By Raphael Chestang
6:20 PM PDT, August 11, 2011
The show reportedly based one of its first episodes on the case of alleged mafia contract killer Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski.
"Criminal Minds"
The show reportedly based one of its first episodes on the case of alleged mafia contract killer Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski.
"Cold Case"
The show's premiere episode centered on the body of a young boy which was left in a box. The premise was based on an unsolved case from 1957.
'30 Minutes or Less'
The comedy about a pizza delivery driver who is forced to rob a bank when a timed bomb is strapped to his chest closely resembles the real-life story of Brian Wells. Brian was a 46-year-old pizza delivery driver who was killed when a bomb he was forced to wear while robbing a bank exploded.
"Law & Order: Los Angeles"
In an episode that aired in 2010 called "Playa Vista," Law & Order: Los Angeles took a swing at the Tiger Woods sex scandal. In the TV version, a professional golfer's wife goes after him with a golf club after the murder of a female golfer exposes his infidelities.
"The Good Wife"
The show's premise of a politician's wife who stands by her man through his sex scandal was reportedly inspired by the 2008 Eliot Spitzer scandal, where the former New York governor was caught making arrangements to meet with a prostitute.
Pics: Hollywood Plots Mirroring Real-Life Scandals
As talented as the scribes of Tinseltown may be, sometimes true life stories are better than anything that one's mind could make up. Several Hollywood projects have taken advantage of this as seen in our Hollywood Plots gallery.