Long Bright Rivertells the suspenseful tale of a Philadelphia police officer desperate to find her missing sister, and after watching the show, one can’t help but wonder what inspired the story. Amanda Seyfried stars as the aforementioned cop, Mickey, in the Peacock’s 2025 miniseries. WhenSeyfried’s character’s estranged, drug-addicted sister, Kacey, disappears at the same time as three women are found murdered,Mickey races against the clock to locate her in the present day. Meanwhile, flashbacks reveal more information and understanding about the siblings' complex relationship inLong Bright River.
Peacock dropped all eight episodes ofLong Bright Riveron Thursday, July 31, 2025.
Aside from Seyfried,the main cast ofLong Bright Riverincludes Ashleigh Cummings as Kasey, Nicholas Pinnock as Truman Dawes (Mickey’s former partner), Callum Vinson as Thomas (Mickey’s young son), and John Doman as Gee (Mickey’s grandfather). The supporting cast features Patch Darragh as Sergeant Kevin Ahearn, OT The Real as Connor “Dock” McClatchie, Joe Daru as Detective Danjara, Hannah D. Scott as Jeannie, Dash Mihok as Eddie, and Perry Mattfeld as Paula. They all come together to tellLong Bright River’s thrilling story, which is based on pre-existing source material.
Long Bright River Is Not Based On A True Story, But It Was Inspired By The Author’s Real Life
The Peacock Miniseries Is An Adaptation Of Liz Moore’s Book
Amanda Seyfried’s projectLong Bright Riverserves as an adaptation of Liz Moore’s 2020 book of the same name. However, while the author’s story inspired the Peacock TV show, the novel itself isn’t exactly based on true events. Instead,Moore’s real life influenced her to writeLong Bright River.During an interview withThe Guardian, the writer explained:
“Like many families in the United States, mine has been affected by a multi-generational struggle with addiction that continues to this day. As a kid, I felt like another parent and that part of my autobiography found its way into this book … It made a big impression on me to know early what addiction was. That’s sort of what the sisters [in Long Bright River] represent: Either you mimic what you’ve seen or has been discussed, or you are frightened of dabbling in anything.”
While Mickey and Kacey’s relationship inLong Bright Riveris quite different from the dynamic Moore shared with her sister growing up, the author’s experiences helping to raise her sibling seemingly inspired her while writing the book.Moore’s past concerning addiction in her family, which she doesn’t go much into in the interview, also influenced the story.Ultimately, thoughthe Peacock original seriesis fictional.
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Liz Moore’s Time Living In Philadelphia Also Inspired Long Bright River’s Story
Moore Worked On A Photo-Essay About Kensington
As forLong Bright River’s setting,Liz Moore pulled from her experiences living in Philadelphia to write her 2020 novel.In 2009, she worked on a photo-essay about Kensington, the Philadelphia neighborhood where the crime drama takes place. After finishing it, Moore continuously felt drawn to the city. She toldThe Guardian:
“Following that experience, I found myself returning to the neighborhood again to talk to its residents and learn more. I began doing community work, running free writing workshops for women at a day shelter in the neighborhood … I could say that the first seed of the novel was planted in 2009, when I first set foot in Kensington – a tight-knit, vibrant neighborhood in Philadelphia that has become very dear to me and that is often misunderstood and misrepresented in the national media. I could say that the first seed was planted by my own family’s history of addiction, which has spanned many generations and has been a topic of conversation among us since well before I was born. I could say that being a sister inspiredLong Bright River, or living in the city of Philadelphia. Really, it’s a mix of all of these.”
So, Moore’s photo-essay on Kensington, her community work with women in the neighborhood, her sister, and her experiences with addiction in her family all influenced her to createLong Bright River. Then, Peacock took that story and adapted it into a miniseries, which Moore also helped write. Nevertheless, the characters and plot inPeacock’s 2025 TV showLong Bright Riverare purely fictional.
Long Bright River
Cast
Long Bright River follows a police officer as she patrols a Philadelphia neighborhood suffering from the opioid crisis. As a series of murders commences, she uncovers connections to her personal history, intertwining her professional duty with a personal quest for answers.
