I don't know a thing about this show, but I do know someone who was totally trashed by a movie portrayal that was based on a "true story". The filmmakers skirted the legal issue by clarifying that the movie was based on the book written by someone who witnessed the "true story"; in other words they didn't do any fact checking themselves. Shady filmmakers, documentarians and journalists have used this sneaky excuse time & time again to slip through the legal loopholes. It always works because ultimately everything is based on someone's opinion.

That seems to be the case here, where this show is "adapted from Gadd's autobiographical one-man show" (wikipedia). Meaning legally, it's Gadd's opinion, not actual facts and certainly not the whole picture.

I think you're right, there are ways to take liberties with truth in a way that entertains the audience while making it clear that it's a creative fiction. Like you said Fargo is a great example. My fave is probably Amadeus which invents an elaborate theory of how Mozart was "killed" by a rival composer. Preposterous but really well done, it shows how creative writers can be with scant facts. (And I'm pretty sure Salieri won't be suing anyone!)

https://www.elle.com.au/culture/baby-reindeer-real-life-true-story/#:~:text=Is%20Baby%20Reindeer%20A%20True,forties%20began%20talking%20to%20him.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2024/04/30/the-crazy-true-story-behind-netflixs-baby-reindeer-what-happens-to-martha/?sh=764c79091099

https://slate.com/culture/2024/05/real-martha-baby-reindeer-piers-morgan-interview.html