The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Alexandria Galtney
Staff Writer

Two decades after the Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson murder trial riveted the nation, the case is now back in the limelight as a 10-part dramatization on the FX network.

“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” is based on Jeffrey Toobin’s landmark book about the trial of the century that was deemed ‘the most publicized criminal trial in American history.’

If you remember the Simpson trial, Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of retired football player O.J. Simpson, was murdered within feet of her own front door in June 1994, as well as Ronald Goldman, a waiter who worked at the restaurant Nicole dined in.

Lots of people can remember where they were when they saw O.J.’s white Bronco riding down the L.A. freeway, the team of defense attorneys and the acquittal played out on television in 1995.

The 10 episode documentary saga from director and executive producer Ryan Murphy aired Tuesday, Feb. 2 with an all-star cast drawing a total of 12 million viewers, including on-demand and DVR viewings three days after its Feb. 2 debut.

Actor Cuban Gooding Jr. portrays O.J. Simpson, John Travolta as defense lawyer Robert Shapiro, David Schwimmer as attorney Robert Kardashian, Selma Blair as Kris Kardashian, Courtney B. Vance as Simpson’s defense attorney Johnnie Cochran and Sarah Paulson as prosecutor Marcia Clark.

The show seems primarily aimed at those who missed the case as it unfolded and it stills leaves us with the question, “Did O.J. do it?” It doesn’t delve too deeply into the question whether O.J. committed the murders, but rather how the jury reached the verdict it did.

Executive producer, Nina Jacobson told TV Guide, “The case exposes racial fault lines, that in America, people prefer to sweep under the rug. Through this story the series brings our race baggage front and center.”

The series opens with the video of the Rodney King beating and subsequent riots in Los Angeles, establishing the tense racial climate between blacks and police officers in the early ‘90s before skipping ahead to the Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman murders. In the opening scenes of the first episode we see a man walking his dog late at night until the unknown man notices another dog barking in the distance with blood on its paws. As, the man continues to follow the barking dog; he comes across the eerie scene of Nicole Brown Simpson’s corpse.

According to the New York Times, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” occupies the slim space between horror and nostalgia, examining a moment in time that feels like it was a million years ago, and like it was yesterday.

The series will identify all the twists and turns and miniature scandals you thought you had forgotten. This will be a binge worthy series. “The People v. O.J. Simpson airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. central on FX network.