ABC Airs Living With Michael Jackson Documentary on Two-Hour "20/20" (2/6/03)

[Pavan]

ABC Airs Living With Michael Jackson Documentary on Two-Hour "20/20" (02/07/03)

ABC NEWS TO AIR "LIVING WITH MICHAEL JACKSON" DOCUMENTARY

Two-Hour "20/20," Anchored by Barbara Walters, Airs Friday, February 7

ABC News has acquired USA broadcast rights to the Granada documentary, "Living with Michael Jackson." The program, which features unprecedented and exclusive access to Jackson's private life, will air as a two-hour edition of "20/20," anchored by Barbara Walters, on FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Editors please note: This program replaces "WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?: No. 521" and "THE DREW CAREY SHOW: Two Days of the Condo," which were schedule from 9:00-10:00 p.m., ET.

The deal with ABC was brokered by Granada International, who hold worldwide distribution rights.

In the special, ITV1's Martin Bashir interviews Jackson about many aspects of his personal life. Bashir spent the past eight months with the reclusive star and was with him in Berlin when Jackson was thrust back onto the front pages of newspapers across the globe after controversially holding his baby over a hotel balcony. The program also features a unique behind-the-scenes look at life at Jackson's Neverland Ranch.

In November 1995 ABC News acquired North American broadcast rights for Bashir's landmark interview with Princess Diana.

"20/20 Friday" is anchored by Barbara Walters. The executive producer is David Sloan.

[Pavan]

It will now air Thursday instead:

ABC NEWS TO AIR “LIVING WITH MICHAEL JACKSON” DOCUMENTARY

Two-Hour “20/20,” Anchored by Barbara Walters, Airs Thursday, February 6

ABC News has acquired USA broadcast rights to the Granada documentary, “Living with Michael Jackson.” The program, which features unprecedented and exclusive access to Jackson’s private life, will air as a two-hour edition of “20/20,” anchored by Barbara Walters, on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Editors please note: This program was originally scheduled to air on February 7, but has been moved up to Thursday, February 6.

The deal with ABC was brokered by Granada International, who hold worldwide distribution rights. In the special, ITV1’s Martin Bashir interviews Jackson about many aspects of his personal life.
Bashir spent the past eight months with the reclusive star and was with him in Berlin when Jackson was thrust back onto the front pages of newspapers across the globe after controversially holding his baby over a hotel balcony. The program also features a unique behind-the-scenes look at life at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.
In November 1995 ABC News acquired North American broadcast rights for Bashir’s landmark interview with Princess Diana.
“20/20 Friday” is anchored by Barbara Walters. The executive producer is David Sloan.

[SBTB Geek]

Bashir made a comment calling Michael Jackson a freak because "he has more Peter Pan statues in his home, than real people." - that IS freaky.

I really want to see this. But, I heard (on 'Good Day Live') that Jackson refused to answer questions regarding his platic surgery. - Jackson responded to all those questions by saying "ehh... that's stupid!"

[Mr. Stefani]

I read a post at another board of someone who already saw it(it aired in a dif country). They said it was good up until they started talking about his slumber parties with children. Thats Wacko Jacko for you.

[SBTB Geek]

Originally posted by timmy087
I read a post at another board of someone who already saw it(it aired in a dif country). They said it was good up until they started talking about his slumber parties with children. Thats Wacko Jacko for you.

Someone told me (who saw it already,) that Michael said that there wasn't anything wrong about an adult having slumber parties with children.

He also said that the "slumber party" part was until the end of the show.

[Mr. Stefani]

I don't see how any MJ interview can be good. Everytime someone asks him a good question he goes "thats silly".

Atleast that show on his face should be interesting.

[Mr. Stefani]

From the NY Daily News
www.nydailynews.com/news/...3471c.html

Jacko's freak show

Boys still in my bed, he tells TV interviewer

By ELLEN TUMPOSKY
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF




LONDON - Michael Jackson admits he still sleeps in the same bed with young boys and said he fathered his third child using a surrogate mother he has never met "and my own sperm cells."
The freaky King of Pop called the sleepovers harmless fun in a bizarre documentary set to air on ABC's "20/20" at 8 p.m. Thursday.

"I have slept in a bed with many children," the eccentric superstar told British celebrity journalist Martin Bashir. "I am Peter Pan in my heart."

Jackson, 44, allowed Bashir an unprecedented peek into his strange life, from his Neverland estate to his strange jaunts around the world.

Bashir, who interviewed Princess Diana in 1995, also met Jackson's three children and was inside a Berlin hotel room when the reclusive singer dangled his baby over the balcony in November.

Jackson vehemently denied he was endangering his baby: "I would never do that to my children. We were waving to fans." He said the baby, Prince Michael 2nd, nicknamed Blanket, is the son of a surrogate mother.

"She doesn't know me, and I don't know her," he said.

Jackson's two older children, son Prince, almost 6, and daughter Paris, 4, have no contact with their mother, ex-wife Debbie Rowe, who he said had them "as a present" for him. They are shown wearing masks at all times, apparently for security reasons.

In other revelations from Jacko's strange world:

n The star denied he has destroyed his face with repeated plastic surgery.

"It's B.S. I've had no plastic surgery on my face, just my nose. It helped me breathe better," he said. He said the skin condition vitiligo had made him look white.

n He said his first girlfriend, Tatum O'Neal, invited him over for sex, but he cut short the makeout session. "She knew I was too shy for it," he said.

n Jackson said he grabbed his daughter Paris as soon as she was born and took her home wrapped in a blanket before the baby's placenta was even washed off by hospital staff.

He emphatically defended his invitations to children to stay at his Los Angeles-area house, despite a 1993 scandal when a 13-year-old boy accused him of sexual abuse. He settled the suit out of court.

Jackson added that he often slept in the same bed as actors Macaulay and Kieran Culkin.

"It's not sexual," he said of his friendship with kids. "I tuck them in, put music on, read a book, give them hot milk. It's very charming."

The superstar, whose latest albums have tanked, said he is worth about $1 billion.

Children are at the center of his life, he said.

"If there were no children on this Earth, if someone announced all kids were dead, I would jump off the balcony immediately," he said.


The weird and the wacko


Michael Jackson touches on sex, fatherhood and his bizarre appearance in an interview airing on ABC's "20/20" at 8 p.m. Thursday.

On his father's abusive behavior:
"We were nervous rehearsing because he sat in the chair and he had this belt in his hand, and if you didn't do it the right way he would tear you up, really get you."

"He didn't allow us to call him daddy, and I wanted to call him daddy so bad. And he said, "I'm not daddy. I'm Joseph to you."

On his first failed sexual experience with Tatum O'Neill:
"I lay on the bed and she slowly walked over and she touched the button of my shirt to open it and I took my hands, like, and I wouldn't let them down. ... And she just walked away. She knew I was too shy for it."

On his skin color:
"I don't control the fact that I have vitiligo. I don't control how many white people when they are little kids look white, and they sit out in the sun all day to look black. ... Nobody says nothing about that."

Sleeping in the same bed with children:
"Whenever kids come here they always want to stay with me. (laughs) They never want to stay in the guest rooms. And I have never invited them into my room, they always just want to stay with me. They say, "Can I stay with you tonight?" So I go, "If it's okay with your parents, then yes, you can."

[Pavan]

Overnight ratings (Fast National still to come):

A Thursday victory for ABC
Living With Michael Jackson, a special edition of 20/20 (opposite Friends and CSI) scored a whopping 18.7/26 from 8-10 p.m. 20/20 ranked first from 8:30-10 p.m., building in every half-hour (15.6/23 - 19.1/27 - 19.8/27 - 20.3/28). Coupled with more Jackson coverage on Primetime Thursday at 10 p.m. (#1: 17.2/25) and ABC had its highest rated Thursday in at least six years.

[laceyinthesky]

Originally posted by timmy087
"If there were no children on this Earth, if someone announced all kids were dead, I would jump off the balcony immediately," he said.

Quick.. someone announce that all kids are dead.

[Pavan]

ABC will re-air this special on Monday February 17 from 9-11pm E/P, but before that an all-new Michael Jackson Primetime special from 8-9pm E/P on ABC. It's an all Jacko month!

[Brian]

Originally posted by laceyinthesky


Quick.. someone announce that all kids are dead.