LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A&E is working on a reality project with the Jackson family which could gain newfound viewer interest in the wake of the King of Pop’s death.
The network commissioned a one-hour special following Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy that was originally intended to serve as a “backdoor pilot” for a potential series. The project was commissioned months ago and producers have finished shooting footage that followed Jackson family members as they readied a new album and reunion tour.
A&E planned to air the result as a special, tentatively titled “The Jackson Family,” next year, taking a “wait and see” approach and gauging viewer reaction before deciding whether to order the project as a series.
After Michael’s unexpected death last month and subsequent intensive media coverage, the question for A&E becomes: What now?
Producers have not shot any additional footage with the family since Jackson’s death, leaving the network with a project that’s still attractive — one that uses footage and interviews capturing the current incarnation of The Jacksons as entertainers, entrepreneurs and family members — yet also has a glaring narrative omission hanging over its current form.
A&E’s special will almost certainly have to change to reflect recent events. But the network has not yet decided the best course of action.
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