TV Land Honors the Memory of Two Pop Culture Icons Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett With Programming Dedicated to Celebrating the Life Works and Accomplishments of True American Idols

NEW YORK, June 26 /PRNewswire/ — The world lost two beloved American icons yesterday with the shocking news of Michael Jackson’s death and the notification of the passing of Farrah Fawcett. TV Land will honor their lives and careers with tributes this Saturday and Sunday, allowing the network’s viewers — who grew up with both of these legends — to remember these influential forces.

In memory of Michael Jackson, TV Land will air the 1992 five hour mini-series, “The Jacksons: An American Dream” on Sunday, June 28, 2009 from 2pm – 7pm ET/PT with an immediate encore presentation from 7pm – 12am ET/PT. Airing this popular biographical series, which documents the progression of Michael Jackson’s career from childhood to incomparable stardom, will allow fans to remember the King of Pop and his imprint on the world music scene.

TV Land will also honor the memory of Hollywood actress and pop culture icon Farrah Fawcett with a tribute presentation of two “Charlie’s Angels” episodes on Saturday, June 27 from 7pm -9pm ET/PT leading up to the airing of the first two episodes of the 2005 TV Land original series, “Chasing Farrah” from 9-10pm. “Chasing Farrah” chronicled the icon’s daily life as one of the most recognized stars in the history of celebrity.

“Airing these tributes allows our viewers to remember and understand the legacies that will continue into the future” states Larry W. Jones, president, TV Land. “We invite our audience to remember where they were the first time they heard The Jackson 5 singing “ABC,” saw the iconic “Thriller” music video or witnessed history when they heard the angels call ‘Charlie’ for the first time. They will both be missed terribly by all.”

“The Jacksons: An American Dream” Description

A TV mini-series based on the Jackson’s true story that takes us through five decades of the Jackson Family’s career — from their early beginnings in the mid-western steel town of Gary, Indiana to their quick rise to stardom. Cast includes: Lawrence Hamilton Jacobs, Angela Bassett, Jason Weaver, Jermaine Jackson II, Holly Robinson and special appearances by Billy Dee Williams and Vanessa Williams. Featured music sung by The Jackson 5, Boyz II Men, Jermaine Jackson & Syreeta Wright and Jason Weaver and includes the hits, “Never Can Say Goodbye,” “The Love You Save,” “ABC,” “Beat It,” “ Billy Jean,” and “I’ll Be There.”

“Charlie’s Angels” Episode Descriptions:

#001 – Hell Ride – Sabrina pretends to be a race car driver as the girls go undercover to investigate a conspiracy surrounding the death of a female racer.

#004 – Angels In Chains – The Angels go behind bars to uncover a murder-extortion scheme at a prison-farm in a corrupt small town where rich women are enslaved for their fortunes and then killed.

“Chasing Farrah” Episode Descriptions:

#001 – Lights, Camera, Farrah – In spite of her dislike of reality shows, actress Farrah Fawcett agrees to star in one.

#002 – My Dinner with Farrah – Farrah and Ryan O’Neal have dinner at his beach house

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About MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, GameTrailers and Xfire.

SOURCE TV Land