TMC
04-06-2016, 04:51 PM
http://uproxx.com/tv/american-crime-story-lessons-ryan-murphy/
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story could have been terrible. It probably should have. It’s an anthology series from the guy who gave us Glee, starring Boat Trip‘s Cuba Gooding, Jr., about a fatigued trial we already knew the verdict for. Plus, this instantly-iconic photo. Instead, American Crime Story turned into one of the best, most entertaining shows of the year.
How did this happen?
Well, that instantly-iconic photo helped (it stirred up interest in the series, even if, because of the picture, most thought it would be a trainwreck), as did Sarah Paulson’s heartbreaking performance as Marcia Clark, and Courtney B. Vance’s equally fantastic Johnnie Cochran. But beyond American Crime Story serving as a wonderful showcase for lengthy, scenery-chewing monologues, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, with help from producer Ryan Murphy, created something that was a just-right mix of over-the-top camp and prestige drama. In other words, it’s what Murphy’s American Horror Story has been trying to be since, well, season one. Here are some lessons American Horror Story, which returns to FX this fall, should learn from American Crime Story.
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story could have been terrible. It probably should have. It’s an anthology series from the guy who gave us Glee, starring Boat Trip‘s Cuba Gooding, Jr., about a fatigued trial we already knew the verdict for. Plus, this instantly-iconic photo. Instead, American Crime Story turned into one of the best, most entertaining shows of the year.
How did this happen?
Well, that instantly-iconic photo helped (it stirred up interest in the series, even if, because of the picture, most thought it would be a trainwreck), as did Sarah Paulson’s heartbreaking performance as Marcia Clark, and Courtney B. Vance’s equally fantastic Johnnie Cochran. But beyond American Crime Story serving as a wonderful showcase for lengthy, scenery-chewing monologues, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, with help from producer Ryan Murphy, created something that was a just-right mix of over-the-top camp and prestige drama. In other words, it’s what Murphy’s American Horror Story has been trying to be since, well, season one. Here are some lessons American Horror Story, which returns to FX this fall, should learn from American Crime Story.