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Has it really been a whole year already? Name the TV network, and it probably has a Michael Jackson feature planned around June 25, the one-year anniversary of his death. Whether celebrating his musical legacy, checking in with his grieving family, or digging deeper into his untimely death, networks know we’re still interested in Jacko. Scan our list for some major televised events planned in recognition of MJ's passing.
- Oprah (Thursday, 4 p.m. ET) will replay parts of her memorable 1993 interview with Michael Jackson that took place at his home, Neverland Ranch.
- CBS’s The Early Show will devote its 8 a.m. hour on Friday to a star-studded tribute, The King of Pop: One Year Later, with musical guests Marc Anthony, Christina Aguilera and Smokey Robinson.
- CNN will air a special, Michael Jackson: The Final Days (Friday, 8 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET), presumably focusing on Jackson’s mounting financial pressures and health issues as he prepped for his "This Is It!" comeback tour. It also features interviews with brothers Tito Jackson and Jermaine Jackson.
- Dateline NBC scored the big interview, with the King of Pop’s mother (and guardian of his three kids), Katherine Jackson -- and the sit-down will air as a special called Katharine Jackson: A Mother’s Story (Friday, 9 p.m. ET).
- ABC's 20/20 special, Michael Jackson: After Life (Friday, 9 p.m. ET), will investigate Jackson’s death and chronicle the effect it has had on his children, Prince, Paris and Blanket.
It’s a no-brainer that the music networks -- MTV, VH-1, BET and Fuse -- have a full slate of videos, countdowns, interviews and retrospectives of Jackson’s music and career throughout this weekend. (Good luck getting all those Thriller songs out of your head next week!) But of all the random cable channels, would you believe Animal Planet has entered the fray? Michael Jackson & Bubbles: The Untold Story airs Thursday (8 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET) -- and in this broadcast, while one of the world’s most famous chimps will certainly hog camera time, technically, it’s still all about Michael.
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