Michael Jackson TV special falls apart

Frenzied international interest in all things Michael Jackson notwithstanding, it appears there won't be a TV special this fall.

AEG Live, the promoter behind Jackson's 50 "This Is It" comeback concerts in London, has been negotiating for several days with movie studios for the film rights to the concert rehearsal footage as well as broadcast rights to a tie-in television special.

Although NBC was interested in the project as recently as Monday, and other networks showed interest last week, all of the networks balked over AEG’s $20-million price tag for a show that would not include any new or exclusive footage of Jackson performing, several network sources said. Originally, AEG had tried to sell the special to air Aug. 29 -- Michael Jackson's birthday -- which falls on a Saturday.

But logistical problems -- which include Saturday being the lowest-rated night of the week for TV -- compelled AEG to stipulate that networks program the special in September when TV viewers return to their couches in high numbers, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on the matter. Some TV networks also feared that the TV special would be too similar in content to the documentary film that will be made out of the rehearsal footage.

Over the weekend, Sony Pictures emerged as the front runner for the "This Is It" footage and the film project. An announcement about that film deal is expected today, the source said. The movie would be directed by choreographer Kenny Ortega ("High School Musical"), who had been working with Jackson as the director of the "This Is It" tour. The film would be released in October.

If AEG had gotten its way, the TV special also would have been directed by Ortega  The plans were for a superstar ensemble that could have included Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and will.i.am performing Jackson's hits using the costumes, choreography, and special-effects-driven illusions engineered for the singer's comeback tour.

But no footage of the King of Pop.

"And the cost of that thing is $20 million? With no Michael Jackson? Ha!" said one network source who requested anonymity.

AEG did not immediately return calls for comment.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez and Chris Lee

Photo credit: AP

Comments

[judy hubbard]

Good!

[French Official]

Simple human greed wins again!

[stop playing god]

The big shots never should have sacrificed their sacred cash cow. Now they don't even got milk money. MJ could have gone to rehab if he had survived, was put under observation AND if someone had called the lapd. It happens all the time. I'd be afraid to say anything against people in high places, but I wonder who flushed what down the toilet that day. Don't drink LA water.

[AM]

AEG is incredibly greedy. It's clear, from pushing MJ into doing 50 concerts, rather than a reasonable few (and expanding from there, if he could handle it), to trying to recoup the production costs of the tour with this TV special and providing no MJ footage, that dollar signs are the only thing AEG sees.

[Cindy]

Go NBC! I am starting to wonder about these AEG guys? If I lived in London, I would not attend didley or squat if they were ringing up the Michael Jackson cashiers, kaching, kaching.
With MJs obvious addictions and seeing the needle marks in pictures going years back, how did he pass a physical? What is going on here? They just showed a narly picture on NBC taken in 2006 where Michael is showing off some visable injection spots and a ghastly infection on his leg?

Where were the gossip rags on this one? Where was CPS to help the children save their dad? Everyone was so focused on turning MJ into a freak that they completely missed the point.

Seems like everyone in MJ's life was a low life. So sad. I will not be watching anything tied to AEG, Joe, Nancy Grace, Dr. Feel Good -- I pray for his kids.
Thanks Michael for your music and the many smiles along the way. You deserved better.

[Mj-4eva]

I'm glad to hear that because those crooks don't deserve a piece from MJ. 20 Million without MJ?! WTF! CROOOOOOOKS!

[Jack Henry]

"The LA Police Department deployed 3,200 officers after projecting that as many as 250,000 people would converge on downtown streets for the service. Beyond ticket holders, only about 1,000 fans showed up." - NY Times

The evidence is in. People don't care about this as much as the media does. Enough already.

[Robert Walcott]

"After Monterey" a Michael Jackson Tribute by Robert K Walcott of Blue Ribbon Press is now available in mp3, mp4 and wmv formats.

http://www.blueribbonpress.net/Michael.htm

[nsmith]

No Michael Jackson? None of the new footage?

They're crazy to buy it. The audience wants to see Michael and second footage of
the performance they missed (sentimental value).

I won't tune in to see others perform except maybe his siblings. But $20million
and no Michael really isn't a deal.

[charles almon]

NO PREVIOUS POSTER - HUMAN GREED - LOST.

[Ron]

human greed won? Which article were you reading? It lost my friend! And good on the networks, AEG sound way too shady.

[joe price]

yet another celeb death. i wish these people knew how to take care of themselves. i think the great beyond is so rude a passing.

[luisa]

i work with artists, please, so i consider i could be one of them, ask for all people the respect to michael jackson an his family. god had him in glory, he cant defend anythingelse an his family is suffering; hen forget about money issues and lets wait for the justice sentence. my mwe spanish artist juan losada made us working 24 hours a day and his at the begining!. m jackson is whatever we can think about him, but he create an style and, mdams or sirs, theres no doubts about the dificulty of that. respect, please, respect.

[Chris]

So Mr. Jackson's cultural impact was not so great?

[Nella]

There is a major poll running over at www.tinyurl.com/evilgood as to whether Michael Jackson was good or evil. Evil is currently in the lead! I think this poll is being recorded in some sort of record book, anyways, everybody go vote for good!!

[YSIvans]

I agree. Greed in the face of grief -- I'm so sick of it! If all of us fans worldwide lit a candle to celebrate MJ's birthday on August 29, that would be phenomenal! I'd like to think MJ's spirit would somehow feel it...and rejoice.

[rachael]

to that person quoting the NY times about only 1000 fans or so turning up- fans were told NOT to turn up because of the security issues- it was made clear to them they would not see anything an it would be best to stay at home or somewere were they could watch it on tv-its one of th reasons i didnt fly all the way to LA from ireland for the memorial

and to the person saying that brown markings on his legs were down to drug addiction- not quite. yes the dark injury was from a needle mark but the spots on his legs were down to the skin diesese he had- vitiligo!

and as for the issues with AEG- i am in two minds- God only knows how much i love michael and i find it difficult to really know what to think of them- i think they are trying to swindle fans by offering them "souvenir" tickets instead of their money back (bearing in mind they should have been distributed for the first few nights when michael passed), and i would love to see the rehearsals and the This Is It show, especially in the cinema, as michael loved movies and i feel he would love to be featured in one that would no doubt be extremely commercially sucessful, so in conclusion i really dont know what to think on the whole thing, im trying to be fair and understand the money AEG has lost, and before all this happened i really respected them as a business, although now i feel i dont trust them anymore.