Crime After Crime: Future Season Wishlist

[ByTor]

Yep, I know Mountaintop!

[DollEyes]

Delurking with my suggestion for a future ACS season: the Atlanta Child murders, which took place in a two-year period between 1979-1981, in which 29 Black kids were abducted/murdered. While Wayne Williams was convicted of those murders and killing two men, he has long maintained his innocence and there might be new DNA evidence that could overturn his conviction. The miniseries could focus on Williams, the victims' families, the trial and the media coverage. 

[psychoticstate]

On 5/14/2016 at 8:40 AM, DollEyes said:

Delurking with my suggestion for a future ACS season: the Atlanta Child murders, which took place in a two-year period between 1979-1981, in which 29 Black kids were abducted/murdered. While Wayne Williams was convicted of those murders and killing two men, he has long maintained his innocence and there might be new DNA evidence that could overturn his conviction. The miniseries could focus on Williams, the victims' families, the trial and the media coverage. 

I was born in and brought up in Atlanta and I remember these murders very well.  It was all throughout the news - - during a time when I think Atlanta overtook D.C. as the murder capital of the country.  I don't know if the Atlanta PD was equipped to deal with a serial killer on such a large scale.  I also recall there was criticism that because the victims were inner-city kids who were minorities, the press and general public didn't have the same level of concern or care they would have if the victims had been white.  

It would be interesting because although Williams came off slightly meek and passive he apparently had a terrible mean and violent streak.  Given that he was arrested after the cops staked out the bridge over the Chattahoochee River, heard a "thunk" of something hitting the water and then recovered a body, Williams is about as guilty as guilty can be.  (And that doesn't include the fibers found on victims that matched the carpet fibers in his station wagon.) 

[Amtosbm]

After reading Dunne's article Trial of Guilt http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2000/10/dominick-dunne-martha-moxley-murder-greenwich   I feel it would make an interesting ACS series. The racial component is pretty white (except for the mysterious police psychologist). I honestly think a scene where Dunne and Moxley talk in the airport cafe about their murdered daughters would be beyond chilling as well as the young man giving him the confidential detective reports. Not to mention Mark Fuhrman's role.

[reggiejax]

I highly doubt they would even consider it, but I would like to see them tackle the Onion Field  case. For those not familiar with it, this was an incident from 1963, in which two petty criminals kidnapped two Los Angeles police officers, murdering one.

What would normally seem like an open and shut case would instead turn out to be quite complex and time consuming, as the perpetrators would take full advantage of the sweeping changes that were occurring in the justice system in that era.

The case inspired both one of the finest true crime books ever written and one of the most underrated true crime films ever made, both titled The Onion Field.

The book was written by Joseph Wambaugh, and is a classic of the genre. The film was made in 1979, and though it earned critical praise at the time, it has basically become forgotten. Which is a shame as it is such a good movie, featuring excellent performances from some noted actors early in their careers, including Michael Savage, a pre-Cheers Ted Danson, the late Franklyn Seales (who sadly is better known for his time on Silver Spoons, rather than this) and a young James Woods. All the performances are great, but Woods is the one to watch, as he gives a chilling performance that would earn him a Golden Globe nomination.

Normally, I would not suggest a remake of a film that I like a lot, but I think the expanded format of a mini-series could allow a more in depth look at what truly is a complex case that touches on a lot of issues. And considering that the 1979 film is basically forgotten, I don't think it would be a bad idea to do a remake.

Edited September 2, 2016 by reggiejax

[Epeolatrix]

My main worry is that there wouldn't be an in-depth look at a complex story, since the case doesn't seem to have enough tabloid qualities for this kind of show. The 1979 movie was excellent, though and it does deserve to be better known. I'm a true crime reader and I didn't know anything about it until I'd seen the Onion Field exhibit at the Los Angeles Police Museum.

[SoSueMe]

Sorry if this is the wrong thread, but has anyone heard if the JonBenet Ramsey case is slated for the future?

[Kromm]

18 minutes ago, SoSueMe said:

Sorry if this is the wrong thread, but has anyone heard if the JonBenet Ramsey case is slated for the future?

It doesn't appear to be the kind of case they are interested in for this. There's no social justice aspect to it, which is what they seem to want as a partial focus each season, and the cast would be about as white as snow (and the show's acclaim has in part been based on aggressive use of black actors). 

[helenamonster]

5 hours ago, SoSueMe said:

Sorry if this is the wrong thread, but has anyone heard if the JonBenet Ramsey case is slated for the future?

I was actually wondering this myself, given the sudden resurgence of interest in the case. I don't know if there's enough to sustain a 10-episode miniseries though.

[Kromm]

1 hour ago, helenamonster said:

I was actually wondering this myself, given the sudden resurgence of interest in the case. I don't know if there's enough to sustain a 10-episode miniseries though.

The case is getting lots of documentary and interview specials in various places: https://www.yahoo.com/tv/a-jonbenet-ramsey-tv-primer-whats-the-difference-between-the-many-shows-devoted-to-the-famous-cold-case-140002025.html

[Ciarrai]

Well it looks like the Gianni Versace assassination is slated for Season 3. I don't think I'll watch the Katrina season unless I hear it's absolutely amazing, but I will definitely watch Versace. Lady Gaga as Donatella seems perfect.

[Hanahope]

Why do I think in a few years its going to be "American Crime Story:  How Trump Stole the Presidency and Ruined a Country."

[nkotb]

I think this is on-topic, but I just wanted to say "thank you" to everyone on here who made suggestions about future cases. I actually looked up & studied some of the cases you suggested, & this weekend, Audience had a "Murder Made Me Famous" episode on Jim Jones (I knew the basics, but not all of the details, including that the phrase "drink the koolaid" came from that massacre), which was really fascinating. It actually included some interviews with a few of the very few people who made it out of there alive, & live audio from the actual massacre, which was beyond chilling. Thank you for opening my eyes to so many of these cases.

[methodwriter85]

The early 90's San Diego setting of some of season 2 made me think about the Betty Broderick case. Now THAT would be awesome, especially if Ryan Murphy could get an actor that could match Meredith Baxter's scenery chewing in the 1992 mini-series. I would say Sarah Paulson, but I want someone that could be on the pudgy side.

Edited March 14, 2018 by methodwriter85

[Fable]

15 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

The early 90's San Diego setting of some of season 2 made me think about the Betty Broderick case. Now THAT would be awesome, especially if Ryan Murphy could get an actor that could match Meredith Baxter's scenery chewing in the 1992 mini-series. I would say Sarah Paulson, but I want someone that could be on the pudgy side.

Kathy Bates comes to mind.  

[SWLinPHX]

A lot of the suggestions I'm reading here are about cases that have been covered thoroughly and well in at least one (if not several) TV movies or series already.  I think those should be eliminated as "done already".

Edited March 17, 2018 by SWLinPHX

[helenamonster]

On 3/15/2018 at 8:19 AM, SWLinPHX said:

A lot of the suggestions I'm reading here are about cases that have been covered thoroughly and well in at least one (if not several) TV movies or series already.  I think those she be eliminated as "done already".

But ACS has proven in two seasons that it is fantastic at taking well-known crimes (who doesn't know the OJ Simpson story back to front at this point?) and cracking them open to reveal the hidden depths. Both People v. OJ and Versace have woven narratives that show that these crimes are uniquely endemic to the US. They're about the crimes themselves but they are all about our country. OJ was a microcosm for the enduring effects of racism in American society (particularly in mid-1990s Los Angeles), sexism, and the pop-culture obsessed masses whose loyal viewership of the trial gave us the twenty-four-hour news cycle we currently know and abhor. Versace is about the impacts of institutionalized homophobia (how cis-het normativity creates a fear of the "other" to the point that negligence contributes to murder) and how some manage to make the most of the American Dream through hard work and vision (Versace) and others completely squander it, despite their advantages (Cunanan).

These are not just retellings of famous crimes. They are reinterpretations that give new meanings to the crimes themselves and American culture as a whole.

[Ailianna]

9 hours ago, helenamonster said:

But ACS has proven in two seasons that it is fantastic at taking well-known crimes (who doesn't know the OJ Simpson story back to front at this point?) and cracking them open to reveal the hidden depths.

I agree that the show is about a lot more than just the crime, but I object to the notion that everyone knows about Versace.  Even OJ has become more myth than history for a lot of people, but the bones of that story are very familiar.  Versace, however, isn't anything like as well known.  The only thing as famous as the OJ trial, IMO, is the JFK assassination, which would be interesting for them to try to do something with, but I'm sure that's not full of the themes they are interested in.

[meep.meep]

Patty Hearst's story would be excellent, but I don't know if they'd ever get the family's permission.

[Florinaldo]

28 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Patty Hearst's story would be excellent, but I don't know if they'd ever get the family's permission.

She's a public figure and the events are part of the historical record, so the producers would not need any permission; think about the number of "unauthorized" biographical books and movies. The Hearst family could refuse to cooperate and try to made it more difficult by letting it be known that they would prefer potential interviewees not to talk during the research phase. But they would have to be careful not to appear to be bullying people into suppressing the project.

[SWLinPHX]

20 hours ago, helenamonster said:

But ACS has proven in two seasons that it is fantastic at taking well-known crimes (who doesn't know the OJ Simpson story back to front at this point?) and cracking them open to reveal the hidden depths. Both People v. OJ and Versace have woven narratives that show that these crimes are uniquely endemic to the US. They're about the crimes themselves but they are all about our country. OJ was a microcosm for the enduring effects of racism in American society (particularly in mid-1990s Los Angeles), sexism, and the pop-culture obsessed masses whose loyal viewership of the trial gave us the twenty-four-hour news cycle we currently know and abhor. Versace is about the impacts of institutionalized homophobia (how cis-het normativity creates a fear of the "other" to the point that negligence contributes to murder) and how some manage to make the most of the American Dream through hard work and vision (Versace) and others completely squander it, despite their advantages (Cunanan).

These are not just retellings of famous crimes. They are reinterpretations that give new meanings to the crimes themselves and American culture as a whole.

 

10 hours ago, Ailianna said:

I agree that the show is about a lot more than just the crime, but I object to the notion that everyone knows about Versace.  Even OJ has become more myth than history for a lot of people, but the bones of that story are very familiar.  Versace, however, isn't anything like as well known.  The only thing as famous as the OJ trial, IMO, is the JFK assassination, which would be interesting for them to try to do something with, but I'm sure that's not full of the themes they are interested in.

In my original statement which you were responding to I said "A lot of the suggestions I'm reading here are about cases that have been covered thoroughly and well in at least one (if not several) TV movies or series already.  I think those should be eliminated as "done already"."  I said nothing about the two that ACS covered "OJ" & "Cunanan/Versace".  Those were good and never before covered as well.  I was talking about suggestions like Jon Benet Ramsey, Jim Jones/Guyana, Betty Broderick, etc.  All of those were already made into very memorable TV movies.

Edited March 17, 2018 by SWLinPHX

[Robert Lynch]

Sal Mineo. 

Edited March 18, 2018 by Robert Lynch

[Ailianna]

17 hours ago, SWLinPHX said:

 

In my original statement which you were responding to I said "A lot of the suggestions I'm reading here are about cases that have been covered thoroughly and well in at least one (if not several) TV movies or series already.  I think those should be eliminated as "done already"."  I said nothing about the two that ACS covered "OJ" & "Cunanan/Versace".  Those were good and never before covered as well.  I was talking about suggestions like Jon Benet Ramsey, Jim Jones/Guyana, Betty Broderick, etc.  All of those were already made into very memorable TV movies.

I didn't actually quote you.  I quoted @helenamonster.

[SWLinPHX]

21 hours ago, Ailianna said:

I didn't actually quote you.  I quoted @helenamonster.

That's why I included her quote in my response.  I was responding to her response and your follow-up.

[Robert Lynch]

Frank Sinatra's links to the Mafia and politics could make an interesting ACS season. Just thinking out loud. I am opened to other suggestions.

[CeeBeeGee]

The Jonestown massacre would be fascinating--that is a terrifying story and very well suited for TV--the horrifying shootout at the air strip would be riveting (RIP Leo Ryan). And that story has a fascinating arc--one of the greatest tragedies of that story is how idealistically the whole thing started out. Jones sincerely wanted to overcome racial barriers, and preached inclusivity and opened his church's doors to everyone. It was later on, when things had progressed, that he became drunk with power and started going downhill.

Another choice would be a very old crime, from early on the 20th century--the Bath school bombing. This was about some extreme anti-tax nutter, one of those perpetually angry white dude types, who was defeated in his re-election effort for town council (where, naturally, he voted down any proposal that might require taxes) and then engaged in an elaborate plot taht ended with a bunch of bombs going off. A lot of people were killed. He also murdered his wife before setting off to blow up the school. It's obviously horrifically dark but it might be a proxy way to look at school massacres, the far right and their close relationship with violence.

[jrlr]

Brenda Spencer was the shooter in the first mass school shooting that happened in San Diego in 1979 (two killed, eight wounded).  She was 16 years old when she used a .22 rifle to shoot up the playground of an elementary school across the street from her house - the Boomtown Rats' song "I Don't Like Mondays" is about this crime.  I've always been surprised that no one has done a series or film about her as the original school shooter, especially since most (if not all) of these crimes are committed by young men, not young women.    

[dubbel zout]

6 hours ago, jrlr said:

I've always been surprised that no one has done a series or film about her as the original school shooter, especially since most (if not all) of these crimes are committed by young men, not young women.    

Maybe that anomaly explains it—it's too outside the norm to make any kind of societal statement.

[Flowergirl]

I like the Watergate suggestion. That could be great.

William Desmond Taylor- Another Hollywood whodunit

Jenelle Potter- Social media is a good topic, but I don't know If it's enough for a mini series

[Robert Lynch]

58 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

According to wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crime_Story

The third season, based on the aftermath of Katrina.  (This could be real interesting).

The fourth season based on Clinton-Lewinsky.

 

I don't have any interest in politics at all regardless of party, it just creates so much hate.  So I would hope that they would rethink the Clinton-Lewinsky thing, and perhaps go with John Lennon instead, or perhaps go in a totally different direction.

As for the current series that just ended, I do think society would have been far better off if Andrew was taken to trial. instead of having him kill himself.  I think it would have done more to try and bring people together and help them deal with the things that went wrong, and why they went wrong, when it came to tracking him down.

Oh, wow. Who is gonna play Hillary, Bill, or Monica? Rebecca De Mornay could play Hillary. She has a stately presence in her movie roles. This is going to be interesting.

[SWLinPHX]

On 3/23/2018 at 7:35 PM, CeeBeeGee said:

The Jonestown massacre would be fascinating--that is a terrifying story and very well suited for TV--the horrifying shootout at the air strip would be riveting (RIP Leo Ryan). And that story has a fascinating arc--one of the greatest tragedies of that story is how idealistically the whole thing started out. Jones sincerely wanted to overcome racial barriers, and preached inclusivity and opened his church's doors to everyone. It was later on, when things had progressed, that he became drunk with power and started going downhill.

"Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones" was already a very well-done TV movie with a stellar performance by Powers Boothe as Jones.  Did you not think that was sufficient?  I thing re-doing something that has been done well is a bit pointless to be honest.  There's plenty that hasn't been done that would make for good TV.  Here's a clip from the film

[helenamonster]

If Sarah Paulson doesn't end up playing Hillary I'll be shocked. Not because I necessarily think she'd be the best person for the role (she'd be fine) but I just can't see Ryan Murphy giving the part to anybody else.

[Spartan Girl]

18 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

According to wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crime_Story

The third season, based on the aftermath of Katrina.  (This could be real interesting).

The fourth season based on Clinton-Lewinsky.

 

I don't have any interest in politics at all regardless of party, it just creates so much hate.  So I would hope that they would rethink the Clinton-Lewinsky thing, and perhaps go with John Lennon instead, or perhaps go in a totally different direction.

I still don't know how the Katrina aftermath constitutes as a crime story in the traditional sense. More like the government fucking up...

Theyre doing Lewinsky for season 4? Oh geez. I wouldn't trust Wikipedia at face value, but can't they do Watergate instead? Or I like your idea of John Lennon, except I'd rather not have a series focusing on Mark David Chapman like they did with Cunanan.

[Robert Lynch]

2 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

I still don't know how the Katrina aftermath constitutes as a crime story in the traditional sense. More like the government fucking up...

Theyre doing Lewinsky for season 4? Oh geez. I wouldn't trust Wikipedia at face value, but can't they do Watergate instead? Or I like your idea of John Lennon, except I'd rather not have a series focusing on Mark David Chapman like they did with Cunanan.

The story of Lennon is so sad, but it would be good TV.  Interesting thing about John Lennon is that when Sal Mineo was murdered, he put the reward money to find his killer. John was very outspoken throughout his post Beetle tenure. Such a shame that both were murdered by people they barely knew. It will be lot of tears coming back to that haunting day in 1980. 

[Flowergirl]

 When they announced Katrina, I thought it would be about the Danzinger Bridge shootings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danziger_Bridge_shootings

Edited March 25, 2018 by Flowergirl

[sashayshante]

I get the feeling that the Katrina season is never going to happen. It was supposed to be the second season and they bumped it for Versace. Katrina - while tragic and is essentially about the racism behind why FEMA & Bush didn't step in fast enough  -  just isn't salacious enough to make it compelling. My guess is they'll bump it again and make season 3 Clinton/Lewinsky. I'm totally here for it, as they can address how sexism played a major role in why Clinton basically got a wrist slap and Lewinsky was driven into hiding.

[CeeBeeGee]

28 minutes ago, sashayshante said:

I get the feeling that the Katrina season is never going to happen. It was supposed to be the second season and they bumped it for Versace. Katrina - while tragic and is essentially about the racism behind why FEMA & Bush didn't step in fast enough  -  just isn't salacious enough to make it compelling. My guess is they'll bump it again and make season 3 Clinton/Lewinsky. I'm totally here for it, as they can address how sexism played a major role in why Clinton basically got a wrist slap and Lewinsky was driven into hiding.

There also isn't one or two or three people on whom to focus, to follow the narrative. Katrina absolutely was a tragedy, and an American crime. But it wasn't a story the way The People vs. OJ or The Assassination of Versace was. 

[dubbel zout]

I read somewhere that the Katrina system was going to be based on the book about the hospital, Five Days at Memorial. Or was the book being used for another miniseries?

[Robert Lynch]

On 3/25/2018 at 6:22 PM, icemiser69 said:

It is not that often that anyone agrees with me, so I thought I would quote you.  j/k.

Yeah, if they were to have a series on John Lennon, they would have to approach it without MDC being the primary focus.  Of course I don't want Yoko to be the primary focus either.

It would be most certainly be about Lennon. No focus on the killer himself. He was scum. I read the Sal book and I was surprised Ryan Murphy did not tackle that book. That would have been something up his alley. The book was good, discussing his rise to fame in the 50s and sudden decline in the mid 60s. That would have made good TV. He lived a wild lifestyle in his declining years. Quiji boardgames in abandoned Hollywood houses, dating Jill Hayworth when she was a minor, and lots of stuff that I can't name that was endless in his life. Don't know who would play him. I would like to know who could play Lennon as well. That would be something.

Edited March 27, 2018 by Robert Lynch

[Florinaldo]

On 25/03/2018 at 3:50 AM, SWLinPHX said:

"Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones" was already a very well-done TV movie with a stellar performance by Powers Boothe as Jones.

It would indeed be difficult to top that performance. But keeping in mind the overall theme of "American Crime", perhaps they could do something focusing less on the story of Jones himself and more on the financial shenanigans of his Church and its proximity to some of the local and state politicians or power brokers, which ensured it a level of protection for a while as I recall reading about. But that would probably not be enough for a 9 episodes run.

[anyanka323]

The whole Michigan State/Larry Nassar/USA Gymnastics web of scandals is still very fresh and developing, but once some time has passed and there's some resolution and justice for the victims, that would be a fascinating miniseries to watch.  Nassar's boss, the current dean of the osteopathic medical school currently on medical leave, was charged this week with criminal sexual conduct, misconduct by a public office and two counts of willful neglect of duty.  The NCAA investigation is still ongoing into the gymnastics programs in addition to the cover up and non reporting of sexual assault by football and basketball players.  There's a lot of issues that could be addressed, including the #MeToo movement. 

HBO has a movie about the Penn State and when the Sandusky affair broke coming out this spring with Al Pacino as Joe Paterno.  Given how defensive and reactionary some of the Penn State alum and fanbase have been about denying how Paterno didn't know anything about what Sandusky did, I wonder how that movie will go over. 

[MaryWebGirl]

I would personally send Ryan Murphy an Edible Arrangement if he did either Penn State or Michigan State and gave them the proper dragging they deserve (I'm assuming the HBO movie is going to go soft on Paterno).

[anyanka323]

On 4/4/2018 at 1:16 PM, MaryWebGirl said:

I would personally send Ryan Murphy an Edible Arrangement if he did either Penn State or Michigan State and gave them the proper dragging they deserve (I'm assuming the HBO movie is going to go soft on Paterno).

I'm sure most fans of Big 10 schools that aren't Penn State and are tired of the faction of their fanbase that thinks that the real victim(s) were the university and the late "saintly" Joe Pa would share your sentiment.  However, I'm sure for Murphy that dealing with the Versace family would seem pleasant compared to dealing with the reaction of both the Paterno family and the more victim minded faction of the PSU fanbase. 

The Michigan State fans, alum and students seem to be truly sincere in wanting real changes made both at the university and in the athletic department itself.  Most seem to be disappointed with their school. 

[methodwriter85]

I'm watching a vlogger going on about the Michael Peterson/Kalthleen Peterson case from 2001. Holy shit, this has everything- wealth, gay affairs, wayward adult children, coverups, etc etc. I can totally see Denis O'Hare playing him.

[CeeBeeGee]

On 4/10/2016 at 1:14 AM, CeeBeeGee said:

The Charles Stuart case would be a good fit for the series as well, and hasn't been done a lot.

I posted this way back in the thread--in the past week I have been revisiting this case and it would be a natural choice. It was a big, big story back when it first broke in '89. The seemingly perfect couple mugged and shot in their car in the Mission Hill (considered dangerous for white people) neighborhood just after they left their Lamaze class. Wife dies that night, infant is delivered by C-section prematurely, dies days later. Husband gives a detailed description of a black assailant--Mission Hill is absolutely upended as the cops go crazy trying to find the murderer. The cops eventually identify a likely suspect, a career criminal who seemed to fit the profile and whose nephew claimed had bragged about the shootings. On its own the story would've been big, but Rescue 911 was riding with one of the ambulances that night and got footage of their extrication from the car.

And then the husband's younger brother is racked with guilt and comes forward as the grand jury is about to indict the suspect. The night of the shootings he'd had a pre-arranged agreement with his brother to meet in the mIssion Hill neighborhood at a certain time, brother would give him a bag, and he was to get rid of it. Younger brother ends up throwing the bag in the river--but not before seeing what was inside. Among other things, a gun and personal jewelry of the wife, including her very expensive engagement ring, all of which was reported stolen by the "mugger." Younger brother had the intelligence to keep the ring, which serves as proof for his story. The day after younger brother goes to the DA, husband jumps into the Mystic River.

So the husband did it, for the insurance money mainly. The PTB were fooled for a time because husband's injuries were so bad (he accidentally shot himself much worse than he intended to) but apparently the hospital staff had fingered him because his affect was so creepy and "off," afterward.

They made a very good TV movie of it but a multi-episode series could really explore the story. Domestic abuse, systemic racism, class issues (husband was obsessed with the couple's rising yuppie status)--there's a lot to unpack here.

[emilyquirq]

Hey everyone. I am fan of American Crime stories and have read lot of books on this interesting history moments ever. My favourite for this time became Last Days Of American Crime. If you ever read this, you will be charmed by its amazing plot describing very interesting things you never knew.

[NotChristine]

The book that the scrapped Katrina season was based on has now been adapted by Apple TV

https://tvline.com/2022/06/22/five-days-at-memorial-apple-tv-plus-hurricane-katrina-video/

Edited July 7, 2022 by NotChristine