OJ Simpson Trial Will Make TV Return As Twelve Hour Marathon

The actual trial of OJ Simpson is set to return to television for a twelve-hour marathon special, according to Yahoo. Simpson’s trial, which viewers got to watch in real-time in the 90s, originally aired for 135 days according to ABC.

There has been a renewed interest from television viewers regarding the trial thanks in part to the airing of the FX miniseries The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. The miniseries will air the finale of the dramatized version of the Simpson trial on April 5.

Often referred to as “the trial of the century,” the trial in which OJ Simpson was charged with the murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman captivated audiences. Simpson’s arrest came at a volatile time in Los Angeles County, in which racial tensions were high following the acquittal of white officers for their part in the beating of Rodney King, an African American man.

Los Angeles prosecutors Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden presented the case against Simpson, but despite having compelling evidence that seemed to point to Simpson’s guilt, OJ’s “dream team” of high-profile lawyers Johnnie Cochran, Robert Shapiro, and F. Lee Bailey managed to use slick antics and arguments to get an acquittal from the jury.

Both Clark and Darden have talked about the toll the Simpson case took on them not only personally but professionally. Marcia Clark, in a recent visit to the Ellen Degeneres Show discussed her apprehension with FX’s airing The People v. OJ, according to E!:

“I just didn’t want to relive the whole nightmare of it. It was a horrible experience.”

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, both Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson’s families agree with Clark that the release of the miniseries was traumatic. Not only was the acquittal of OJ a blow to the families, but the Brown family had to maintain a relationship with Simpson as a means of staying involved in the lives of OJ and Nicole’s children.

OJ Simpson did lose a civil lawsuit brought on by the Goldman and Brown families in regard to the deaths of Nicole and Ronald for a total of $33.5 million according to the NY Times. OJ is currently in prison for an unrelated offense, but many felt at the time of the murder that Simpson got away with it. Even OJ’s closest friends, including his co-counsel of Robert Kardashian, began to shun Simpson as DNA evidence emerged during the trial that seemingly pointed to OJ’s guilt.

Though the murders took place more than twenty years ago, the public fascination with the case remains. Even prior to his arrest for the murders, OJ Simpson pulled in huge television ratings for his low-speed police car chase. As OJ’s friend attempted to talk a suicidal Simpson down, the airing of the chase live had viewers glued to their television sets.

Though Esquire will not be airing the entirety of the OJ Simpson murder trial – does anyone remember the copious amounts of sidebars? – they will be sharing some of the most poignant moments, such as Simpson’s trying on the infamous leather glove and the racial bias of police detective Mark Fuhrman.

The twelve-hour OJ Simpson marathon special will air on the Esquire channel on April 3 beginning at 9 a.m. EST. Check your local listings for more information.

[OJ Simpson cover image via AP.]