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The Jacksons: An American Dream

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The Jacksons: An American Dream is an American five-hour miniseries broadcast in two halves on ABC and originally broadcast on November 15 through November 18, 1992.[1] It is based upon the history of the Jackson family, one of the most successful musical families in show business, and the early and successful years of the popular Motown group the Jackson 5.

The Jacksons: An American Dream
DVD cover
Written byJoyce Eliason
Directed byKaren Arthur
StarringLawrence Hilton-Jacobs
Angela Bassett
Holly Robinson Peete
Margaret Avery
Alex Burrall
Jermaine Jackson Jr.
Bumper Robinson
Floyd Meyers Jr.
Monica Calhoun
Jason Weaver
Angel Vargas
Terrence Howard
Vanessa Williams
Billy Dee Williams
Wylie Draper
Colin Steele
Theme music composerHarold Wheeler
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes2
Production
ProducersSuzanne de Passe
Joyce Eliason
Jermaine Jackson
Margaret Maldonado
Stan Margulies
Running time300 min.
Production companiesMotown Productions
KJS Films
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
de Passe Entertainment
Stan Margulies Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseNovember 15 (1992-11-15) –
November 18, 1992 (1992-11-18)

The miniseries was executive produced by Suzanne de Passe and Stan Margulies, produced by Joyce Eliason, Jermaine Jackson and Margaret Maldonado, and directed by Karen Arthur. The movie was filmed in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh, where director Arthur had previously filmed her feature film Lady Beware. The miniseries stars Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as the Jacksons' patriarch Joseph Jackson, Angela Bassett as the family matriarch Katherine Jackson. Abolade David Olatunde, Alex Burrall, Jason Weaver and Wylie Draper played Michael Jackson in different eras, while Bumper Robinson and Terrence Howard played Jackie Jackson in different eras. Shakiem Jamar Evans and Angel Vargas played Tito Jackson, Margaret Avery played Katherine's mother, Martha Scruse, Holly Robinson Peete played Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams played Berry Gordy, and Vanessa Williams played Suzanne de Passe.

The Jacksons: An American Dream is based on Katherine Jackson's My Family autobiography. A critical and commercial success, the program won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Choreography, while the performances of Hilton-Jacobs and Bassett received widespread acclaim.

Plot

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The opening sequence of the film features footage of the real Jacksons rehearsing and performing on stage, a few clips from the "Can You Feel It" music video, album covers, magazine covers, a snippet from their cartoon, and pictures of the family. The film is mostly based on the autobiography written by Katherine Jackson, and issued in 1990, entitled My Family. The entire mini-series spans a period of about 40 years.

Act 1 of the film is based on young Katherine and Joseph meeting and courting in the 1940s and showing how they managed to start out raising their children in Gary, Indiana in the 1950s and 1960s, how Joseph discovers the children have talent and starts entering them in talent shows, and finally how the Jackson 5 go on to have early fame and face its consequences in the late 1960s.

Act 2 of the film deals with the struggles of young Michael Jackson as he faces his brothers marrying early into the Jackson 5's success, his problems with acne as a teenager, and the group's eventual switch to Epic Records in the 1970s, his eventual solo superstardom based on the success of his albums Off the Wall and Thriller, the commercial mishap that caused his hair to ignite, and his legendary Motown 25 performance of "Billie Jean", as well as confronting his difficult relationship with his estranged father in the 1980s.

Michael Jackson's voice is heard on: "Beat It", "Human Nature", "Billie Jean", "I Want You Back", "I Wanna Be Where You Are", "I'll Be There", "Rockin' Robin", "ABC", and "Dancing Machine". On all other songs, the Michael Jackson vocal part is performed by Anthony Harrell, Jason Weaver or Kipp Lennon.

Cast

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Reception

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The Jacksons: An American Dream became one of the most popular and successful music-biography miniseries of the 1990s. Part 1 of the miniseries was the third highest-rated program broadcast during the week of November 9–15 with a 21.1 rating.[2] Part 2 of the miniseries was watched by 38.4 million viewers[3] in 22.3 million households[4] becoming the highest-rated program broadcast during the week of November 16–22[4] posting a 23.9 rating, and 36 share.[3] Overall, the miniseries was watched in 38.3 million households and posted a 22.3 rating and 33 share.[5]

The series was ultimately nominated for four Emmy Awards, with Michael Peters winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Choreography. The other nominations included Robert L. Stevenson for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Special, Claude Riggins, Daniel J. Leahy, Michael C. Casper, and Gary Lux for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Miniseries or a Special for "Part 2," and Outstanding Miniseries. Bumper Robinson won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a Television Movie and Alex Burrall and Jason Weaver both won a special award for Outstanding Young Performers Starring in a Mini-Series.

The miniseries was later rebroadcast on VH1 and released to VHS and DVD.[6] The DVD version of the miniseries was released as a two-disc set. The first disc was named "The Early Years" and the second disc was named "The Success Years".

The miniseries aired frequently after the death of Michael Jackson. Along with that, Wylie Draper died from leukemia just one year after the miniseries’ release. It has been shown on TV One, BET, Centric and VH1.

Soundtrack

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The Jacksons: An American Dream
Soundtrack album by
The Jackson 5
ReleasedOctober 20, 1992
Length37:52
LabelMotown
The Jackson 5 chronology
2300 Jackson Street
(1989) 		The Jacksons: An American Dream
(1992) 		Soulsation!
(1995)

Track listing

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All songs performed by the Jackson 5 except where noted.

  1. "Who's Lovin' You" [live] – 5:39
  2. "Kansas City" (Jason Weaver) – 2:19
  3. "I'll Be There" (originally on Third Album) – 3:56
  4. "In the Still of the Night" (Boyz II Men) – 2:51
  5. "Walk On/The Love You Save" [live] – 6:05
  6. "I Wanna Be Where You Are" (Jason Weaver) – 4:21
  7. "Dancing Machine" (originally on G.I.T.: Get It Together) – 3:17
  8. "The Dream Goes On" (Jermaine Jackson) – 3:50
  9. "I Want You Back/ABC" [live] – 3:23
  10. "Stay with Love" (Jermaine Jackson and Syreeta) – 4:19
  11. "Never Can Say Goodbye" (originally on Maybe Tomorrow) – 2:59
  12. "You Are the Ones (Interlude)" (3T) – 1:51
  13. "Dancing Machine" [remix] – 3:43

Charts

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Chart (1992/93) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA Charts)[7] 16

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Zuckerman, Faye B. (November 14, 1992). "Highlights". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 6A. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
  2. ^ "ABC posts third straight ratings win". The Modesto Bee. November 19, 1992. p. F5. Retrieved March 1, 2010. [dead link‍]
  3. ^ a b Carmody, John (November 20, 1992). "THE TV COLUMN". The Washington Post. p. c.06. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
  4. ^ a b "ABC's 'The Jacksons' finales holds top spot". Daily News. November 27, 1992. p. 3. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
  5. ^ Grahnke, Lon (November 27, 1992). "Highlights". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 6A. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
  6. ^ "The Jacksons: An American Dream Miniseries Reissued In DVD Double-Disc Package". PR Newswire. Cision. December 4, 2001. Archived from the original on January 24, 2002. Retrieved June 21, 2019 – via Yahoo.com.
  7. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 139.
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