In 1994, former NFL running back O.J. Simpson was charged with the murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Simpson was acquitted of the murders by a jury in one of the most publicised and controversial cases in American history.
In 2006 Simpson conducted an interview with Fox in which he went through the murders if he had been the one to commit them. The piece was part of the promotion of his book entitled 'If I did It', which was published in 2007 after some major alterations by Goldman's family, who attained the rights to the book.
The interview however, was pulled after public outcry and also due to several FOX affiliates declining to show the special. But now on March 11th Fox have decided to air the interview after it was 'discovered', renaming the program 'O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession'.
Here is the blurb from Fox News about the upcoming show:
The infamous interview with O.J. Simpson, in which he describes a hypothetical account of the night his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered, finally will air on television after being shelved 12 years ago.
Fox will air “O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession?” on Sunday, March 11.
Fox will feature the disturbing description of what might have happened on the night of June 12, 1994, which Simpson gave during an in-depth interview with Judith Regan in 2006.
For over a decade, the tapes of that infamous interview were lost — until now,” a press release from Fox reads. “Simpson’s explosive words finally will be heard, as he answers the questions that gripped a nation during the notorious ‘Trial of the Century’.
Fox have announced that the two-hour special will feature limited commercials instead broadcasting public service announcements on domestic violence awareness.
The move by Fox seems like a desperate grab for ratings, the show will air at the same time as rival network ABC resurrects American Idol on their station, and however many domestic abuse P.S.A.s the broadcaster shows, it doesn't take away from what is still a distasteful choice by Fox.
Simpson was released from prison last Autumn after serving nine years after his involvement in an armed robbery in 2008. He has largely stayed out of public eye since his release, but this will bring the former TV and NFL star back into the spotlight in a cheap move by the Rupert Murdoch owned company.
Here is the trailer for the upcoming special:
For a excellent perspective on O.J. Simpson and the case that gripped America, I highly recommend you watch HBO's Oscar winning documentary, 'O.J.: Made in America'.
