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

What might have initially seemed to be a grossly exploitative TV event—an FX-aired miniseries about the O.J. Simpson trial—turned out to be a triumph for its makers, earning well-deserved critical accolades and Emmys for Outstanding Limited Miniseries and leading performers Sarah Paulson and Courtney B. Vance as the chief courtroom antagonists, prosecutor Marcia Clark and defense attorney Johnnie Cochran. Based on Jeffrey Toobin's 1996 book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson, this intelligent and incisive adaptation effectively presents the many twists and turns of the case while also conveying the underlying racial tensions that played so great a part in the outcome (the series is particularly good at dramatizing the gulf between African Americans and the police, which is still a major problem). The cast is impressive down the line, with Nathan Lane (as F. Lee Bailey), David Schwimmer (as Simpson's friend Robert Kardashian), and Sterling K. Brown (as Clark's associate Christopher Darden) standing out among the ensemble cast. The only exceptions are John Travolta, who gives a highly mannered performance as Simpson's chief lawyer Robert Shapiro, and Cuba Gooding Jr., who tries valiantly but is simply too lightweight to be entirely believable as Simpson. Presenting all 10 episodes of the 2016 first season of this crime anthology series, extras include a “making of” featurette and an interactive timeline. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (F. Swietek)