#16 (tie): The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story: Season 1

Ryan Murphy originally planned for a Hurricane Katrina-themed season of his American Crime Story anthology series to follow 2016’s wildly acclaimed The People v. O.J. Simpson. But with the Katrina season now being retooled (it should air in 2019), the anthology’s second installment instead focuses on a series of murders in the 1990s, culminating in the shocking 1997 killing of fashion designer Gianni Versace (played by Edgar Ramirez) in Miami.

Despite the title, the series mostly focuses on the life of serial killer Andrew Cunanan (Glee’s Darren Criss), and his story (based on Maureen Orth’s book Vulgar Favors) is told in reverse, beginning with Versace’s assassination and then moving backwards to fill in the details.

“Assassination may not be as enjoyable to watch as O.J., but it’s striking to see how thoughtfully all involved approach a very different story in a way that gives it its own tone, its own themes, and its own grandeur. This is a more difficult but more ambitious work, and it stands as a worthy companion.” —Todd VanDerWerff, Vox

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