A great deal of time has been devoted to discussing and dissecting the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial in all forms of entertainment. Maybe more than it needed, in Judd Apatow’s opinion.
Apatow used the attention that’s been paid to the famed-football player as an example when justifying the length of his new documentary about comedian Garry Shandling, during a panel at the Television Critics Association press tour on Thursday.
“I always think, you know, O.J. got seven hours and he murdered people,” Apatow said to a room full of reporters who burst into laughter as he explained why he’s comfortable with “The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling” being over four hours long. “Don’t you deserve more time by not murdering people?” (And yes, know that Simpson was found not guilty).
Apatow was of course referencing ESPN Films’ 2016 documentary “O.J.: Made in America,” which was released as a five-part miniseries and in theatrical format. The Ezra Edelman film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary feature last February.
Meanwhile, Apatow’s two-part doc on the late Shandling, who was a mentor and friend of his, features interviews from nearly four dozen friends, family and colleagues, along with four decades’ worth of television appearances and the comedian’s personal journals, private letters and home audio and video footage that offer insight into Shandling’s mind.
Shandling died in March 2016 after suffering a massive heart attack at age 66.
“The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling” will debut over two nights, on March 26 and 27, on HBO.