Is Netflix's Eric based on a true story?

Benedict Cumberbatch is back as he's starring in Netflix's new psychological thriller, Eric. But, we have a question, is the series based on a true story?

Set in 1980s New York City, the six-part drama follows a father's desperate search for his missing son, with him soon becoming convinced that he will return home if he brings one of his drawings to life on screen.

The series deals with heavy themes such as homelessness, homophobia, racism, the AIDS epidemic and more. So, was Eric based on real life? Here's what we know.

Is Eric based on a true story?

The series follows Vincent, one of New York’s leading puppeteers and the creator of a popular children's TV show, as he struggles to cope when his son, Edgar, goes missing.

Soon, he begins to cling to his son’s drawings of a blue monster puppet, Eric, convinced that if he can get Eric on screen then Edgar will come home. So, is Eric based on a true story? No, it is not.

Some publications claimed the series was inspired by a true case – that of Etan Patz, a six-year-old who went missing on his way to school in New York City in 1979 — but creator Abi Morgan says it was more based multiple missing person cases she heard about in the UK.

"I remember that being haunting, as a child who really enjoyed her freedom," she told Esquire. Plus, the series was also inspired by Abi's time working as a nanny in 1980s New York, during a period of rife homophobia and the AIDS epidemic.

"When I first arrived, I stayed in this really run-down hostel and it was this strange place filled with international backpackers, low-income families, and drug addicts,” she told Tudum.

So, while it isn't based on a real missing child, the themes dealt with in the show such as AIDS, unhoused people living underground, institutionalised racism and homophobia are very, very real.

Eric is streaming on Netflix now.

Furvah Shah is Cosmopolitan UK’s junior entertainment and lifestyle writer. She covers everything from TV and films to music and books, plus lots of celebrity news. Furvah has previously written for The Independent, BBC, gal-dem and Amaliah and she is super passionate about highlighting diverse talent and projects, having interviewed the likes of Halle Bailey, India Amarteifio, Iman Vellani and more. She's been interviewed for Times Radio and BBC Asian Network, graduated with a First in BA Media and Communications from Goldsmiths University and is an NCTJ-qualified journalist. In her free time, you can find her at an arts or culture event, eating Middle Eastern or Asian food, searching for modest fashion inspiration on Pinterest, binge-watching a Netflix series or cuddling with her cat. You can follow Furvah on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.