Paley Center Spotlights Early Jackson 5
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Early (and rare) footage of the Jacksons screens at The Paley Center for Media
In all the Michael Jackson video that has run nearly around the clock in the last week and a half, the early films of the Jacksons are striking a special chord with many. Maybe it is because we see (and thrill to) "Thriller" each Halloween, but catching the famous brother act on, say, an early episode of "The Flip Wilson Show" or "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" is a bit harder to do.
With that in mind, The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills is devoting all of July and the better part of August to "Michael Jackson: The Legend in the Making," a large-scale showing of hard-to-find Jackson family performances from the 1970s. Probably the biggest treat for Jackson fans will be a screening of "The Jacksons," a variety hour starring the family (and a song from a very young Janet Jackson is promised as well).
We miss the comedy-song-dance-banter variety hour. We know, they're still around, but the format's 1970s-style golden era was the zenith. Should we support variety shows when we find them? We should.
You can catch vintage Jackson family at The Paley, now through August 23; check the sked for the programs you want to see (they change out a couple of times, please note).
