Michael Jackson was the Jackie Robinson of MTV
Jackson's "Billie Jean" video opened the door for black artists at MTV. As David Vigilante notes, "When MTV launched in 1981, it modeled its playlist on the popular album-oriented rock radio format of the day, which meant that music by black artists was effectively excluded from the network. You might see the occasional Jimi Hendrix clip, but there was no room for funk, disco, R&B or that new emerging form — rap. It wasn't long before the public took note of the glaring absence of African-American artists." But Jackson changed all that, he says. "Jackson opened the door with the video for 'Billie Jean,' which was simply too good for its time to be overlooked."
It was actually "Thriller" that broke the MTV color barrier // MJ's music videos
TMZ trumps TV // It was a "Night of Heartbreak" on primetime last night
BET Awards dedicated to Jackson // MTV's MJ marathon to end at 8 PM ET today
Jackson + HBO = A 1995 recipe for disaster // Emmanuel Lewis "devastated"
"The View" was pre-taped, so there was no Jackson discussion on Friday
Nigel Lythgoe urges Paula Abdul to choreograph a "SYTYCD" Jackson tribute
TV Land will air 5-part "The Jacksons: An American Dream" on Sunday
Jackson's higest-rated TV events: 62 million watched Oprah interview him
Conan declined to joke about Jackson in his Friday monologue
Farrah Fawcett beats Michael Jackson
ABC's "Farrah Fawcett: Her Life, Her Loves, Her Legacy" last night topped all the specials on CBS, ABC and NBC devoted to the King of Pop.
Here's a rundown of Farrah & Michael specials
From "Chasing Farrah" to "American Idol."
Michael Jackson wrote "Do the Bartman" for "The Simpsons"
"I love Bart," the King of Pop once told producer James L. Brooks. "I want to give Bart a No. 1 single." In fact, "Do the Bartman" rose to No. 1 in the UK, but not the U.S., while uniting two cultural icons. PLUS: Watch Jackson on "The Simpsons."
"EastEnders" tonight will become the 1st scripted show to address MJ's death
The British soap opera shot an extra scene just hours after his death was announced.
Jimmy Kimmel was the only late-night host to mention Jackson's death
Sure, the news was too late for the East Coast talk shows. But Jackson's death was revealed several hours before Conan O'Brien and Craig Ferguson began taping. UPDATE: Ferguson pre-taped Thursday's show so he could travel to Kosovo and Germany for the USO.
"Big Brother UK" debates whether to tell housemates about Michael Jackson
"I'm not sure they should be told," says Davina McCall, the show's host. "No contact with the outside world… it's a tricky one." She points out that "Big Brother UK" this year has an Iranian housemate, and shouldn't he be told about what's going on in Iran, too? "Where do they draw the line?" she asks.
Oprah staffers could pay a hefty tax bill for their free 10-day cruise
Oprah reportedly spent $9.2 million to take her staff on a luxury cruise through Spain, Italy, Turkey and Greece. But the "gift" might prove to be expensive.
Was Ed McMahon's Hollywood Walk of Fame star vandalized?
It was covered in black paint or tar Wednesday night.
Nielsen: "Teens are NOT abandoning TV for new media"
Contrary to what has been often report, teens "watch more TV than ever, up 6% over the past five years in the U.S.," according to a new Nielsen study.
Academics debate "Jon & Kate"
Why the TLC show won't go away anytime soon.
Media analysts are sticking with Conan, despite his uncomfortableness
"The people I talk to don't like the new Conan," says TV professor Robert Thompson. "This show isn't nearly as interesting as his other show used to be." As Kevin Downey, Conan "looks to be stuck between his old persona and his first efforts at a new, more mainstream persona, and he's clearly uncomfortable." The problem, he says, is that Conan's idiosyncratic style that puts viewers’ attention squarely on him, which makes matters worse.
Conan is going on vacation next week, after just 4 weeks of shows
Watch Max Weinberg go to the airport — while drumming — for 6-week break
Bruno gives Conan a lap dance Part 1 and Part 2
When Stephen Moyer romanced Rashida Jones
The 2004 British series "NY-LON" followed a cross-pond relationship between a London man and a New York woman, featuring the "True Blood" vamp and the "Parks and Recreation" star. CBS remade "NY-LON" last year with Elisha Cuthbert, but the network opted not to pick up the pilot.
HBO hopes "Hung" becomes a massive hit
"Hung," which premieres Sunday, is the first show championed by HBO's new entertainment chief Sue Nagle. And HBO is hoping it becomes the next "Sopranos," a breakout hit that everybody will be talking about. "HBO is banking on this show to become a breakout hit," explains the NY Times. "Not just a niche-market gem like 'Flight of the Conchords' or a critical (but ratings-challenged) darling like 'In Treatment,' but something that speaks to the national mood, a 'Sex and the City' for both sexes that would cement the reputation of a relatively new management team at the cable channel."
It's a timid sitcom criminally short on jokes // It's funny and sweet, with depth
"Virtuality" is a 2-hour teaser that, with no answers, is a waste of time
Ron Moore's "Battlestar Galactica" follow-up, a pilot disguised as a TV movie, will leave viewers frustrated with its "hair-pulling inconclusive ending," says Heather Havrilesky. She adds: "We're presented with stories and characters that are quite clearly meant to be explored over the course of a season, which makes the whole thing feel, very palpably, like an utter waste of time. Essentially, 'Virtuality' is a two-hour-long teaser, an extended trip to a really excellent strip bar that ends with a cold shower. Unless you're a masochist, the flash of credits will make your heart sink."
Fox hasn't decided "Virtuality's" future, so why watch? // Ron Moore explains
Punchless drama with meandering narrative // A cruise to nowhere
"Virtuality" producers already have a whole season conceived
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