MorganR

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. variety.com/2021/tv/news/janet-jackson-documentary-lifetime-ae-1234920992/