O.J. Simpson, the Menendez Brothers and JonBenet Ramsey. What do these names have in common? They’re all major murder cases from the ‘90s. Recently multiple TV programs have been covering these three polarizing trials and murders. After watching this major trend take America by storm, you have to ask, why the sudden fascination?
The ‘90s murder trial trend kicked off in 2016 with none other than the 1994 trial of O.J. Simpson. The first show to bring major attention to the O.J. trial in 2016 was FX’s hit TV series “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” This show was released on Feb. 2, 2016.
Starring Cuba Gooding Jr.,Sarah Paulson and Sterling K. Brown, among others, it showcased the lawyers’ and O.J.’s personal lives during the trial.The program received critical acclaim and was nominated for and won multiple Emmys and Golden Globe awards.
On June 11, 2016, “O.J.: Made in America” was released. This five-part documentary directed by Ezra Edelman brilliantly showed the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson. The program was a major hit and currently holds a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s won many awards, most notably the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Following the O.J. frenzy, the fascination with the Menendez brothers took off quickly. This 1993 trial is about Lyle and Erik Menendez killing their parents, Jose and Kitty. On Jan. 5, 2017, ABC released a well-received documentary that took the viewers inside the life of the family and provided a deeper look into the Menendez brothers’ motive for killing their parents.
On Sept. 26, 2017, the “Law & Order” franchise will be taking a crack at this infamous murder trial in a new eight-episode series.
Another addition to the ‘90s murder fascination trend is the 1996 murder of 6-year-old pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey. On Dec. 12, 2016, popular ABC TV show “20/20” did a documentary on Ramsey, revisiting the details of the case and the multiple case theories.
CBS also released “The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey” on Sept 18. and 19, 2016. This documentary took a more investigative angle, ultimately pinning the murder on her brother Burke Ramsey. On April 28, 2017, Netflix released “Casting JonBenet.” The film contained a variety of interviews with people who lived in Boulder, Colo., at the time of the murder.
These three cases have turned 20 between 2015 and 2016, which may have drawn extra attention to them. There is also a new generation of young people who don’t know much about these cases, which might explain sudden spike in programs about these murders. These shows offer interesting and informative stories to uninformed young people.
Programs about these trials also gives those who lived through the coverage of these cases a trip down memory lane.
The ‘90s murder case TV trend doesn’t seem to be coming to an end anytime soon. So, sit back and enjoy the programming!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.