Is ‘Monarch’ on Fox Based on a True Story?

Fox is no stranger to sucking us into their musical dramas — first with Glee, then with Empire. But now, the network is exploring the uncharted territory of country music with its latest from the genre, Monarch.

The series, which premiered Sept. 11, follows the Roman family, headed by Dottie and Albie Roman, played by Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon and famed country music superstar Trace Adkins, respectively, as they work to preserve their legacy as the first family of country music. As Dottie faces health issues and the truth about the foundation of the family’s success comes to the surface, eldest daughter and rising star Nicky (Anna Friel) looks toward inheriting the dynasty and protecting her family’s name.

As creator Melissa London Hilfers put it to the New York Times, the show is based on, “Lie upon lie upon lie. Murder, sex, betrayal,” so who’s to say it can’t be based on a true story? Luckily, we’re here with the answer to that question:

Is Monarch based on a true story?

Monarch is a fictional story — there is no country dynasty, no Dottie and Albie Roman, and no Roman family. However, Hilfers recently told the New York Times that the idea came to her after her friend mentioned that Fox was looking to do a country music drama, which sparked an idea that drew inspiration from one powerful family dynasty — and no, it’s not the Kardashians.

According to Hilfers, she pitched the idea as a reimagining of the “Romanov dynasty as a family of country music stars in Austin, Texas.” So while the story itself is not true, the dynasty in which it is inspired was real — the only difference being that the Romanov family was the ruling power in Russia for 300 years, not a country music singing group.

Monarch airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.