Impeachment: American Crime Story—everything you need to know about the scandal-turned-series

Impeachment: American Crime Story is recreating one of the most controversial presidential wrongdoings for TV. (And no, this time it has nothing to do with POTUS 45.) 

Since we can't seem to resist TV shows about gossip and scandal, we'll break down everything you need to know about FX's highly-anticipated release. 

Booksmart's Beanie Feldstein is taking a different route with this role; instead of an Ivy League-bound freshman searching for her final high-school hoorah, she'll be stepping into the role of Monica Lewinsky. 

We go back in time to the 1990s when Lewinsky was a 22-year-old engaged in an affair with then-President Bill Clinton while interning at the White House. Lewinsky herself serves as one of the show's producers, and the point of view for the series is entirely hers.

When teasing Impeachment: American Crime Story, FX captioned on social media: "Their crisis made history. This is her story."

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Watch the Impeachment: American Crime Story trailer

FX offered the first glimpse into the scandal-turned-series. In the minute-long trailer, we catch Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky (though we can't see her face) in a burgundy dress on her way to the Oval Office to deliver a tie to President Clinton. 

The clip closes with a secretary saying, "Mr. President, Ms. Lewinsky is here to see you" as Feldstein enters the office. It's not terribly forthcoming, but that'll likely make viewers even more anxious to tune in.

Following the release of the initial teaser, viewers were treated to two more in-depth looks at the upcoming series. This is where we catch Feldstein as Lewinsky, running through the White House as an intern and taking secretive calls from the President of the United States. Ultimately, peers begin to catch on and soon a small secret becomes a scandal. Catch the sneak peeks below.

When is the Impeachment: American Crime Story premiere?

We'll have to wait a few weeks before we binge American Crime Story season 3. The good news is that it'll skyrocket right to the top of our fall watch list. 

Tune in on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 10 pm EST on FX for Impeachment: American Crime Story. Episodes will be available for streaming the next day on Hulu.

Who is in the Impeachment: American Crime Story cast?

Meet the cast of Impeachment: American Horror Story below: 

• Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky
• Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp
• Annaleigh Ashford as Paula Jones
• Clive Owen as President Bill Clinton
• Edie Falco as Hillary Clinton
• Billy Eichner as Matt Drudge
• Taran Killam as Steve Jones
• Cobie Smulders as Ann Coulter

What is the Impeachment: American Crime Story plot?

The show will follow the '90s scandal through the eyes of Lewinsky, something Feldstein is particularly excited about. 

"The facts and the details are all exactly as they’ve always been, and yet we see it completely differently now,” the actor revealed to The Daily Beast. "I’m honored to be a part of bringing this story to light right now, and hopefully getting to frame her in a completely new way for the next generation.”

Impeachment: American Crime Story will follow Lewinsky's affair, as well as Linda Tripp and Paula Jones' sexual harassment lawsuit against the former president, which ultimately exposed the romance between President Clinton and his intern. The show is written by Sarah Burgess, who based the script on the Jeffrey Toobin book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President.

Impeachment is the third iteration of the American Crime Story franchise. Previous limited series in the anthology franchise are The People v. O. J. Simpson, which centered on the murder trial of former football star O.J. Simpson, and The Assassination of Gianni Versace, which delved into the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.

American Crime Story—Monica Lewinsky's take

The show's creator Ryan Murphy revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he would not pursue this particular story for the series if Lewinsky herself wasn't in some way involved. Although she agreed to take it on, she admitted that it was difficult for her to process. 

Lewinsky told the outlet: "I have somebody who’s a therapist — not my traditional therapist, who’s a trauma psychiatrist, but someone who’s both a friend and one of my helpers — and I pay her and she sits on Zoom while I work on my notes so I’m not alone. Because it’s hard. It’s really hard."

Though some producers tried to spare Lewinsky scenes—including one in which where she flashes the president a glimpse of her thong—out of fear of traumatizing  her once again, she insisted on keeping particularly different moments, according to People.