Twenty years after the release of their last studio album (1989's 2300 Jackson Street), The Jackson Five are saying, 'I want you back' to life in the spotlight. While we at Channel Hop have nothing against comebacks, we are definitely concerned by the way the world's second-greatest boy band of all time is going about it.
The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty (Bio; Mondays at 10pm), the filming of which began early last year, was conceived as a two-hour special to coincide with the release of the group's 40th-anniversary album. Having been reduced to a reclusive freak show by the media, it seemed unlikely that Michael, the King of Pop, would join Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Jermaine at the reunion. His death last June put an end to speculation (about his part in the comeback, anyway). Ironically, it has resulted in heightened interest in the surviving members of the Jackson Five. That's all fine and good, but get this: after clips of the family reacting to MJ's death were added, the documentary was expanded into a six-part reality series - which is what will be shown weekly on Bio, starting tomorrow.
Does launching a celebrity family reality show off the back of the death of its most famous member appear callous? Well, yes. Do a lot of the 'intimate moments' shown seem staged? No doubt about it. But the real question is: why? Why, with the kind of clout it has, would a family in the highest echelons of rock royalty resort to the antics of lesser houses (I'm talking about the Carters, Osbournes and Simmonses out there) to be seen and heard? Can't they just go on The Oprah Winfrey Show? Or pull a bare-chested half-time stunt at the Super Bowl like baby sister Janet did? Reality television - really?
Beyond scratching the minor itch of seeing how the brothers look without afros, there is very little satisfaction beyond the first episode, which covers the death of Michael. Word has it that the brothers are looking to film a second season. To that, we'd like to say, 'Stop! The love you save may be your own.'
Trust Discovery to package ecological awareness as warfare: 'If you thought that chemical weapons were the preserve of despots and dictators, think again.' The narrator of Eco Taiwan (left; Discovery Channel, Saturday and Sunday at 6pm) is in fact referring to an eco-friendly sugar and yeast solution that kills mosquitoes and keeps infestations at bay. Part-educational programme, part-travel brochure, Eco Taiwan nevertheless does a good job of connecting big concepts such as global warming, species extinction and energy crises with cheap and creative solutions, such as cycling-operated juicers and organic chlorophyll batteries.
Whether your child shapes up to be an eco-warrior or not, Eco Taiwan should appeal to any family that values thinking outside the box.
