O.J.: Made in America

The rise and fall of American football star, O.J. Simpson, from his days growing up in Los Angeles to his murder trial that polarized the country.

O.J.: Made in America (2016) is an American documentary miniseries created by Ezra Edelman for ESPN, unfolding across five long episodes of roughly ninety-five minutes each. Its subject is football star O. J. Simpson, traced through his childhood and celebrated rise in Los Angeles to the murder trial that polarized the country. Rather than a conventional talking-head recap, the series builds its engine from archival footage and interviews with people who lived through the events, including Simpson himself in archive clips, longtime Los Angeles figure Danny Bakewell Sr., sportscaster Chris Schenkel, and journalist Jeffrey Toobin. Each installment widens the lens, asking what fame can buy, how the Los Angeles Police Department and its racist cops shaped Black communities, and why one courtroom became a referendum on race relations. The tone is sober, probing and often angry, with an investigative patience that rewards sustained attention. Its shape is a single continuous study rather than a case-of-the-week format, and it works as a limited series for viewers drawn to the true crime tradition. Fans of The Jinx, The Staircase and 13th will find resonance in its blend of archival evidence, moral complexity and American institutional critique, all set against late twentieth century Los Angeles and the national drama that unfolded there.

Critics broadly acclaim the miniseries as a sweeping, meticulously researched documentary that reframes O.J. Simpson's story through the lens of race, celebrity, and policing in Los Angeles.

• The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durstdocumentary true crime epic, race and justice themes, long-form investigative docuseries
• Long Shot: The Lost Sports Documentarysports figure rise and fall, race and celebrity, American institutional failure
• The Staircasedocumentary examination of a notorious American criminal trial and its public polarization
• 13thlandmark documentary series on American racial injustice and policing

Created by

Ezra Edelman

Release Date

2016-06-11

Episode runtime

95 min

Rating

8.9 / 10 (62)

What is O.J.: Made in America about?

A five-part ESPN documentary traces O.J. Simpson's rise from Los Angeles football star to the murder trial that split America along racial lines.

What is O.J.: Made in America like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of O.J.: Made in America as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.

Is O.J.: Made in America violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in O.J.: Made in America as mild.

What did critics think of O.J.: Made in America?

Critics broadly acclaim the miniseries as a sweeping, meticulously researched documentary that reframes O.J. Simpson's story through the lens of race, celebrity, and policing in Los Angeles.

Which shows are like O.J.: Made in America?

Shows with a similar feel include The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, Long Shot: The Lost Sports Documentary, The Staircase, and 13th.

How long is O.J.: Made in America?

O.J.: Made in America: 1 season, 5 episodes.

Is O.J.: Made in America still running?

No, O.J.: Made in America has ended.

Where can I watch O.J.: Made in America?

In United States, O.J.: Made in America is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home.