Sunday night (December 13) saw the premiere of "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty," the reality show that began as a documentary about a Jacksons comeback tour that would be a tie-in with brother Michael's "This Is It" concerts. After Michael's sudden, tragic death, the idea morphed into a show about the aftermath. The two-hour premiere focused on the four surviving members of the Jackson 5 — Tito, Jermaine, Jackie and Marlon — but the real star was absent brother Michael.
The four brothers quickly defined their roles on the show, but they essentially fell into familiar reality show roles: Jermaine is the group's alpha dog and leader, Marlon is the jokester, Tito is the no-nonsense brother and Jackie is the ultra-laid back zen master. Problematically, the show only really offers drama through conflict, but most of the confrontations on the show felt less than genuine. In the key scene, the quartet are working on recording new material to go along with their reunion tour, and after Jermaine lays down a lead vocal and departs the studio, Jackie has the whole part erased because it lacked "that Jackson Five magic." This leads to a minor quarrel that ultimately leads to the pair complaining to — of all people — their mother Katherine Jackson.
Once Michael's death was introduced into the show, it became a bit more focused. But too much was left behind, as cameras weren't allowed around the private memorial service, and though the aborted Vienna tribute show is discussed, there aren't any real reasons give why it fell apart (or why Jermaine announced a lineup that didn't exist).
In the show's best moment, the brothers revisit their childhood home in Indiana, where they marvel at the size of the tiny bedroom that all the brothers shared (with no other bedrooms available, the Jackson daughters slept in the living room). But so far, "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty" dangles too many questions but not enough answers, offering little insight into the actual events surrounding Michael's death. Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and Marlon certainly are interesting, entertaining characters, but they are overwhelmed by their absent brother in every way.