O.J. Simpson's murder trial ended over 20 years ago, and American audiences still can't hear enough about it. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story's 9 Emmy wins are a testament to that, and Fox is once again dipping its hand into the cookie jar in an attempt get America hooked on another O.J. related television program. The network is reviving its O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession? special, and promises an engaging story will emerge from this never-before-seen footage.
Fox network filmed O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession? back in 2006, with O.J. Simpson and interviewer Judith Regan in what was to be a no-holds-barred conversation. The interview will presumably feature Simpson recounting a scenario in which he may have murdered his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Fox intends to air the two-hour special Sunday, March 11 with limited commercial interruption, and will have Soledad O'Brien hosting the event with a panel of analysts commenting on and examining the interview. Fox has released a trailer for the special, which shows Simpson teasing that there are some parts of the trial the world got wrong:
The tapes for O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession? were "lost," for over a decade, although its far more likely Fox was sitting on the interview and waiting for the right time to release it. Fox tried to air the special back in 2006, which was meant to coincide with O.J. Simpson's book If I Did It, but faced a massive public outcry for the attempt. Viewers threatened to boycott advertisers who aired commercials on Fox, and former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly even took a stand against his employer and condemned the effort. Eventually, Fox buckled under the pressure and dropped plans to air the interview. Though O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession? never aired and the book was never published, Simpson was believed to have been paid for his participation in both.
Fox did not offer comment as to why it changed its mind, but did say that it intended to air public service announcements about domestic violence during O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession? Most likely, the network saw the success of The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story on FX and wagered the world would be far more accepting of the interview than it was back in 2006. While some comments on the trailer still show outrage that this special is again attempting to come to television, more comments are those wagering whether or not Simpson will confess, which may indicate Fox was right in its wager.
O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession? airs on Fox Sunday, March 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET. For a look at some other television shows that will be premiering or returning to television around that time, head on over to our midseason premiere guide. For more on O.J. Simpson, read up on the bizarre job offer he got when he was offered parole.
