American Crime Story is Ryan Murphy’s new anthology series that will take on famous crimes and it starts off by brilliantly dramatizing what surely ranks as the best-known celebrity trial ever. As a singularly unifying moment, the “O.J. trial” stands alongside 9/11 and the Kennedy assassination as one of the defining “I remember where I was” moments in American popular culture. As Nina Jacobson, executive producer of The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story puts it: “The Bronco chase brought the country together. The trial ripped it apart”. Murphy – and screenwriter Larry Karaszewski – perfectly recapture the tone of the trial which heralded the age of reality TV. The series captures the over-the–top personalities of both the accused and the “dream team” that defended him – as well as the prosecuting team – while at the same time using the characters as conduits to the underlying themes exposed by the affair: the cult of celebrity, race and the justice system. A show that deliciously recaptures an event that still resonates in the collective memory with the pulpy operatic tone, which perfectly suits it. We spoke to Cuba Gooding Jr. (OJ Simpson) and John Travolta (Robert Shapiro).

Luca Celada