Uh oh. Nine is venturing down the road of a last minute Jacko special hosted by Richard Wilkins again…
This one simply promises: “With the world still in disbelief at the death of Michael Jackson, tonight Richard Wilkins hosts a special presentation that focuses on the controversy that plagued his life.”
As to which controversy that is, who knows (plastic surgery, child molestation case, marriages, parenting skills, unusual habits etc.)?
The title of the one hour special hints it might focus on the final days, but the synopsis suggests otherwise.
On Saturday Wilkins co-hosted a loose series of music clips with Karl Stefanovic that pulled a big crowd and helped Nine win the week. He also attracted quite a bit of media for announcing the death of actor Jeff Goldblum on Friday’s Today show, which was an internet hoax.
The latest Jacko special airs 9:30pm Wednesday night, with a Cold Case episode held over by a week.
micheal jackson was such a amazing singer who brought everyone to his knees and the whole world loved him and his music its so sad to see such a great life cut so short i think people need to stop wit saying he was a montster and doing all this real bad s**t he has 3 beautiful kidsof his own and an amazing man like he would never do the s**t people have said its bout time we let the king of pop rest in peace. and let his family try and slowly rebulid their lives they dnt need this s**t and its bout time people start to relise this
k look here . MIcheal jackson, the king of pop has just died if you didnt realise.. we should be celebrating his life and successes, his talent and music but what the f do we have here.
Michael Jackson: what really happened. this show disgusts me, making him sound like a monster, you must have a lot of gut to do this.
This doco is disgusting. Look at how it is edited and presented…why do you need creepy background music when you’re talking about the highest ranked pop musician of modern times? Quick grab for ratings Channel 9?? The whole Ramsay V Grimshaw wasn’t enough for you guys?
What on earth has media turned too…praise him during your news broadcasts, then showing this degrading and disrespectful trash in the hours leading up to saying goodbye to a legend.
ummm…
Does this have anything to do with the documentary of the same name that we watched on ABC2 some months ago?
Channel Nine are going to air this documentary again at the exact time he is being buried which is just before his memorial service on channel 7.
Please call them ASAP/immediately urging them not to play it at that time. I called to complain and got through immediately please do the same… simply because it inappropriate timing… And will hurt a lot of people who are mourning. and it is completely discrespectful.
Also they shouldnt play it anyway because it is full of unsubstantiated allegations, false accusations, it claims to have “experts” who actually had to revoke their claims under testimony and is simply a burial of his character while they are actuallly burying his body. Very poor form from Channel Nine.
I called to complain and got through immediately please do the same
Channel Nine Sydney (02) 9906-9999
Channel Nine Melbourne (03) 9420-3111
Channel Nine Brisbane (07) 3214-9999
Channel Nine Adelaide (08) 8267 0111
Channel Nine Perth (08) 9449 9999
Lookout, it’s getting another repeat before the Memorial.
“What really happened”? More like, “What we think happened, without a speck of proof to substantiate our claims”!
I was disgusted that channel 9 aired this so-called documentary – It was plain and utter crap! Shame on you Gyngell!!
Well said, Jay.
Just a teenager here so let me rant…
Okay what the hell is the matter with channel 9?! I watched the doco on channel 10 and was impressed by the way that it was handled. This on the other hand was…I can’t even find words to describe the way I feel about this!
Way to tear a man while he’s down! The special on Saturday was a bit bearable but I wish they had played more clips instead of cutting to the horrible jokes between the two hosts, it would have made the whole thing a rating winner if it was all clips and no hosts! But seriously he died recently and placing that garbage in air time? Isn’t there any respect in the industry anymore?
I thought this was going to be about how he died which I think it was what most people who hadn’t heard of this doco expected. But instead I watched some British guy go around asking most likely disgruntled ex employees of Michael about there takes on an, in my opinion amazing man! This was just a doco filled with BS to the max!!
Channel Seven is so gonna kick channel 9′s ass when they air the Jackson reunion and Michael’s final preformance from Michael’s 30th Anniversary…although it is in a different title they know how to do something with respect and dignity!!!
what ever MJ did it’s between him and his creator now and is not for us to judge but i certainly had a different perspective on MJ after watching this doc – was an eye opener. MJ had God given talent which he shared with the world and I would rather remember him for that.
Channel 9, why the need to play this so called “documentary” at all? The timing isn’t going to change the fact that this program was just a disgusting tabloid vilification, designed for the purpose of causing as much damage as possible in any way they could think of. You don’t have to like Michael Jackson to have the intelligence to see this. The people involved in it should be forced to factually validate or recant their allegations but this isn’t just about the timing or Michael Jackson.
Whilst the idea is that bad news sells, surely you don’t have to air something as degrading as this to improve ratings. I hope that if anything is learnt from this by the viewers it’s that they should be quite cautious of trusting the media to report or relay truth. A lot of people know this anyway but maybe you’ve done the more gullible a favor. I wish the media could find more positive & productive ways to still do their job & accomplish their business purposes. There has to be some way for the media to use information to their advantage in a way that is productive for them as well as ethical. It shouldn’t have to be bad news or gossip to produce interest & ratings.
I can only hope they will attempt to be a bit more cautious about the information they are relaying when they get feedback from people like me. I don’t really wish you out of a job. I just wish you would find a better way of doing it.
A load of crap! – that’s what this was just another story surrounding lies. I watched the complete story and have to say this has not changed my perception of Michael Jackson or his innocence but that of channel 9.
Obviously someone who has been working for 17 years and is finally sacked by their boss will hold grudges and this is how MJ’s ex-manager came across. Towards the end of the interview this is what we learned – why have me sit through it only to discover the reason behind MJ’s ex-manager talking. It just goes to show you the audience would not have been so interested if this was stated at the beginning – it’s all about timing right channel 9?
All you money hungry people out their including the LA women who has been trying to bring him down since – karma is waiting for you. Just remember the truth will be reveled someday and MJ’s name will be cleared for good. He’s better off where he is right now..R.I.P MJ – hope your proud of yourself channel 9.
Nope I won’t be watching Channel 9 ever again. It’s full of rubbish and Iam totally put off by the insensitivity they have showed towards Michael Jackson. Obviously they don’t check the authenticity of the programmes they show otherwise the wouldn’t have shown this disgusting documentary.
I watched the first 5 mins then turned the channel, thats disgusting chan9 you should be ashamed, we are talking about an human being here not an animal..the worlds in mourning and instead of showing good memories you show this crap. pathetic
I’m advised that Richard Wilkins hosting of this special was incorrect info supplied.
Seems to be a bit of that going on in the inustry this week!
Unfortunately in the world of free to air TV, we are limited in our viewing options and watching Channel Nine again is difficult to avoid. If I was a hard man I would not watch their programming. They are rubbish.
Would anyone in this blog ever watch Channel 9 again after this?
Clearly a lot of viewers unhappy with the timing of this doco.
Please keep replies succinct, with one ID per IP address.
This program was shoddy and unbalanced, designed to do nothing else than cement in people’s minds that Michael Jackson is wacko like the media like to portray him. The ‘close’ sources knew nothing about the subject and the interviewer did nothing to question their validity or qualification to speak about Michael Jackson.
The line up of ‘trusted’ sources were his ex-manager who was sacked – hmmm any possible reason there to bad mouth his former manager for a few extra pennies?? I am surprised this ‘MJ-fan’ interviewer did not ask this of Bob Jones. Bob essentially did not say anything about Michael as he did not see anything but he and the interviewer did their best to try to imply something dark in what Bob Jones never saw. Bob Jones was very careful imply things without saying anything libelous.
Next up we have Randy Tarraborrelli – presented as a ‘long-time friend’ of Michael Jackson. That is a lie, let’s set the record straight Randy did know MJ yes back in the 70s before he even made Off the Wall. All of his photos of him with MJ were black and white, he is not in contact with Michael anymore. Yet somehow he has managed to turn this early relationship into his life’s career – he has turned written two books about Michael Jackson claiming to have an insider’s view of what has happened in Mike’s life when he hasn’t been close to the star in over 30 years. His books and his opinion are mere speculation. Yet none of this was addressed by the interviewer they were presented to the unknowing viewer as the truth. Note that not once did Randy remove his sunglasses during the interview – perhaps so we could not look into his lying eyes.
This program touched very briefly on the story about Evan Chandler and the film deal he was trying to set up but sadly failed miserably at portraying the full true story. Search google and you will find an article called ‘Was Michael Jackson framed?’ written by an investigative journalist for GQ magazine you will find out the truth behind the Jordy Chandler case , Evan Chandler and Victor Guttierez are heavily implicated – this is the real story that should have been shown. Instead we got another MJ bashing program full of lies portrayed as the truth. It was neither revealing nor informative and stank of poor journalism. Channel 9 should be shut down for sinking sooo low all in the hopes of getting good ratings!! Channel 9 is the worst TV Channel in Australia!!!!
Wow, talk about way too soon. I don’t think Channel Nine could have been more disrespectful if they tried. I began to watch it last night and turned it off in disgust. I felt like s**t just for watching the first 10 minutes. Well done Channel Nine you bunch of insensitive pr**ks.
After watching it I really have to say that Channel 9 should be ashamed!!! The man has just died and while other channels are showing tributes and showing how great Michael was…Channel 9 showed this disgusting, one sided, totally untrue and degrading documentary about this wonderful person!!! You people at Channel 9..especially whoever authorised to show this documentary have sank really really low! You would do anything for ratings won’t ya! Disgusting!! Michael Jackson was a great man with a golden heart who was targeted by money hungry parents who used their kids to get to his money. The documentary totally made Michael out to be a monster which is just so not true…it is the furtherest thing from the truth!! It featured interviews from journos who have made it their career to bring Michael down and from an ex employee of Michael whome he fired for personal reasons so of course these people would say negative things about him. I can’t understand who in their right minds would think this documentary would be appropriate to show on TV when it was only made to frame Michael, is totally untrue and especially during the time of his death when so many people are mourning the loss of this great icon! Shame on you Channel 9!!!
I thought it was not appropriate for any network to air such a show when the majority of people around the world are still mourning…poor taste of Programming!
…Nine may probably obtain good one-day ratings for this, but it will definitely affect their long term branding…and I thought Nine this year was meant to be focusing on being warm, relatable and friendly, I guess not!
A very poor documentary. It was old, poorly put together and defiitely had an agenda. I wonder if Channel 9 actually viewed it before it aired, because it was totally inappropriate.
It seems Channel 9 just goes from bad to worse.
How disgusting. The man is not even in the ground and Nine is trying to trash him with this rubbish. Even a cursory bit of research would show that much of this program is completely erroneous.
When it appeared last year in the UK it was called a program “for those who like their facts with a heavy dose of fantasy”.
Typical of Channel Nine these days. You are contempable.
Thank you SK, that’s the best solution to it, in reminiscent of Packers pulling of that clip show, get this sh*t, or better yet the whole effn network off the air!!!!
I pray that the majority of people who tuned in tuned right out when they saw this despicable piece of garbage for what it was. And absolute shame on Nine for airing it less than a week after his death. Desperate and pathetic.
I stopped watching channel 9 a long time ago. Talk about sensationalism. Channel Nine should just close close-up shop and be banished from broadcasting. Poor quality all-round.
MJ dosen’t look good in this doc. Strong allegations of sex with boys were implied. The evidence was very compeling paticularly when MJ was bouncing the kid up and down at the world music awards. sick.
The Nine Network should be ashamed for showing this. I don’t say this as a blindly fanatical MJ fan-although I do love his music-but as someone who has done a little bit of research in this area and so can see what a sensationalist piece of crap doco this is.
e.g. Bob Jones was Michael’s *publicist* for 17years, not his manager and after being fired in 2004 wrote a book trashing Michael yet under oath during the 2005 trial admitted that his book was filled with innacuracies and lies. He certainly did not aid in prosecuting Michael during his trial (in which he was found innocent of all charges let us remember).
- also the Chandler family is completely screwed up (look for yourselves as to why) and a lot of the claims this doco makes are completely without any basis.
. It’s really laughable that the reporter that the doco’s presenter meets in a ‘deserted LA carpark’ or whatever is also a disgruntled and discredited author who wouldn’t need to meet anyone in such a ‘secret’ (read: sensationalist) fashion.
*** Yet in the end, even if this doco made up of BS and sensationalism *was* all true, airing it a week after a person has died is in extremely bad taste and Channel 9 should be ashamed of itself.
This “documentary” was absolutely disgusting! Shame on Channel 9 for airing this British tabloid trash!
Nine is horrible! First their other Michael Jackson special they totally joked through, and this one had no trace of Richard Wilkins at all! Second it was some old thing, making out as if so many things were true stated facts, when they weren’t at all. How did the makers of this program get away with that?
They also didn’t bother to explain why La Toya said those things about Michael (she was pressured by her husband to do so at the time and didn’t stand by the words). It caused a falling out with the Jackson family, but now all is well again and she has been forgiven..
Nine shouldn’t have even bothered with this program if that is the only thing they have of Michael Jackson lying around.
A documentary adopting poor evidence. All hearsay. Little use of credible information. Completely reliant on interviews with questionnable sources. For a documentary to be a good one, it needs to present an impartial case, two sides of a story. This documentary, with its horror-like music and sensationalist undertones is just poor in terms of documentary credibility. The last statement in the documentary just doesn’t fit and is clearly forced. Pathetic doco-journalists in their attempt to gain place in the lime light by capitalising on a global media hype. Transparently biased. Sorry but any critical viewer who understands what a compelling documentary is would agree. This was rubbish.
Talk about untimely!
ETA – maybe this should have been called “What really Happened to Richard Wilkins?” He didn’t host it, did he pull out at the last minute after seeing it?
richard wilkins is nowhere to be seen. . . curious
OMG I started watching it’s not new as msd said it was made a couple of years ago and is about the molestation case.
“Two years ago, Michael Jackson was acquitted of child molestation, but instead of returning to his Neverland home, he disappeared, wandering the globe for two years. Writer Jacques Peretti wanted to find out why, and in so doing, get to the truth of what really drove Michael Jackson to such spectacular self-destruction.”
This is worse than the one they slapped together before, what where they thinking!
It would have been better if it was Richard Reid hosting or co-hosting this doco with him…Don’t be saying something stupid now….tsk tsk…
I wonder if the “King of Celebrity” will have another scoop for us… Or perhaps more banale rubbish spurting from his mouth. Or maybe both at once like normal.
Hey David, TEN also has a special on tonight following MasterChef. Source – TEN Morning News
..and the Burial of his Character continues, way to honour his Memory FTA.. seriously, Only ‘The Sun’ (UK Newspaper) is doing a better Burial of his character!
9 seem to be pretending that this is a “new” show, a special put together after his death but it’s actually about the molestation case. Plus, it was already shown on the ABC last year.
Well as soon as “Richard Wilkins” was announced as the presenter it’s an immediate turn off, sorry ch9 but why do this. The ITV one Michael Jackson special aired on 7 Monday was fare better than 9s last attempt, from the interviews to the whole presentation was just much better. A huge turn off for me was the constant switch from wide-screen to full-screen clips and just the feel of the show.
I might record this but I will be watching something else tonight, SVU looks good this week.
Another time I won’t be watching CH 9…..they are getting more pathetic by the day….last night they were advertising ‘ACA’ But it was the show that aired the night before then they advertised ‘Today’ ‘live from New Zealand tomorrow’ , only thing is they are back in the stuidio …….maybe they have the apprentice on!!!!!
Maybe Wilkins can combine this with his tribute to the late Jeff Goldblum.
It’s not even an original special. I watched this on ABC2 last year. It talks a lot about the young boy who he was rumoured to have a relationship with, and how there was little to no interest in the big auctions of his stuff held last year.
Not really a doco that you’d want to air as a farewell. I too would rather them show the 30th Anniversary Celebration concert special.
Bahahaha
Nine are so desperate.
I rather wait for a more credible source to hear about MJ’s death than from Richard Wilkins.
Richard Wilkins hosting.
It is on Channel 9.
it is Michael Jackson.
3 reasons to avoid this like the plague.
please, no
How many idiots will watch this?? Bets anyone??? The moment Dicky announced Jeff Goldblum was dead, that should have been his last moment on television.
Why can’t they air the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration that was on back in 2001 at least that’s a celebration of his music rather then his private life.
So we’re in for some rock solid info from the man on the money, Richard “Jeff Goldblum” is dead” Wilkins.
I expect this to be more fictitious than A Current Affair.
no one known! what really happened !!!!!!!!!!!!
Well i know i’m over it. Guess we will find out thurs morn how many feel the same
It’s a sure-fire ratings success, which will obviously lead to a regular twice-weekly series with Wilkins and Stefanovic delving into the gradual deaths of Nork Network viewers. Inevitable conclusion? Death from boredom…
It actually sounds like an interesting premise.
Too bad RIchard Wild is hosting, I’ll be watching something else.
I will not be tuning in. ….Richard as the host has turned me right off.
Come on Nine, when are we going to get some good television !!!!!!
just another pointless show. this wont be about his death. it will be about the way he turned into a weirdo. seven will do a show just to trump them. this time mel kochie will host it
No-one knows what happened for sure. Waste of time.
a “what really happened” story only 5 days after his death. No does (or will) know “what really happened” that soon.
Richard Wilkins hosting anything……zzzzzzzzzzz
It’s fascinating to watch a Network slowly collapse into complete failure.
Trent, nine probably didnt want to go head to head with MasterChef, hence the 9.30 timeslot. probably go well with RPA as well.
Well, it kind of makes sense. Nine’s Saturday special was only a celebration of all the great music that he has made over his career. It’s kind of good that Nine has split the two sides of his life into different specials.
Although, if Nine are trying to get ratings by doing this, I don’t think they are playing it right. Do they really think that 9:30 is the best time to present the special?
As a result of this decision, it is most likely that the special will not make a huge difference in the percentage shares of the night.
Richard Wilkins???
You know the saying “some people will never learn”…….
Oh good hopefully this one will be as disrespectful and insensitive complete with inappropriate laugheter and no sense of loss.
Why not include the most disingenuous and disgusting part of their Saturday special Karl Stefanovic.
Don’t screw this up you pathetic excuse for a network.