Boom. With a deep jolt, a drum is struck. The television screen fades in from black to reveal a still image of Orenthal James Simpson from the chest up.

String and wind instruments suddenly rise into a slow, rather ominous melody, marked at regular intervals by repeated strikes of the drum. Simpson, clad in a conservative grey suit, white shirt, and multi-colored tie, fills the left half of the screen. His arms and hands cannot be seen. His shoulders are directed about one quarter turn to the right, his head cocked slightly to the side, his mouth pursed. His eyes stare up and out into space, away from the television spectator.

Next to Simpson's head, dominating the right side of the screen, is a graphic formed with simple black and white letters and underlined in red: “The Simpson Trial.” Below this sits the KTLA news logo. These graphics and Simpson's image rest against a white background framed in blue. Closer inspection of the background reveals that it is really a muted image of the empty criminal trial courtroom. As the music continues, the graphics and Simpson's image dissolve into the first of three or four sound bites from the previous day's testimony. These sound bites are framed by boxes that pop up at various locations around the screen, expanding in size until about three-quarters of the screen is filled.