The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty

Production

The series was initially conceived as a one-off hour-long special titled The Jackson Family, to air on A&E. It was to center on The Jacksons (formerly The Jackson 5) as they planned a new album and tour celebrating the band's fortieth year in music. Filming of the brothers began in January 2009, without lead singer Michael Jackson, and was completed days before his death in June 2009. Following his death, the production company Point 7 Entertainment shot more footage and the project was aired as a television series.

Robert Sharenow, a senior worker for A&E, stated in July 2009 that the original show was commissioned as a special but that the company considered all of their specials as "backdoor pilots". The new footage was intended to show the Jackson family coping with the loss of Michael. Executive producer Jodi Gomes of Point 7 Entertainment said those involved wanted a show that was "very genuine" and that the Jackson siblings were "not shy about talking about their brother, they just want to find it a way to do it honestly."

She added that they had "done a great job opening up about losing a brother". Media debate arose over whether Michael Jackson's three children—Prince, Paris, and Blanket—would appear in the series. Us Weekly reported that the trio would be featured, despite opposition from some family members; Michael's sister Rebbie reportedly felt "he would spin in his grave if he knew his kids would be on this show." Michael's mother Katherine, legal guardian of the children, denied the rumors. A&E Network issued a statement saying the three would not appear at that time, but future appearances were possible.

Reception

Criticism of the series began before its premiere. Lisa de Moraes of The Washington Post wrote that people would have watched the original show before Michael Jackson's death, when it was a "lame 'See the Non-Michael Jackson Brothers Go on Tour' special," and claimed such individuals were the type to have TMZ.com as their homepage. In a preview, de Moraes commented on Jermaine Jackson's ponderings about how to pull off a successful reunion with his brothers.

Frazier Moore, writing for The Spokesman-Review, called the series "stagey, self-conscious and, most of all, self-serving on the part of its participants." He noted that some might enjoy the program and highlighted a moment in which Jermaine Jackson cries as a "high point" for him, adding that the emotional scene seemed carefully arranged for "maximum visual effect." Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly reviewed the first episode and said the Jackson brothers, serving as executive producers, had created a very "stage-managed and controlled" reality show, which made other moments more interesting.

He concluded that without Michael and younger brother Randy, the show only demonstrated "what an uphill battle the other brothers face in trying to stay in the public eye," rating the episode "C+". Mike Hale of The New York Times wrote that it would be easy to view the series as an exploitation of Michael Jackson by his family for financial gain, but countered that the content showed the siblings' egos and "childlike need for affirmation" as a larger motivator.

He expressed that the show suffered from the absence of Michael Jackson, noting that while the other brothers had led fascinating lives, they were not fascinating individuals. Hale finished by stating that "The Jackson 4" had talent and charm, but those qualities were outweighed by "self-absorption and arrested development."