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Totes excited about this!

Janet Jackson’s life story will get the documentary treatment next year from Lifetime and A&E to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her first album.

At its virtual upfront today, the A+E Networks group highlighted its upcoming programming slate and announced that Lifetime and A&E have ordered a two-night, four-hour documentary event with the working titled “JANET.” Jackson’s first album, titled “Janet Jackson,” was released in 1982 when she was 16.

The documentary, co-produced by Workerbee and Associated Entertainment Corporation, promises to offer unprecedented access to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s life, and an intimate, honest and unfiltered look at the untold story of one of the highest-earning artists in music history.

Filming on “JANET” has been under way for three years. The doc follows Janet as her family is going through the loss of her father, Joseph, the patriarch of the Jackson dynasty who passed in 2018. Producers were granted exclusive access to archival footage and never-before-seen home videos while developing the documentary for the past three years. “JANET” will also detail the most talked-about moments of her life, including her 2004 Super Bowl appearance with Justin Timberlake in which she inadvertently exposed a portion of her breast, sparking controversy that would hover for more than a decade. The docu will also explore Jackson’s reaction to the death of her brother, the legendary and also controversial Michael Jackson, and her process of becoming a mother.

“JANET” is targeted for debut in early 2022 on Lifetime and A&E. The docu is executive produced by Janet Jackson and Randy Jackson. Executive producer for Workerbee is Rick Murray and Brie Miranda Bryant serves as executive producer for A+E Networks. Ben Hirsch is directing.

The documentary is part of more than 2,500 hours of new programming announced at the A+E Networks upfront, which includes 70 hours of documentaries and more than 200 movies across its portfolio of top brands (A&E, History and Lifetime). Many of those projects, including the Janet Jackson premium doc event, fall under Lifetime’s “Broader Focus” initiative, which exemplifies the company’s commitment to hiring and amplifying female creators with pay above the industry average and A+E Networks’ “Voices Magnified,” which champions the creation of content developed and produced by diverse voices that spotlights the way people are changing their communities in the name of social justice.

“The last year has taught all of us much about the world and our place within it, as individuals and as content creators,” said A+E Networks group president Paul Buccieri, speaking on the initiative. “Across our entire portfolio we’re reinforcing our strong foundation and will continue using our platforms to elevate relevant, resonant and diverse voices; telling their stories, focused on reaching the widest possible audience. As an organization, we have become even more dedicated to corporate social responsibility, proactively and positively activating our resources to impact communities everywhere. Given its importance, it is front-and-center within our presentation.”

alphastreet said:

I wonder who will play her. Will definitely watch it

Uhhh, it's a documentary.

purplepolitician said:

^ Saw that coming, but was still hella cute .

And all in good nudge-nudge fun.

TrivialPursuit said:

alphastreet said:

funkycat00 said:

alphastreet said:

I wonder who will play her. Will definitely watch it

Ciara ALWAYS wanted to be Janet Jackson..well, here's her chance

If it was a movie, yet it's not.

And true, Ciara wouldn't have a career if it wasn't for jacking Janet's shit. Beyonce does the same thing.

Maybe Raven can play her.

onlyforaminute said:

alphastreet said:

onlyforaminute said:

I may or may not watch this depending on what shows up on my Twitter feed over the next couple of days.

Well, you probably won't see anything since it's not set to debut until 2022.

And there's plenty to tell. I'd like to know if there's more footage, lengthy of her working on Control or any album, plus her secret marriage to Rene, that whole shindig, and their eventual divorce, her self-hatred, her marriage to DeBarge, and Wissam and how he was abusive, her split with Tina Landon as long-time friends (remember, Tina was in "What Have You Done For Me Lately" video because Landon knew Abdul), the tiff she was having w/ Paris that time which was caught on video, her depression in the 90s, THE SUPERBOWL.

I just don't think there's a lot she necessarily divulged in interviews etc., over the years because the time didn't always allow for it, or it was just not included in the final cut. To assume we know everything about her (or even Prince as much as we keep up with him) would be obtuse of any of us.

Of course what we see all depends on just how deep it goes, and how it's put together. If it's over two nights and two networks, I'm quite hopeful. I also hope she finally releases Black Diamond. It'd be a great tie-in or lead-in.

Kind of a premature announcement.