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[Cornballer]

The first season of The People Vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story beings on Tuesday, February 2nd on FX. The Ryan Murphy show, which seemed like a bad idea initially, is getting rave reviews and will consist of 10 episodes. I wasn't planning on watching this, but the reviews have piqued my interest. Is anyone else going to check it out?

EDIT: Note that "American Crime Story" is an anthology series. The first season will cover the OJ trial. Next year will have a different cast and follow a different true crime story focused on Hurricane Katrina.

Trailers:

First Look
Brentwood
The Cast​

Cast:

John Travolta as Robert Shapiro

Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clarke

David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian

Courtney Vance as Johnie Cochran

Cuba Gooding Jr. as OJ Simpson

The cast also includes: Connie Britton, Selma Blair, Bruce Greenwood, Nathan Lane, Kenneth Choi, and a few others.​

Reviews:

Through six episodes, it's on track to be one of the best first seasons of television ever made, especially considering the cultural climate surrounding its release.

Best series of the year so far. Easily.

Though the verdict polarized the country, most will agree on the merits of The People v. O.J. Simpson as terrific TV.

Ultimately, watching the trial play out as a fait accompli gives it the heft and structure of a classical tragedy in which everyone is undone by his or her seeming strengths turned to weaknesses.

Like the trial itself--and the spectacle that surrounded it--The People v. O.J. Simpson is sometimes trashy, often disturbing, and so compelling that it's impossible to stop watching.

Arresting from the get-go, the performances in this limited series are almost uniformly superb (with one glaring exception).

The show is nourished by Toobin’s contemporaneous reporting, which dives deep into the supporting characters’ motivations.... Some viewers might be turned off by Crime Story’s focus on celebrity and its winking references to the family of Simpson defense attorney Robert Kardashian (Friends star David Schwimmer), of which there are too many. The point, though, stands: the Simpson trial was fueled by fame and, troublingly, generated fame for those involved.

For the most part, Murphy & Co. are content to mine this familiar material for pathos and corrosive satire. There isn’t a bad performance anywhere in this production, and while a few of them fail to rise above the level of a very good imitation (Travolta’s Shapiro is all sculpted eyebrows, puckered smirks, and constricted body language), most of them go far beyond that.

Simpson bears almost no mark of Murphy’s involvement except for his ability to wring the best work out of his actors. There’s not an off-pitch performance to be found, and with cooler heads at the typewriter, Crime Story becomes great in all the ways Horror Story isn’t. A-

Poster:

 

[otapnam]

Been looking forward to this. Im still not sold on cuba though.

 

[GavinGT]

Awesome. I was too young to follow the case with any real dedication as it was playing out. I just remember being out on the playground and the teachers came out and announced "not guilty" to a bunch of elementary schoolers. It was weird.

Definitely will watch.

 

[kris.]

Huh, didn't expect this kind of acclaim.

 

[Moppeh]

I didn't even know this was a thing, but goddamn, that's a pretty interesting cast. I'm definitely gonna check this out.

 

[Slayven]

From what I seen the fuckery is next level.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Huh. Was not expecting reviews like that. Dang.

 

[Angelus Errare]

Will watch, the OJ trial had one of the craziest ripple effects in America when it comes to race relations.

 

[CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls]

I'm assuming that one exception is Travolta. He doesn't fit at all like the other actors do.

 

[Pachimari]

Yup, I'm excited about this one. It seems to be good.

 

[Cornballer]

Huh, didn't expect this kind of acclaim.

Huh. Was not expecting reviews like that. Dang.

Yeah, I'm baffled by it, but it sounds like it's worth a look.

I'm assuming that one exception is Travolta. He doesn't fit at all like the other actors do.

Yes. His performance has been polarizing in the reviews. Some love it, some hate it.

 

[WrenchNinja]

This isn't a parody huh. If it's getting a good critical reception, I'll check it out then.

 

[EnlightenedMint]

I thought this was going to be pretty bad, but might need to check it out after seeing all these positive reviews.

 

[Parch]

I didn't realize this was a series. I thought it was just a special.

It was pretty crazy when it was going on and there's a lot of layers to the story. It was a lot more than just showing how flawed the American justice system is.

 

[chubigans]

Gonna bust out my Dream Team POGS and OJ Slammer for this one.

 

[Cornballer]

I didn't realize this was a series. I thought it was just a special.

It's an anthology series, so each season will have a (mostly) new cast and focus on something different.

The second season is in development, and will focus on Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Ryan Murphy explained the working plan is "to follow a group of six to eight people in an attempt to examine all sides of the tragedy, from the Superdome in New Orleans to the hospital to those who were put on buses and dropped off with babies who had to wear trash bags for multiple days." Production for the second season will begin in fall 2016.

 

[chubigans]

It's an anthology series, so each season will have a (mostly) new cast and focus on something different.

Huh, I thought this would be more about high profile cases, that's a strange choice.

 

[Cornballer]

Huh, I thought this would be more about high profile cases, that's a strange choice.

There's a lengthy article about the production of the series here:

- THR: Inside TV's Retrial of OJ Simpson: A Saga of Race, Redress and, Yes, Robert Kardashian's Kids

Regarding next season:

"In my opinion, Katrina was a f—ing crime — a crime against a lot of people who didn't have a strong voice, and we're going to treat it as a crime. That's what this show is all about."

I'm surprised by the choice, too.

 

[Anth0ny]

I'll watch this, but I can't take Ross seriously.

 

[KodaRuss]

Really excited for this, my wife and I will be recording and watching on Wednesdays because of our schedule. FX is kicking ass right now, loved Fargo, cant wait for this.

 

[Lkr]

I've seen a few commercials for this and was intrigued. Now I feel like I can't miss this

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

I'll watch this, but I can't take Ross seriously.

The casting is so on point. I can't wait for Travolta's Robert Shapiro

 

[metsallica]

Very interested; they won me back after Scream Queens.

 

[Brandson]

I was in grade 9 (in Canada) by the time the trial ended. It was a big deal here too. My teacher wheeled a tv into our classroom so we could watch the verdict live. Every single person in my class immediately thought the verdict was total BS. That O.J.'s team managed to convince the jury to disregard the DNA evidence was unbelievable.

 

[maxcriden]

From what I seen the fuckery is next level.

What does the word 'fuckery' mean in this context?

 

[Slayven]

What does the word 'fuckery' mean in this context?

They managed to work in a Kim Kardashian reference even though she was like 9 at the time.

 

[chubigans]

There's a lengthy article about the production of the series here:

- THR: Inside TV's Retrial of OJ Simpson: A Saga of Race, Redress and, Yes, Robert Kardashian's Kids

Regarding next season:
I'm surprised by the choice, too.

Thanks for the link! Hmm, still not quite sold on that idea but I'm willing to give it a chance. Kinda surprised Hollywood hasn't made Katrina into a big disaster type movie (or did I miss it?)

 

[jmizzal]

I'm ready, even tho I was pretty young during this time, I was pretty hooked on this trail and events

 

[-griffy-]

I'll check it out. Should make for an interesting Tuesday night double feature with Agent Carter

 

[valkillmore]

Not sold on Cuba being cast as OJ, but i remarked to my wife how fitting the other castings are, particularily for Marcia Clarke. Great to hear these reviews, too. We gonna watch.

 

[Sloane]

Been looking forward to it, although I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Reviews sound good, cast looks ace, and the story itself is certainly, well, "interesting". Ryan Murphy though...

But I'll check it out. FX usually knows their shit.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

The first trailer looked silly, so I'm happily surprised it might actually be good.

 

[Cornballer]

- Sepinwall's review:

With Murphy attached, I feared The People v. O.J. would continue treating the story as a joke. But the treatment is serious, thoughtful, and an introductory triumph for this American Crime Story franchise.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

They managed to work in a Kim Kardashian reference even though she was like 9 at the time.

Sex viewmaster reels?

 

[VeryGooster]

Seeing some positive reception for this. I might have to eat crow. The ads made it seem Lifetime-esque to me.

 

[Enduin]

Surprised by the good reviews so far. The cast to me seems very bizarre, like something you'd see in a Lifetime movie. Might check it out if it continues to do well.

Edit: ^Ha

 

[Ovid]

I'm looking forward to this.

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

- Sepinwall's review:

It would've been glorious either way.

That "I'm not black, I'm OJ" in the trailer was pure gold.

 

[Vicetrailia]

I hope this comes on netflix in the future.

Doing Katrina next season would be incredible.

 

[AgentOtaku]

Oh, it is fucking on!

 

[Dan]

I wasn't planning on watching this, but the reviews have piqued my interest. Is anyone else going to check it out?

I've been staunchly disinterested due to Ryan Murphy, but the critical reaction has been wearing me down some. At least he didn't write any of it. I might cave and check it out.

 

[maxcriden]

They managed to work in a Kim Kardashian reference even though she was like 9 at the time.

Ah, gotcha. Thanks. I guess I'm not sure what the word 'fuckery' even means. Was Kim Kardashian famous at the time of the trial because of her father? Or was she not paid any mind back then...?

I've been staunchly disinterested due to Ryan Murphy, but the critical reaction has been wearing me down some. At least he didn't write any of it. I might cave and check it out.

This is where I'm at, too. Except fairly sure I will check it out...but...like you...wary of Murphy's output.

 

[Dan]

Ah, gotcha. Thanks. I guess I'm not sure what the word 'fuckery' even means. Was Kim Kardashian famous at the time of the trial because of her father? Or was she not paid any mind back then...?

Fairly certain she was virtually nothing until the sex tape. I could be wrong, I try my best to know as little as possible about that family.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

Was Kim Kardashian famous at the time of the trial because of her father? Or was she not paid any mind back then...?

Most people wouldn't have even known she existed. The name was associated more with her father than her back then.

 

[Cornballer]

A few more reviews:

- YahooTV:

By hour two, however, my misgivings had melted away. This so-called “limited series” takes the facts of the Simpson case and, by bending and shaping the emphases of those facts, turns it into a startlingly stirring critique of racism, sexism, and the judicial system that still resonates today.

- Emily Nussbaum's review for The New Yorker:

As one might expect of a Ryan Murphy production, particularly one done in collaboration with the writers of “Ed Wood,” “American Crime Story” is filled with dark humor, including a few camp touches. Yet the series is not, in the first six episodes sent to critics, crude or cartoonish but ideologically and emotionally nuanced, with each episode providing a shift in perspective, as if turning a daisy wheel of empathy.

- IndieWire

Writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski resist the temptation to caricature the case and its sprawling network of participants. In fact, "American Crime Story" is surprisingly precise, even intimate, filtering the trial's sociopolitical implications through the personal experiences of two key players: defense attorney Johnnie Cochran (Courtney B. Vance) and prosecutor Marcia Clark (Sarah Paulson).

 

[Memles]

They managed to work in a Kim Kardashian reference even though she was like 9 at the time.

I know some critics have responded really negatively to the insertion of the Kardashians, but it worked for me: Robert Kardashian is valuable angle into this story, key events in the story unfold in a house owned by the family, and I do think the series' few actual moments involving the Kardashian kids are thematically relevant given the series' interest in the role of celebrity in this case (and the role it played in our larger understanding of how celebrity culture functions in news reporting).

It's definitely more on-the-nose than the rest of the storytelling, and I can see where those people are coming from, but it more or less meshed with my read on the rest of the series, which really is tremendous television.

 

[KodaRuss]

I thought this was going to be pretty bad, but might need to check it out after seeing all these positive reviews.

Yeah, I'm baffled by it, but it sounds like it's worth a look.


Yes. His performance has been polarizing in the reviews. Some love it, some hate it.

Huh, didn't expect this kind of acclaim.

Have yall seen any of the commercials? I thought it was a joke when I first heard about it but the commercial/teasers have been extremely strong.

I was in 3rd grade when this was going on and we listened to the verdict on the radio in class. Sounds like they have done the story justice.

 

[RastaMentality]

This should blow up if it's as good as the critics are saying. People love the OJ story just like how they love Monica.

 

[TheAbsolution]

The commercials have been excellent. Will definitely check out now that I know that the reviews are good.

 

[Corpekata]

Seems like a lot of reviews pan Travolta in this as the major weak link, unsurprisingly. For all the "big stars" it seems like most of the positive response is for Paulson and Vance.