Mediaboss Marketing

People often ask me how I decide what to review for this column. Most of the time I just go with the shows that are getting the most buzz. But I can also choose a show because of the stars or writers - especially if they have a local connection.

And sometimes I review a show because the network publicists do such a great job promoting it. That was certainly the case with Oxygen Media, which used a special "jury summons" mailer to promote its new show, "The Jury Speaks."

Of course, Oxygen had excellent timing since my husband and I are both currently serving in jury pools, so I pay attention to anything that says summons. But it was still clever enough that I ended up watching the first episode of the series, which takes four fascinating court cases and manages to make them even more fascinating by showing us the point of view of members of the jury who delivered the verdicts.

The first episode focuses on the case I can never get enough of - the O.J. Simpson trial. Four Simpson jurors (one of whom was dismissed before the trial was over) recount the stress of their 10 months of sequestration and how it affected them and their families. The four detail juror fights, attending family events while under guard, and what actually happened in the jury room during deliberations. The episode also features interviews with Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Darden and defense attorney Carl Douglas. At the end of the hour, three jurors reunite to discuss how they would vote today.

Even with all the shows I've watched about this case - and I've watched a ton - I still managed to hear some things I had never heard before, like the ridiculous way jurors got exercise and the story of the juror who had a heart attack during the trial. And it was interesting to hear how the jurors felt about certain evidence, like the DNA, the bloody glove and the testimony of Mark Fuhrman.

There are many people who still ask how could the jury find Simpson not guilty? This hour will go a long way toward answering that question.

Oxygen Media is now billing itself as the new network for crime fans, and "Jury" goes a long way toward establishing it as just that with an interesting four nights spotlighting all angles of some pretty controversial cases.

"The Jury Speaks" airs four straight nights at 9 p.m. on Oxygen, beginning Saturday July 22, with "The Jury Speaks: O.J. Simpson." The other three nights will focus on the trials of Michael Jackson, George Zimmerman and Robert Durst.

See original here:
Angela Henderson-Bentley: Cases seen from fresh angle in series 'The Jury Speaks' - Huntington Herald Dispatch