Yesterday, the Emmy nominations were unleashed, and “Game Of Thrones” led the pack with 23 nominations. But coming in right behind, with 22, was “The People v O.J. Simpson,” this year’s critical and audience smash hit, limited series look at the O.J. Simpson murder trial. And if you haven’t had your fill of nostalgia driven, headline grabbing, true crime tales from the ’90s, NBC has got you covered.
In a movie that is a pretty smart use of branding, NBC has given the go ahead to “Law & Order: True Crime – The Menendez Murders.” As you probably guessed from the title, the event series will tell the saga of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted, after three trials, of murdering their parents who they claimed were abusive toward them. Like the O.J. trial, it was heavily publicized and scrutinized, with plenty of camera-ready moments.
“Law & Order” veteran René Balcer will write and produce the eight-episode miniseries, but no word yet on a director or cast. However, this isn’t the first time the Menendez story has been dramatized for the small screen. In 1994, both Fox and CBS delivered TV movies based on the crime, the former with “Honor Thy Father and Mother: The True Story of the Menendez Murders” and the latter with, “Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills.” But they set a pretty low bar that “Law & Order” can easily overcome. [EW]