ABOVE: A very colorfully dressed Jackson 5 performs “ABC” on the Carol Burnett show in 1974. It doesn’t take a genius to see that a Jackson 5 reunion without Michael is a bad idea.
Prior to the unexpected death of Michael Jackson in June, his family was involved in the filming of a reality TV show. MTV reports that, “The plan was always for this to be a special with the possibility that it could turn into a series,” according to a statement by A&E vice president of publicity Dan Silberman.
No stranger to celebrity reality shows, the A&E network is home to Hammertime (about MC Hammer), Gene Simmons Family Jewels (about Kiss bassist/general loudmouth Simmons), as well as reality shows about addiction, tattoos and bounty hunters.
Will fans watch a Jackson show without Michael?
In light of the fact that the series involved only the lesser-known Jacksons (Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and Randy), it is difficult to imagine that this show would have garnered enough attention to merit a full series, had it not been for the surge in publicity due to the untimely death of youngest brother, Michael.
Rolling Stone reports that Jermaine (who performed at Michael Jackson’s public memorial) had previously framed the show as the start of Jackson 5 reunion, a now-moot notion that Michael had quickly denied in a kind, but firm, statement in October.
MusicVixen says...
Leaching off of your brother's success is tacky.
Leaching off of your brother's success after his death is kinda disgusting.
