The first season of American Crime Story, titled The People v. O. J. Simpson, revolves around the O. J. Simpson murder case, as well as the combination of prosecution confidence, defense wiliness, and the Los Angeles Police Department's history with African-American people. It is based on Jeffrey Toobin's book The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson (1997).The ensemble cast includes Sterling K. Brown, Kenneth Choi, Christian Clemenson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Bruce Greenwood, Nathan Lane, Sarah Paulson, David Schwimmer, John Travolta, and Courtney B. Vance. O.J. Simpson, Nicole Brown Simpson, Bill Clinton, Barbara Walters, Rodney King, and Penny Daniels appear via archive footage.

Cable channel FX announced American Crime Story in October 2014 and filming began in May 2015. Broadcast between February 2 and April 5, 2016, the first season was developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. The two served as executive producer alongside Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Nina Jacobson, and Brad Simpson.

The People v. O. J. Simpson received critical acclaim for its directing, writing, and casting (particularly Paulson, Vance, Brown and Travolta). Among its awards, the season won eight Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, three TCA Awards, and four Critics' Choice Television Awards. Paulson won six awards for her portrayal of Marcia Clark.