American Crime Story

Did You Know?

• Impeachment: American Crime Story received the ReFrame Stamp for gender-balanced hiring.
• In Australia, the first season was promoted as a miniseries under the title The People vs OJ Simpson and premiered on Network Ten on March 6, 2016.

Seasons

The first season, The People v. O. J. Simpson, follows O. J. Simpson's murder trial, examining the prosecution's confidence, the defense's tactics, and the Los Angeles Police Department's history with the African-American community that led to reasonable doubt. The cast includes Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson, Sterling K. Brown as Christopher Darden, Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark, and Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran. The second season, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, covers the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace by spree killer Andrew Cunanan, with Édgar Ramírez as Versace and Darren Criss as Cunanan. The third season, Impeachment, centers on the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal, featuring Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp, Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky, and Clive Owen as Bill Clinton.

Production

FX ordered a ten-episode season in October 2014, developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, with Ryan Murphy directing the pilot. The series was initially in development at Fox before moving to FX. A planned second season about Hurricane Katrina, using Douglas Brinkley's book, cast Annette Bening, Matthew Broderick, and Dennis Quaid, but later shifted to Sheri Fink's Five Days at Memorial, focusing on doctors at Memorial Medical Center. Sarah Paulson was cast as Dr. Anna Pou, while other actors left. In June 2017, the Katrina season was postponed, and The Assassination of Gianni Versace aired as the second season instead. By February 2019, the Katrina storyline was cancelled. A potential fourth season, Studio 54, about Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, was in development by August 2021, but no production developments were reported as of September 2024.

Promotion

In October 2015, FX released a teaser for The People v. O. J. Simpson showing an Akita dog leaving bloody paw prints. Later that month, a teaser featured John Travolta as Robert Shapiro asking Simpson if he is responsible for the murder. November teasers included Simpson writing a suicide letter and the police chase of his white Ford Bronco. The first full trailer, released in December, showed Simpson in Kim Kardashian's childhood bedroom. For The Assassination of Gianni Versace, a September 2017 teaser depicted doves outside Versace's mansion flying away after gunshots, followed by a second teaser of Donatella Versace placing flowers on a casket.

Reception

The first season received critical acclaim, with a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 90 out of 100 on Metacritic. The second season earned positive reviews, with an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 74. The third season received mixed reviews, with a 69% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 61.