Lifetime will mark the 30th anniversary of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson with a two-night documentary set to air in June. 

The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson will air June 1 and June 2 and will look to give a voice to the ex-wife of football star/actor O.J. Simpson in an effort to shed new light on her life and tragic death, according to Lifetime.

The documentary will feature 50 participants as well as exclusive home videos and interviews as it reveals "shocking" new details in the tragic story, said Lifetime. Brown, along with friend Ron Goldman, was murdered in 1994. O.J. Simpson, her ex-husband, was arrested, tried and eventually acquitted for the crimes in what has been referred to as “the trial of the century.” 

Simpson died in April at age 76.

As part of the documentary, Lifetime is collaborating with National Domestic Abuse Hotline, and providing vital assistance to the organization to take on even more calls, according to the network.

The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson is produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, with Jesse Daniels, Melissa Moore, Rit Saraswat, Brie Miranda Bryant, Kim Chessler, and Julie Pizzi serving as executive producers.

O.J. Simpson, a football legend and actor whose 1994 trial for the murder of his ex-wife captivated the country, has died at 76 after a battle with cancer, his family confirmed.

Simpson's family posted on social media Thursday that he had "succumbed to his battle with cancer.” Nicknamed “the Juice,” Simpson is considered one of the greatest college and pro football running backs in history.  

Simpson won the 1968 Heisman Trophy award while at USC. In an 11-year NFL career, he played for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers from 1969 to 1979. He won the NFL MVP Award in 1973 for Buffalo, when he became the first runner to break the 2,000-yard rushing mark. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

As an actor, he starred in such films as The Towering Inferno and The Naked Gun franchise, as well as in the 1977 ABC miniseries Roots and HBO’s football-themed series 1st & Ten. He also endorsed many products, famously appearing in advertisements for the Hertz rental car company.

Simpson would also serve as a broadcaster for ABC's Monday Night Football and as a pro football analyst for NBC Sports.  

His accomplishments, however, were overshadowed when he was charged in 1994 for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Five days after the murders, millions watched as Simpson led police on a televised chase through Los Angeles in a white Ford Bronco before he surrendered to police.  

His televised trial, in which he would be acquitted of all charges, captivated and polarized the nation and became known as the “trial of the century.” Simpson’s life would eventually become the subject of a 2016 Oscar-winning ESPN documentary, O.J.: Made In America, and an Emmy-winning FX limited series that same year, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

In 2007, Simpson would be arrested for kidnapping and armed robbery in an attempt to recover what he claimed to be stolen sports memorabilia. He served nearly nine years in prison before being released on parole in 2017. 

A&E Network will delve into O.J. Simpson’s Las Vegas conviction in a new documentary special premiering Sept. 21.

The special, O.J.: Guilty in Vegas, reveals new details about Simpson’s arrest in 2007 that led to his conviction for armed robbery, according to A&E. The special features previously unreleased tapes including interrogation audio from the case and voicemails from O.J. himself as well as never-before-seen files and exclusive interviews.

This past July Simpson was granted parole and is expected to be released from prison in October. 

O.J.: Guilty in Vegas is produced for A&E Network by Outpost Entertainment in association with Martin Literary Management. Executive producers for the special are  Jodi Flynn, David George, Simon Thomas, Brent Jacoby, Michael Maloy and Sharlene Martin.

Beverly Hills--A handful of cable networks held court with TV writers through the presentation of several true-crime-themed shows during the cable portion of the Television Critics Association summer press tour last week.

Networks showcased new scripted shows or documentaries that ressurected high-profile, sensational crimes ranging from the 1970s hunt for New York City serial killer David Berkowitz (Investigation Discovery’s Son of Sam: The Hunt For A Killer) to the 2002 abduction of teenager Elizabeth Smart (Lifetime’s original movie I Am Elizabeth Smart). 

The shows continue a trend led by several recent true crime-themed TV projects surrounding the 1995 O. J. Simpson murder trial and the 1996 murder of JonBenét Ramsey that have corralled viewers by retelling sensational crime stories for a new generation of viewers that may have heard about the events but don't know all of the sordid details.

“I think (ESPN’s O.J. Simpson: Made In America) was really a game changer in terms of really giving some context to the time the crime happened and fitting that crime within the larger context of what’s going on in the culture,” Joe Berlinger, director/executive producer for Sundance TV’s Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders told TCA writers.

The Cold Blooded special, airing later this fall, looks back at the 1959 murder of four members of the Clutter family in a small Kansas community. The crime was at the center of Truman Capote’s 1966 book In Cold Blood, which arguably gave birth to the true-crime genre.

Another true-crime show profiled at TCA, Discovery Channel’s eight-part miniseries Manhunt: Unabomber chronicling the 1990s hunt for domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski, drew more than 1 million viewers in its Aug. 2 premiere on a network known more for unscripted fare like “Shark Week” programming and Naked and Afraid than for its scripted projects.

Lifetime’s original movie I Am Smart -- debuting in November -- throws a wrinkle into the genre in that the survivor of the crime, Smart herself, serves as narrator for the film, providing a unique perspective surrounding events that captivated the country 15 years ago.

Smart's abduction is even more terrifying and harrowing in her own words. She told a riveted audience of TV critics that she struggled with reliving her experiences through the film. “I was very proud of (the movie), but I hate it at the same time,” Smart said.

As headline-grabbing as these events were back in the day, Son of Sam: The Hunt For A Killer contributor Dr. Scott Bonn argued at TCA that these events would have become even more infamous had they happened in today’s social media-obsessed world.

“If this case happened today, God forbid …  it would be the biggest crime story in the history of the world, without a doubt,” Bonn said.

Unwitting victims kidnapped off the street and brutally murdered. Serial killers scattering body parts across miles of swampland. Desperate searches by law-enforcement officials in a race against time to find a missing person.

At first blush, these terrible incidents seem incomprehensible to the typical TV viewer. Yet millions tune in almost every night to one of several networks that depict such stories — part of the popular genre of true-crime programming.

Such networks as Investigation Discovery (ID) — which devotes its entire programming lineup to true-crime content — as well as Lifetime, Oxygen, TV One, HLN and A&E are betting that depictions and re-enactments of disturbing and mysterious tales of real-life murder and mayhem will continue to captivate viewers who can’t seem to look away from the tragedies explored in genre-based series, documentaries and specials.

The true-crime genre has particular appeal to women viewers, who generally favor mysteries with dramatic storylines but also see their greatest fears reflected in the TV genre’s harrowing tales of murder and violence, most often featuring stories of crimes against women.

Just last year, cable and broadcast networks aired five projects about the 1996 death of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey and three projects on the 1995 murder trial of O.J. Simpson. LMN, NBC and ABC this year aired shows about the life and crimes of cult leader and murderer Charles Manson.

And more projects are on the docket:

• Women-targeted lifestyle channel Oxygen will offer a reboot of the Dick Wolf-produced series Cold Justice as part of its late 2017 rebrand into a crime destination network targeting millennial women.

• NBC is gearing up for a new entry in the Law & Order franchise focused on the sensational 1993 murder trial of Lyle and Erik Menendez. Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) will star in the eight-episode Law & Order: True Crime — The Menendez Murders.

• Lifetime will also delve into the Menendez brothers’ murder of their parents as part of an original movie, which will star Courtney Love as Lyle and Erik’s mother.

• A&E, which last month resurrected its iconic series Cold Case Files, will tackle the 1990s murders of rap stars Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur in separate episodes of its reimagined Biography franchise, which returns later this year after a five-year hiatus.

• ID will comb through the child-murder trial of Casey Anthony in April with limited series Casey Anthony: An American Murder.

• Discovery Channel and HLN will feature shows surrounding 1990s "Unabomber" suspect Theodore Kaczynski

TV executives cited several factors for true crime’s TV resurgence, including the current crowded TV environment, with more than 450 scripted series on offer, and a confusing political and news arena where real vs. alternative facts are the subject of debate. Viewers are fixated on both current real-life crimes and incidents from the recent past that remain unsolved or invoke more questions than answers.

WIDE-RANGING APPEAL
“There’s a certain kind of sensationalism that in some ways, as a genre, appeals to both educated and barely educated men and women equally,” said Steven Weinstock, co-president and co-CEO of production company Truly Original, which produces ID’s non-scripted series Vanity Fair Confidential. “There’s a certain kind of touchstone that true crime hits, because in a narrative form, it’s very effective in creating a puzzle that forces an engagement in the process by the viewer.”

Added A&E executive vice president and head of programming Elaine Frontain Bryant, “I think people love a good mystery, and because there is so much chaos in the world, I think people just love to settle down and watch with the satisfaction of knowing that problems can be solved.”

The genre isn’t exactly new to cable: Unscripted reality shows such as Oxygen’s Snapped and A&E’s Cold Case Files and The First 48, as well as newsmagazine shows such as NBC’s Dateline, have chronicled real-life murderers and unsolved mysteries for decades. Interest in the genre seems to have peaked in recent months, though, with the launch of high-profile series that have captured viewers’ imaginations.

Projects like HBO’s 2015 docuseries The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, which followed the Manhattan real-estate heir who was considered a person of interest in several murders; and Netflix’s gripping Making a Murderer, which shadowed the Wisconsin murder trial of Steven Avery, have breathed additional life into the genre.

Truly Original’s Weinstock said the sensational nature of the real-life crimes depicted in those shows appeals to the basic human desire to be safe, and to viewers’ sense of voyeurism with regard to violent incidents and actions that would otherwise invoke fear and emotional stress.

‘SOCIAL REALISM’
“Part of the appeal of true crime is a kind of social realism,” Weinstock said. “True crime can describe events that are risqué, deviant or even mundane that [viewers] wouldn’t otherwise have access to.”

Also, true-crime shows allow viewers to play the role of couch detective as they try to finger the perpetrators before the actual killer is revealed — or of judge and jury when they already know who did it.

Supercharging the genre were three recent programs on the 1995 O.J. Simpson “Trial of the Century”: ESPN’s five-part docuseries O.J.: Made in America, which last month won an Oscar for best documentary; FX’s limited scripted series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, which won five Primetime Emmy Awards; and ID’s Is O.J. Innocent? The Missing Evidence, which explored new theories and never-before-seen evidence regarding the trial.

Series such as Is O.J. Innocent? introduced well-known crime stories to younger audiences who may not have known much about the trial’s details, and allowed those viewers to make up their own minds about the verdict, said Henry Schlieff, president of the Discovery Communications network group that includes ID.

“In the case of O.J., if you go with the murder trial verdict, the killer was never found, so we give them a chance to decide what happened for themselves based on the evidence presented,” Schleiff said.

True-crime shows haven’t reached the lofty ratings level of top scripted shows such as AMC’s The Walking Dead, or even popular reality shows like Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta or Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush, both of which average more than 2 million viewers per episode. But true-crime aficionados are a loyal, passionate audience representing a cross-section of viewers, network officials said.

Some genre-specific shows have slashed through the cornucopia of TV content to generate big ratings. Lifetime’s Nov. 5 original movie Who Killed JonBenet? drew 1.5 million viewers, among the network’s highestperforming movies of last year.

Overall, ID set a network primetime ratings record in February, averaging more than 1.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen. It finished February as the most watched network on a total-day basis (Nielsen live-plus-3) among women 25-54.

Thirteen of ID’s primetime shows averaged more than 1 million viewers in February on a Nielsen live-plus-3- day basis, including shows with such provocative titles as Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, Murder Chose Me and Evil Lives Here.

“We do a lot of research, and people anecdotally are saying that that they’ve had enough of scripted drama and love to see these true crime stories play out,” Schleiff said. “The true-crime genre has never been hotter, so we love our position.”

Oxygen also will look to slay female viewers when it rebrands. The network, which already features the longest-running series in the genre with the 14-yera-old Snapped, will build on its true-crime lineup when it revamps later this year with the relaunch of former TNT series Cold Justice.

Oxygen’s shift in focus will mean removing hits with broader appeal, such as Bad Girls Club, with hopes that true crime will draw younger and older women to the network. The crime stories entertain while offering viewers a cautionary tale, executive vice president of programming and development Rod Aissa said.

“We hear in focus groups all the time that a lot of this true crime is identifiable for women: Be careful where you go; be careful dating online; make sure people know where you are,” Aissa said. “It’s very tangible for our audience.”

Since it launched in 2016, Oxygen’s “Crime Time” weekend block of true-crime programming has posted a 22% increase in viewing by women 25-54 and a 42% increase in total viewers compared with 2015, according to Oxygen.

In October, the network expanded the block to include Fridays and Mondays.

HOLDING OUT FOR HEROES
Along with unsuspecting victims, true crime programming also depicts heroes in the detectives who do the dirty work to find killers or missing persons, A&E’s Frontain Bryant said — and that also resonates with viewers. That’s one of the reasons the network decided to bring back Cold Case Files after more than a decade’s hiatus.

The 10-episode series, which reopens criminal cases that have gone unsolved for years, debuted Feb. 27.

“I think this is also a time when people need to look for heroes — the people who will not let it go until they solve the case,” she said.

Despite the spree of new shows, ID’s Schleiff isn’t concerned about true-crime oversaturation.

“We love the fact that others are finally coming into our space,” Schleiff said. “It heightens the interest in the category.”

In the wake of potential new evidence in the 20-year old O.J. Simpson murder case, FX tomorrow will run the first five episodes of it’s the People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story series commercial free, said network officials.

FX will begin its March 5 marathon of the series, which chronicles the infamous 1995 Simpson murder trial, at 10 p.m. and will run it without commercial interruption, said network officials. The programming decision comes as theLos Angeles Police Department. announced Friday that it is testing for DNA evidence a knife allegedly found at Simpson’s home years ago tha was recently turned in by a retired police officer.

The weapon used to kill Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Simpson and friend Ronald Goldman was never recovered.

The 10-part limited series stars Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. Simpson, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro and Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran.

The Feb. 2 premiere of The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story drew an FX record 8.3 million viewers in Live +3 Nielsen ratings

FX’s Tuesday night debut of The People V. O.J. Simpson:  American Crime Story was the most tweeted show on television yesterday, according to Nielsen.

The series, which follows the infamous 1995 murder trial of the famed football star, drew 111,000 tweets reaching a unique audience of 2.8 million Twitter users to top all broadcast and cable shows, according to Nielsen’s Twitter TV Ratings report.

MTV’s Teen Wolf drew 102,000 tweets last night reaching 512,000 Twitter users to finish second, while Freeform’s Pretty Little Liars pulled in 88,000 tweets read by 1.1 million unique Twitter followers to finish third.

NBA TV’s Minnesota Timberwolves-Los Angeles Lakers NBA game telecast was the most tweeted live sports event of the day, drawing 133,000 tweets in front of 2.1 million unique Twitter users, according to Nielsen.

John Travolta will star as attorney Robert Shapiro in the new FX 10-part miniseries American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, where he will also serve as producer, the network announced today.

As a defense attorney, Travolta plays a key member of O.J. Simpson’s “Dream Team," in his first return to a television series since Welcome Back, Kotter in the 70's.

Based on the book by Jeffrey Toobin, The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson, the miniseries tells the story through the lawyers' eyes. 

Produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions, the first episode will be directed by Ryan Murphy and is written by producers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.

Travolta will join David Schwimmer as O.J. Simpson’s attorney Robert Kardashian, Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. Simpson, and Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Freak Show) as prosecutor Marcia Clark. 

FX has greenlit a spinoff of its Ryan Murphy-created American Horror Story franchise that will look at true crime stories, the network said Tuesday.

The 10-episode series, American Crime Story, will be directed by Murphy and will focus on the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial that took place in the mid-1990s. The series will be based on the Jeffrey Toobin book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson, said network officials.

Murphy will also serve as executive producer of the mini-series, alongside Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson (The Hunger Games, Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and Brad Falchuk (Glee, American Horror Story.)

“Time and time again, Ryan Murphy has transformed the medium of television by redefining genres and formats as he did with Nip/Tuck, Glee and the American Horror Story franchise, and we expect the same of American Crime Story,” said FX and FX Productions CEO John Landgraf.  "Scott and Larry have adapted Jeffrey Toobin’s book into a masterful 10-hour piece. I have no doubt that Ryan and his partners, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk, and Dante Di Loreto are going to make something very memorable here – and that it will be a spectacular first entry in what is destined to become a series of great true crime-based miniseries."

A new season of American Horror Story, dubbed Freakshow, will launch on Wednesday night.