American Crime Story
American Crime Story is an American anthology true crime television series developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who are executive producers with Brad Falchuk, Nina Jacobson, Ryan Murphy, and Brad Simpson. Similar to the fictional horror anthology series American Horror Story, also from Murphy and Falchuk, each season is presented as a self-contained miniseries, following separate unrelated true events. Alexander and Karaszewski did not return after the first season, but they retained executive producer credit. The series is broadcast on the cable television channel FX in the United States.
The first season, subtitled ', presents the murder trial of O. J. Simpson, based on Jeffrey Toobin's book The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson. It premiered on February 2, 2016. The second season, subtitled ', explores the murder of designer Gianni Versace by spree killer Andrew Cunanan, based on Maureen Orth's book Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History.
Another season, based on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, was in development, but FX announced in February 2019 that production on the season has been scrapped. The upcoming third season, subtitled Impeachment, is set to chronicle the impeachment of 42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton for charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, based on another book written by Toobin entitled A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President.
Seasons
''The People v. O. J. Simpson'' (2016)
Based on Jeffrey Toobin's The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson, the season explores the O.J. Simpson murder case as well as the combination of prosecution confidence, defense wiliness, and the Los Angeles Police Department's history with the city's African-American community that gave a jury what it needed: reasonable doubt.The season also stars Sterling K. Brown as Christopher Darden, Kenneth Choi as Lance Ito, Christian Clemenson as Bill Hodgman, Bruce Greenwood as Gil Garcetti, Nathan Lane as F. Lee Bailey, Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark, David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro, and Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran.
''The Assassination of Gianni Versace'' (2018)
Based on Maureen Orth's Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History, the season examines the July 1997 assassination of legendary fashion designer Gianni Versace by sociopathic spree killer Andrew Cunanan.The season also stars Ricky Martin as Antonio D'Amico and Penélope Cruz as Donatella Versace.
''Impeachment''
The Clinton–Lewinsky scandal will serve as the basis for the third season of the series, Impeachment, following the ensuing events during Clinton's presidency, based on Jeffrey Toobin's book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President.The season will star Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp, Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky, Margo Martindale as Lucianne Goldberg, and Annaleigh Ashford as Paula Jones, and was set to premiere on September 27, 2020. The network pushed back the air date due to Murphy's schedule. The network previously considered pushing back the air date due to the 2020 election. On November 15, 2019, Clive Owen was announced to portray President Clinton along with Anthony Green set to portray Al Gore. In January 2020, it was announced that Billy Eichner would play the role of journalist Matt Drudge and Betty Gilpin would portray conservative media pundit Ann Coulter.
Series overview
Episodes
Season 1: ''The People v. O. J. Simpson'' (2016)
Season 2: ''The Assassination of Gianni Versace'' (2018)
Season 3: ''Impeachment''
Production
Development
''The People v. O. J. Simpson''
On October 7, 2014, it was announced that FX had ordered a ten-episode season of American Crime Story, developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, and executive produced by Alexander and Karaszewski, as well as Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, who co-created such series as Nip/Tuck, Glee, American Horror Story, Scream Queens, and Pose. Murphy also directed the pilot episode. Other executive producers are Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson. Co-executive producers are Anthony Hemingway and D. V. DeVincentis. All ten episodes were expected to be written by Alexander and Karaszewski. The series was previously in development at Fox but since moved to the company's sibling cable network FX.''Katrina''
Based on Sheri Fink's book Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital, a season would take an unflinching look at the decisions doctors made at Memorial Medical Center. In August 2017, it was announced that Sarah Paulson would star as Dr. Anna Pou, who was on duty at the hospital when Katrina struck.When first announced as the second season, Katrina was said to be using Douglas Brinkley's book The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast as the primary source material, with Annette Bening cast as Kathleen Blanco, Matthew Broderick as Michael D. Brown, and Dennis Quaid as George W. Bush. Cuba Gooding Jr. and Courtney B. Vance were set to return after their participation in the first season, but after the source material was changed, only Sarah Paulson was set to star as Anna Pou, with the other actors such as Bening, Broderick, and Quaid leaving the project. However, it was said the producers would try to find new characters for at least some of those actors already cast.
The so-called Katrina season was originally planned to be the second season of the series, with The Assassination of Gianni Versace following as the third. However, in June 2017, it was announced that Katrina would not begin production until early 2018 and that Versace would air in early 2018, replacing Katrina as the show's second installment. In early February 2019, John Landgraf acknowledged that the Katrina storyline was cancelled and won't be the subject of any season of the series either.
''The Assassination of Gianni Versace''
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story was picked up on October 18, 2016, and was announced as the third season of the series, following the season about Katrina. The announcement also revealed that English author Tom Rob Smith would be the writer of multiple episodes of the season, including the first two, while executive producer Ryan Murphy would be directing the season premiere. Following the airing of the 's finale in April 2016, it was revealed that series creators Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski would not be returning for the second season. However, in June 2017, it was announced that Katrina would not begin production until early 2018 and that Versace would air in early 2018, replacing Katrina as the show's second installment.''Impeachment''
In January 2017, it was announced that a fourth season was in development, to air after Katrina. It was to cover the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal and the ensuing events during Clinton's presidency, based on Jeffrey Toobin's book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President. In February 2017, Ryan Murphy revealed that Sarah Paulson was to star in the season, but not as Hillary Clinton. However, in April 2018, Murphy revealed that the season was scrapped and no longer in development.On August 6, 2019, it was announced that the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal season was back in development as the third season of the series and that it would be titled Impeachment. The season is slated to premiere on September 27, 2020. It was also revealed that Sarah Paulson, Beanie Feldstein, and Annaleigh Ashford would star as Linda Tripp, Monica Lewinsky, and Paula Jones, respectively, with Lewinsky herself signing on as a co-producer. Later that month, it was announced that Hillary Clinton would appear as a character in the series, but that she would not have a significant role.
On November 15, 2019, it was reported that Oscar-nominated actor Clive Owen will be playing the role of Bill Clinton along with Anthony Green set to portray Al Gore.
Casting
For season 1, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Sarah Paulson were the first to be cast as Simpson and Marcia Clark, respectively. Subsequently, David Schwimmer was cast as Robert Kardashian. In January 2015, it was reported that John Travolta had joined the cast as Robert Shapiro; he would also serve as producer. In February 2015, Courtney B. Vance joined the series as Johnnie Cochran. In March 2015, it was announced that Connie Britton would co-star as Faye Resnick. April 2015 saw the casting of Sterling K. Brown as Christopher Darden, Jordana Brewster as Denise Brown, and Kenneth Choi as Judge Lance Ito. In May 2015, it was confirmed Selma Blair would be portraying Kris Kardashian Jenner. In July 2015, it was announced Nathan Lane had joined the cast as F. Lee Bailey.In February 2017, Annette Bening has joined the cast of Katrina as Kathleen Blanco, while Matthew Broderick was cast as Michael D. Brown. That same month, Édgar Ramírez and Darren Criss joined the cast of The Assassination of Gianni Versace as Gianni Versace and Andrew Cunanan, respectively.
Initial reports announced that Lady Gaga would portray Donatella Versace in The Assassination of Gianni Versace, but Murphy confirmed that they were false. Penélope Cruz was later cast in the role. In April 2017, it was announced that Ricky Martin had joined the cast of The Assassination of Gianni Versace as Antonio D'Amico, Versace's longtime partner. On April 28, 2017, Annaleigh Ashford was seen filming on the set of The Assassination of Gianni Versace with Criss. On June 21, 2017, it was announced that Ashford's role in the series would be as Elizabeth Cote, a friend of Cunanan's since high school. On May 5, 2017, Murphy posted a photo on Instagram of Criss and Max Greenfield on the set of the season. On June 21, 2017, it was announced that Finn Wittrock would play Jeffrey Trail, Cunanan's first victim.
Filming
for season one began on May 14, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. According to set photos, principal photography of Versace began at the beginning of May 2017, in Miami, Florida.Promotion
In October 2015, FX released its first promotional trailer for The People v. O. J. Simpson, showing an Akita dog whining, walking from its residence onto a sidewalk to bark, then walking back to its residence, leaving behind bloody paw prints. Later that month another teaser was released, wherein the first actual footage of Travolta as Shapiro was shown. In the teaser, Shapiro is about to ask Simpson if he is responsible for the murder of Simpson's ex-wife. In the next short teaser that was released, Simpson is taking a lie detector test.In November, two new teasers were released. The first shows Simpson writing his attempted suicide letter, while a voice-over by Gooding, Jr. narrates. The second shows the police chasing Simpson's white Ford Bronco, while dozens of fans cheer for him.
The first full trailer was released in December, along with a poster for the season. The trailer included Simpson sitting in the childhood bedroom of Kim Kardashian and contemplating suicide while Robert Kardashian tries to stop him.
In September 2017, FX released the first promotional teaser for The Assassination of Gianni Versace, showing doves sitting outside Versace's former mansion and flying away when two gunshots ring out. A second teaser was released that same month, depicting Versace's sister Donatella placing flowers on a casket.
Broadcast
The series first premiered worldwide in Canada on FX on February 2, 2016. In the Philippines, the series premiered on February 3, 2016, on CT. In India, the series premiered on STAR World Premiere HD on February 8, 2016. The first series premiered in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2016. The second series began on February 28, 2018, on BBC Two. In Israel, the series premiered on February 22, 2016. In Australia, the series' first season was promoted as a "miniseries" under the title The People vs OJ Simpson and premiered on Network Ten on March 6, 2016, before concluding on May 8, 2016. The series currently airs at 10:15 p.m. on Thursdays on RTÉ One in Ireland.The first season was made available on Netflix in all countries except Canada and German-speaking Europe in February 2017. All future seasons will be made available on Netflix following their respective broadcast windows.
Reception
The first season of American Crime Story has received critical acclaim. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the season an approval rating of 97%, based on 74 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story brings top-shelf writing, directing, and acting to bear on a still-topical story while shedding further light on the facts – and provoking passionate responses along the way." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 90 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".The second season of American Crime Story received positive reviews. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the season an approval rating of 89%, based on 61 reviews, with an average rating of 7.09/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Assassination of Versace starts with a bang and unfurls slowly, moving backward through an intricate murder mystery anchored by a career-defining performance from Darren Criss." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "Generally favorable reviews".
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | |
| 2015 | 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Most Exciting New Series | American Crime Story | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Movie/Miniseries | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Movie or Miniseries | Cuba Gooding Jr. | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Movie or Miniseries | Courtney B. Vance | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | Sarah Paulson | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | Sterling K. Brown | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | John Travolta | ||
| 2016 | BET Awards 2016 | Best Actor | Courtney B. Vance | ||
| 2016 | 74th Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | ||
| 2016 | 74th Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Courtney B. Vance | ||
| 2016 | 74th Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Sarah Paulson | ||
| 2016 | 74th Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Sterling K. Brown | ||
| 2016 | 74th Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | John Travolta | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Limited Series | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Courtney B. Vance | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Cuba Gooding Jr. | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie | Sarah Paulson | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Sterling K. Brown | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | David Schwimmer | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | John Travolta | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special | Ryan Murphy | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special | John Singleton | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special | Anthony Hemingway | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special | Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special | Joe Robert Cole | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special | D. V. DeVincentis | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special | Jeanne McCarthy, Nicole Abellera Hallman, Courtney Bright, and Nicole Daniels | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie | Nelson Cragg | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie | Hala Bahmet, Marina Ray, and Elinor Bardach | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Hairstyling for a Limited Series or Movie | Chris Clark, Natalie Driscoll, Shay Sanford-Fong, and Katrina Chevalier | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Makeup for a Limited Series or Movie | Eryn Krueger Mekash, Zoe Hay, Heather Plott, Deborah Huss Humphries, Luis Garcia, and Becky Cotton | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie | Adam Penn | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie | C. Chi-Yoon Chung | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie | Stewart Schill | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or Movie | Doug Andham, Joe Earle, and John Bauman | ||
| 2016 | 32nd TCA Awards | Program of the Year | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | ||
| 2016 | 32nd TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | ||
| 2016 | 32nd TCA Awards | Individual Achievement in Drama | Sarah Paulson | ||
| 2016 | 32nd TCA Awards | Individual Achievement in Drama | Courtney B. Vance | ||
| 2018 | 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Performance in a Show | Darren Criss | ||
| 2018 | 70th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Limited Series | The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story | ||
| 2018 | 70th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Darren Criss | ||
| 2018 | 70th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Ricky Martin | ||
| 2018 | 70th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Édgar Ramírez | ||
| 2018 | 70th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Finn Wittrock | ||
| 2018 | 70th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie | Penélope Cruz | ||
| 2018 | 70th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie | Judith Light | ||
| 2018 | 70th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special | Ryan Murphy for "The Man Who Would Be Vogue" | ||
| 2018 | 70th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special | Tom Rob Smith for "House by the Lake" | ||
| 2019 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Darren Criss | |||
| 2019 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Penélope Cruz | |||
| 2019 | Best Limited Series | The Assassination of Gianni Versace | |||
| 2019 | Best Actor in a Movie/Limited Series | Darren Criss | |||
| 2019 | Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Limited Series | Finn Wittrock | |||
| 2019 | Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Limited Series | Penélope Cruz | |||
| 2019 | Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Limited Series | Judith Light | |||
| 2019 | Maggie Cohn and Tom Rob Smith | ||||
| 2019 | Best Miniseries | The Assassination of Gianni Versace | |||
| 2019 | Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film | Darren Criss | |||
| 2019 | Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Film | Édgar Ramírez | |||
| 2019 | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or TV Film | Penélope Cruz | |||
| 2019 | Best Ensemble: Television | The Assassination of Gianni Versace | |||
| 2019 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story | ||
| 2019 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Darren Criss | ||
| 2019 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Édgar Ramírez | ||
| 2019 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Penélope Cruz | ||
| 2019 | Producers Guild of America Awards | David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited Series Television | Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Tom Rob Smith, Daniel Minahan, Brad Falchuk, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski, Chip Vucelich, Maggie Cohn, Eric Kovtun, Lou Eyrich, and Eryn Krueger Mekash |