Janet Jackson’s life story will receive documentary treatment next year by Lifetime and A&E to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her first album.
Today, the A + E Networks group highlighted its next schedule and announced that Lifetime and A&E have ordered a two-night, four-hour documentary event titled “JANET”. Jackson’s first album, entitled “Janet Jackson”, was released in 1982 when she was 16 years old.
The documentary, co-produced by Workerbee and Associated Entertainment Corporation, promises to offer unprecedented access to the life of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and an intimate, honest and unfiltered look at the untold story of one of music’s highest-paid artists story.
The filming of “JANET” has been in progress for three years. The doc follows Janet while her family is experiencing the loss of her father, Joseph, the patriarch of the Jackson dynasty who passed away in 2018. Producers had exclusive access to archival footage and home videos never seen before while developing the documentary for the past three years old. “JANET” will also detail the most talked about moments of her life, including her appearance at the 2004 Super Bowl with Justin Timberlake, in which she inadvertently exposed a part of her breast, sparking controversy that would linger for more than a decade. The docu will also explore Jackson’s reaction to the death of his brother, the legendary and also controversial Michael Jackson, and his process of becoming a mother.
“JANET” is set to debut in early 2022 on Lifetime and A&E. The document is executive produced by Janet Jackson and Randy Jackson. Workerbee’s executive producer is Rick Murray and Brie Miranda Bryant serves as executive producer on A + E Networks. Ben Hirsch is directing.
The documentary is part of more than 2,500 hours of new programming announced in advance on A + E Networks, which includes 70 hours of documentaries and more than 200 films in its portfolio of major brands (A&E, History and Lifetime). Many of these projects, including Janet Jackson’s premium doc event, fall under Lifetime’s “Broader Focus” initiative, which exemplifies the company’s commitment to hiring and expanding creators with salaries above the industry average and A’s “Voices Magnified” + E Networks, which advocates the creation of content developed and produced by several voices that highlight the way people are changing their communities in the name of social justice.
“The past year has taught us all a lot about the world and our place in it, as individuals and as content creators,” said A + E Networks Group President Paul Buccieri, speaking about the initiative. “Throughout our portfolio, we are strengthening our solid base and will continue to use our platforms to raise relevant, resonant and diverse voices; telling their stories, with a focus on reaching the largest possible audience. As an organization, we become even more dedicated to corporate social responsibility, proactively and positively activating our resources to impact communities everywhere. Given its importance, it is the center of attention in our presentation ”.
Another entertainment and music legend is also joining the Lifetime family. Reba McEntire, of the Country Music Hall of Famer, has just signed a two-film deal with Lifetime to star and produce two films for the broadcaster. The first project will be a holiday film with the provisional title of “Christmas in Tune”, which will be presented as the supporting film for the holiday list of the station “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Through the logline, the film tells the story of Belle, a marketing executive who decides to bring together a pair of singers for a charity Christmas concert – her parents, who have not spoken to each other in years.
“Christmas in Tune” was written by Juliet Giglio and Keith Giglio and produced by Hartbreak Films, with Paula Hart and Reba McEntire acting as executive producers. The second film directed by McEntire, which will not be a holiday film, is in development for 2022.
Additional future and current projects will feature an exciting list of talents, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Laurence Fishburne, Robin Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Angela Basset, Tim Allen, Morgan Freeman, Russel Westbrook, Stanley Nelson, Rachael Ray, Lance Reddick, William Shatner and presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Other multi-part non-scripted series underway at A + E Networks include:
- “Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution” (A&E): examines the legacy of black comedians challenging social conventions with humor
- “Secret Origins of Hip Hop” (A&E): Tells the story of pioneers, including Busta Rhymes, Eve, Fat Joe, Grandmaster Flash and Ice-T.
- “Fight the Power: The Protests That Change America” (History), executive production by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Deborah Morales