The People vs. O.J Simpson

Did anyone catch this? BBC 2, Monday night.

A 10 part series looking into arguably the most famous murder trial in American History, with a stellar cast. Cuba Gooding Jr plays OJ, David Schwimmer plays Robert Kardashian and a ridiculously surgically enhanced John Travolta plays Shapiro.

Caught the first episode on catch up and have to say I thought it was brilliant. Looks like it could be a brilliant series.

Cuba Gooding was doing some press this week and saying he only did it on the basis that they would give an unbiased account of the Trial, so should be authentic.

Thought it was great & looking forward to episode 2. I personally don't think Cuba was the best choice to play OJ though, too small & not imposing enough. Think they just thought he looked good in Jerry Maguire as an athlete, so let's do it again.

Yes, have to agree with you there, and OJ was quite young looking, whereas Cuba has aged quite a bit.

Granted, i'm glad we didn't get The Rock or Idris Elba.

Cheers al, meant to watch this, must catch it.

No worries, Westy!

How to get away with Murder returns on 2nd March.

Pretty good. I forgot how frustrating it is to watch an episode a week.

Travolta looks like Arnie.

yeah, been brilliant so far. courtney b. vance who plays Johnnie Cochran has been incredible in it

Something about David Schwimmer constantly saying "Juice" is really starting to grate on me

Episode 8 just showed what a shambles this trial was

Been a brilliant TV show so far.

Incredible series. Wouldn't surprise me to see Courtney B Vance win a Golden Globe for playing Cochran. Didn't know OJ can get parole in October 2017, for his robbery case, when he will be 70 years old.

I thought it was brilliant.  I now understand why it only took four hours to acquit OJ Simpson.  I would have acquitted.  Not only was the LAPD shown to contain racist individuals, it's handling of the evidence including samples taken was just not up to a basic level of standard.  No forensic laboratory would receive a modern day accreditation with those standards.  Having the lead investigator plead the fifth amendment in refusing to answer the question whether he made up the evidence presented to the court was just one of many reasons for acquittal.

The most important result of the OJ Simpson Trial was the revelation that the LAPD and forensic system was just not fit for purpose.  The revelations that the LAPD had racists such as Mark Fuhrman leading such high profile cases was one sign of the institutional racism inherent in the organisation.  Incidentally Fuhr-man is close to Fuhrer which was the title of Adolf Hitler.

I was also surprised by how polarised LA was between "white" & "black".  The "whites" were generally portrayed as "knowing" he was guilty and the "blacks" portrayed as "knowing" he was innocent (or at least "knowing" the LAPD had used framed evidence to get the conviction).

Cuba Gooding wanted an Unbiased account?

So OJ will get off again and everyone will think it a travesty of justice.

How can such a re-telling be 'unbiased'? The law was an ass and proved itself to be.

I thought Cuba Gooding played OJ Simpson beautifully.  You just couldn't tell whether OJ Simpson as played by Gooding was innocent or guilty.  From being suicidal to being in some state of delusion. He also carried with him the sense of being on stage and a public figure - a celebrity.  He was more at home with the "white" community than with the "black" community.  After he was released he just couldn't understand why the "white" people in his exclusive neighbourhood were protesting against him, he just couldn't understand why at the party his close friends were disappearing / retreating from him.  He seemed to think that everything would return as before.

 I thought Bob Shapiro as played by John Travolta comes over as fair and sensitive to the wider issues as well as very sharp in the court.  Judge Ito comes over as fair and competent.  I think most characters were shown as well rounded and with depth.