The true crime trend has really taken off on the small screen, with Netflix's Making a Murderer definitive proof that audiences love to see disturbing situations stretched out and examined. And though a lot of the content out there right now is focused entirely on murders and other brutal crimes, the headline-grabbing scandal involving former President Bill Clinton and then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky is being developed as a future season of Ryan Murphy's FX anthology drama American Crime Story.
To be fair, the controversy surrounding Monica Lewinsky's sexual tryst with Bill Clinton isn't "officially" happening yet, since American Crime Story only has two more seasons ordered by FX, and the subject matter has already been chosen for both. But it's close (plus a cigar). Ryan Murphy, along with Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions, have shelled out the money to option the source material, Jeffrey Toobin's popular 2000 work A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President. As well, THR reports the project is on the development fast track, with pieces already being put into place.
One of those pieces is the one that everyone is going to be curious about when it comes to a Monica Lewinsky TV show: who is going to play her? It appears producers have already started setting up meetings with actresses to take on the big role, as well as that of Linda Tripp, the former Pentagon employee implicit in publicizing the illicit affair, which went on from November 1995 until Mach 1997. And you know everyone is going to be foaming at the mouth to know who will portray Bill Clinton, who was eventually acquitted of impeachment charges, while other perjury and abuse of power charges also failed to stick. Oh, to see the big "Is" argument!
Anybody who enjoyed People v. O.J. Simpson, the first season of American Crime Story - and its awards success proves that equals lots of people - will no doubt want to stick around for this potential season, since author Jeffrey Toobin also wrote the book that the O.J. season was based on. The author was an oft-used consultant then, so it'll be interesting to see if he's brought back into the fold for this. Can't see why not, barring scheduling issues.
After tackling O.J. Simpson, a story about another man in power found innocent, American Crime Story set sights on the travesty of Hurricane Katrina for Season 2, which will also factor a former President into the story. (And yes, former cast members will return.) For Season 3, Ryan Murphy & Co. decided to go with the murder of Gianni Versace, which already has Lady Gaga in the cast, though she's not playing the role that was initially reported. And now the White House and the blue dress.
We obviously have no idea when or if Monica Lewinsky's tale will be told on FX's American Crime Story, but all stains point to it happening. Head to our midseason TV schedule to check out everything that will be premiering in the coming months.
