How ‘The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story’ Became A Triumphant TV Highlight Of 2016

It could have been a disaster: an exploitative ratings grab, a glorified Lifetime movie full of stunt casting, a wallow in a scandalous murder that might have filled tabloid columns two decades ago but had little impact on the world today. But for those who put aside those preconceived notions and tuned in, “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” the 10-part miniseries recreation of the trial of football and movie star O.J. Simpson for the murder of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman, was a triumphant, multi-faceted, novelistic, utterly relevant take on the story with about a dozen of the best performances you’ll see on television this year (not to mention a ratings smash and a likely Emmys juggernaut).

I’ll be honest here: I was sort of dreading the series in advance, and only tuned in because the advance reviews had been so strong. I was feeling a bit true-crime-d out, plus I've always associated the O.J. case with supermarket-tabloid manna. But...