Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 is a 1987 HBO original courtroom drama made for television and directed, written and produced by Jeremy Kagan. The film tells the story of the 1969 - 70 trial of the Chicago Eight (later known as the Chicago Seven), and is adapted from the trial transcripts and a play The Chicago Conspiracy Trial by Ron Sossi and Frank Condon.Jason Bailey writes for The New York Times that "the attorneys, defendants and judge address the camera as if it were the jury; all of the dialogue is drawn from the original transcripts and, aside from superimposed flashes of archival footage and brief interview snippets from the real participants, all of the action is confined to the courtroom."