Ryan Murphy, the executive producer of the FX anthology series “People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” admitted Saturday that he has been fascinated by another recent true crime story: “Making a Murderer.””
“I tore through those episodes over Christmas,” Murphy said at a TCA panel. “I was so fascinated with that show. And for me…you end up watching that show and you ask, ‘How is the judicial system so broken?’ When I was watching that show I wanted to talk to every juror and see inside the courtroom.”
Brad Simpson, another executive producer on the project, echoed Murphy’s sentiment, and also discussed why true crime stories seem to be enjoying a renaissance in recent years.
“I think true crime stories aren’t just about a crime,” Simpson said. “They’re about some sort of rupture in society, some underlying issue. That’s the reason they fascinate us. But right now I think people are interested in stories like ‘Serial,’ like ‘Making a Murderer,’ us with O.J., its about how the justice system might be broken. People are interested in injustice now in a way they haven’t always been.”
Murphy also said that episode eight of “People v. O.J. Simpson” will focus on the jury in Simpson’s trial and take viewers inside the jury room.
“Making a Murderer” premiered on Netflix in Dec. and instantly drew viewers in to the case of Wisconsin man Steven Avery. Avery spent 18 years in prison for rape, but was exonerated by DNA evidence.
However, two years after his release, Avery and his nephew, Brendan Dassey, were arrested for the murder of a freelance photographer named Teresa Halbach. The documentary series questions the handling of the case by local law enforcement.
“People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” will premiere on FX on Feb. 2 at 10 p.m./9c.