EW – The numbers aren’t that surprising, given the pre-publicity surrounding The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, but the results are no less significant; the anthology series starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as the former NFL player-turned-convicted felon netted more than 5 million viewers, a record for an FX debut.

Nielsen says the first installment of the miniseries also averaged a 2.0 rating in adults 18–49, which represents 2.481 million viewers. That’s better than the first episode of American Horror Story, which achieved a 1.6 in 2011. 

It shouldn’t be surprising that ‘The People v. O.J. Simpson’ was a huge ratings hit, but that it set record ratings for a network like FX is pretty crazy. FX is not exactly an unknown network, and for the past 10-15 years, they’ve had some of the best shows on television. It just goes to show you that over 20 years later, people are still fascinated by the ‘trial of the century’. I watched the premiere last night, and even though it’s been covered incessantly by the media, it’s still compelling television. The show is perfectly cast, and the direction and writing are just as good. The O.J. case has so many factors; race, celebrity, domestic abuse – that the media could key in on any aspect of it and the viewing public would eat it up.

What I’m more excited about, though, is that the documentary ‘O.J. Simpson: Made in America’ premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It’s an 8 hour documentary about O.J. and how race relations affected his life and career both before and after the death of his ex wife Nicole and Ronald Goldman. This 8 hour documentary is being turned into a 5 part ’30 for 30′, which, judging by the reviews on Twitter, is going to be something special.

But now I’ve seen OJ SIMPSON: MADE IN AMERICA, a five-part documentary that comes out in June on ESPN. It will blow your mind. [2]

— Chuck Klosterman (@CKlosterman) January 28, 2016

When this eventually airs, it will be viewed as the greatest thing ESPN has ever produced. I almost can’t believe how revelatory it is. [3]

— Chuck Klosterman (@CKlosterman) January 28, 2016

“O.J.: Made in America” (https://t.co/GrAjvx2f1z) won’t air until June. Doubt I’ll see 10 TV things better this year.

— Daniel Fienberg (@TheFienPrint) January 23, 2016

Happy to see Sundance audiences are as riveted by “O.J.: Made in America” as I was. Saw it in NY back in October and it is a masterpiece

— Robert Mills (@Millsy11374) January 23, 2016

Since the O.J. saga isn’t going away any time soon, we might as well sit back and enjoy the enthralling content.

-Ryan