The Vine: Jackson family shops TV series
Jackson family shops TV series
June 15, 2005
Will the Jackson family's trials play in primetime as a Horatio Alger-esque saga of overcoming adversity and scandal? That's how a TV project featuring Michael Jackson and some of his relatives is being pitched to broadcast and cable outlets. Sources said that a handful of networks were contacted last week -- before Monday's announcement of his acquittal on 10 counts of child molestation and related charges -- about a prospective six-episode unscripted series revolving around the Jackson clan. Sources said the show was positioned as offering a "portrait" of the famous family and a behind-the-scenes look at how parents Joe and Katherine and Michael Jackson's eight brothers and sisters rallied around their brother following his indictment by prosecutors in Santa Barbara, Calif., in November 2003. Sources said the pitch emphasizes the Jackson brood's efforts to rehabilitate their public image after the intense scrutiny of Michael Jackson and his highly unusual lifestyle during the trial that made headlines around the world. Sources said that the project has been shopped around to TV outlets -- including Fox, ABC and A&E Network -- by Darnell Sutton, who is described as a Jackson family friend, and Endeavor. Sources familiar with the proposal said the pitch suggests that the family has at least some footage of their activities during the trial already in the can, though it is unclear how many family members have agreed to appear on camera should the show land a network home. And while celebrity-verite reality programs have been all the rage in recent years, the level of interest in the Jackson family among major TV outlets is questionable, industry insiders said.
Share on LinkedIn








