Three days after FX’s The People v. O.J. Simpson ended, ESPN has some more on The Juice to get us through the weekend. The network released a trailer for its seven-and-a-half-hour 30 for 30 documentary, O.J.: Made in America.
As you’ll see right away in the trailer, director Ezra Edelman (Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals, Requiem for the Big East) is telling a far bigger story with his film than the FX miniseries attempted. (As if the seven-and-a-half-hour length of the documentary didn’t already indicate that.)
This isn’t just about the Simpson murder trial. It’s the story of his rise to star athlete and cultural icon, followed by his fall from glory and celebrity, plummeting to disgrace and infamy. Additionally, it also delves deeper into the tensions between the black community in Los Angeles and the police. Take a look:
One of the shortcomings of The People v. O.J. Simpson is that it didn’t explain how prominent Simpson’s place in the culture was for viewers too young or unfamiliar with that period of time. There just wasn’t the time for that during that series.
O.J. was the football star, the television broadcaster, the commercial spokesperson, the comedic actor. Above all, he was folksy and jovial, the kind of guy you’d seemingly love to meet and who would give you his time. He loved being O.J. Robert Kardashian frequently called him “The Juice,” but what did that really mean?
O.J.: Made in America will premiere its opening episode on ABC June 11 at 9 p.m. ET. ESPN will then re-air and air the remaining parts of the documentary beginning June 14. (If you happen to be attending the Tribeca Film Festival, the film will screen in its entirety there on April 23. That will be followed by a panel discussion with Edelman, along with editors and writers from ESPN’s The Undefeated.)
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About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.