gloomy backstreets of 1940s and 50s London, Rillington Place tells the chilling true story of serial killer John Christie, played by Tim Roth. Through the eyes of his wife Ethel (Samantha Morton), the series slowly reveals a world of fear, control, and shocking secrets. We dare you to watch without double-checking every locked door in your house!
How true is Rillington Place?
The series stays veryyy close to the real events of John Christie’s crimes and the wrongful conviction of Timothy Evans. Most of the timeline, setting, and major details are accurate, based on real court records and reports. Some private conversations and smaller moments are imagined to fill in the gaps, but overall it’s a very true and realistic retelling of one of Britain’s most shocking crime stories.
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe
Stream on ITVX
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 🍅83%
Freely truth rating: 9/10
This bizarre true story follows John (Eddie Marshall) and Anne Darwin (Monica Dolan), who faked John’s death in a canoeing accident to claim life insurance. The drama follows their lies spiralling out of control as they live in secret for years, fooling friends, family, and authorities!
How true is The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe?
The drama sticks closely to the known events of the Darwins’ scheme, capturing the key twists, timelines, and shocking details. Some conversations and small private moments have been imagined for storytelling, but the main story (John’s fake death, the insurance fraud, and the eventual unravelling of their plan) is firmly based in reality.
Mike (U)
Stream on U
Freely truth rating: 5/10
Mike is the rollercoaster true story of Mike Tyson, the youngest heavyweight boxing champion ever. From his rough childhood in Brooklyn to his rise in the ring, the series dives into his battles, both inside and outside the ropes. It covers his iconic moments, including the infamous ear-biting incident with Evander Holyfield. With Trevante Rhodes delivering a knockout performance as Tyson, the show is as intense and unpredictable as the man himself!
How true is Mike?
The series captures the big moments of Tyson's life, but it's not all by the book. Some scenes are dramatized, especially the behind-the-scenes stuff. Tyson himself wasn't involved in the making and even criticized the show, calling it "stolen" and "unauthorized." So, while it's based on real events, take some of the details with a pinch of salt.
The Vanishings
Coming soon to Channel 5
Freely truth rating: 7/10
Based on the true and still unsolved murders, The Vanishings depicts a what-if scenario to try and explain the disappearance of missing women in Ireland in the 1990s! In a desperate bid to prevent the closure of a women’s shelter, journalist Lisa Wallace (India Mullen) publishes an article about her own experience with violence against women — her mother’s murder. She soon receives a letter from her mother’s killer that hints at the kidnapping of another women. She teams up with Detective David Burkley (Allen Leech) to try and solve what’s going on!
How true is The Vanishings?
The main events and outcomes are based on real cases, and the investigation’s key details are faithfully portrayed. Some private conversations, personal motivations, and minor storylines are dramatized for the screen, so not everything is strictly verified. Still, it gives a strong sense of the fear, suspense, and chaos surrounding these real-life disappearances.
If you're looking for eveeeen more recommendations of shows to watch on your Freely TV then why not check out our top drama recommendations!
