Often enough, when a new show like ABC's Secrets and Lies premieres and is a bit controversial, people are going to start asking if it is based on a true story. I think this happens for multiple reasons. 1) We can read up on the drama behind the real-life occurrences if we are impatient for the series to air. Please, I'm not the only one who does that. 2) There's a certain fascination with stories that are dark and dramatic enough for television, and as a society, we want to know more. That's certainly the case for ABC's Secrets and Lies, which tells the story of a man who finds a young boy's body and is immediately made the murder suspect. So is Secrets and Lies based on a true story?
First, let's start with some plot details: Ryan Phillippe (who looks damn good — just saying) plays Ben Crawford, the man who finds himself the target suspect in a child's murder, for which he is investigated by Detective Andrea Cornell (played by Juliette Lewis). The show's premise isn't exactly new to television — I feel like we've seen so many shows with a missing or dead child and the investigation that follows... usually the title is just The (single word) — but Secrets and Lies itself isn't a new concept either. The show is actually a remake of an Australian show by the same name.
The Australian version of Secrets and Lies isn't true life, it's an original idea — so nope, not based on a true story or a book. I'll let logic work its magic from here, regarding the American version and hopefully the fact that this is a completely fictional show will let you sleep a little easier at night.
Still, the story seems compelling, even without a root in real life. It seems that in order to clear his name and his mind, Ben Crawford decides he needs to find who the real killer is of the neighbor boy that was found dead. The show is only set for 10 episodes — but remember, it is coming in mid-season — so we'll hopefully learn, not only about the case but who the killer is, because I think we can all agree that a 10 episode unsolved mystery show would be the worst.
And let's just take a moment to say that Ryan Phillippe would be a really good secret killer, if he actually did kill the boy.
Image: Brownie Harris/ABC
