E! News To Re-Enact Trial

Michael Jackson Forum

E! to Air Jackson Trial Re-Enactments

E! Networks said Tuesday it plans to give viewers a glimpse into the upcoming trial of Michael Jackson.

The company's cable network E! Entertainment Television has partnered with U.K.-based satellite broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting to present daily half-hour courtroom re-enactments of the pop singer's impending trial on child molestation charges. The series will use verbatim court transcripts and actors to highlight portions of the previous day's testimony and courtroom happenings. Jury selection for the trial in Santa Maria, Calif., is set to begin Jan. 31.

The Jackson trial announcement drew quite a strong reaction from the crowd Tuesday during the company's portion of the Television Critics Assn. winter press tour at the Universal City Hilton. E! Networks president and CEO Ted Harbert was grilled by reporters about the appropriateness, timeliness and tone of the program.

"The tone will be deadly serious," Harbert said. "I'm surprised that this would be so surprising to you because it's been done before and is of obvious interest (to the public), and there won't be any cameras in the courtroom. We're not crossing a line that hasn't been crossed before."

E! previously aired daily 90-minute re-enactments of the O.J. Simpson civil trial in 1996.

The Jackson series will be produced by E! News and Sky News, with each network packaging the series to create its own program with its own presenters, hosts and branding. E! -- whose broadcast will include expert commentary by a panel of legal analysts -- will air re-enactments Monday-Friday, with a weekend wrap-up show airing Saturdays, during the course of the trial.

E! also said Tuesday that it plans to put its own spin on the TV poker craze with "Hollywood Poker Night," a new hourlong weekly series that debuts in March.

In each episode, different celebrity hosts will take viewers on a tour of their home, followed by three stars and their best friends playing a game of Texas Hold 'Em.

Participating celebrities include Macaulay Culkin, Andy Dick, Shannon Elizabeth, Seth Green, Tom Green and Sara Rue.

E! Networks' Style Network also is fashioning a new series, "Craft Corner Death Match," that pits amateur crafters against each other in various craft-making challenges. The 13-part half-hour series, hosted by Jason Jones (Showtime's "Queer as Folk"), debuts March 9 at 10 p.m.

During the session, Harbert also was asked about Howard Stern's contract with E! for rights to air a televised version of his radio program. He pointed out that the deal expires in June and that E! has no option on his contract.

"We're in the middle of analyzing whether to keep going (with Stern's show)," he said.

Stern is in the final year of his contract with Infinity Broadcasting, and will join Sirius Satellite Radio at the start of 2006.

- Reuters

Who will they get to play Michael in the reenactments?

....... Latoya, perhaps?

Edward Moss: The new face of Michael Jackson

http://www.jossip.com/dailyj/2005_02_edward_moss.jpg

Playing Michael Jackson in E!'s heartless courtroom reenactments of the child molestation trial will be actor Edward Moss, whose face you'll see in weekday half-hour segments, plus Saturday wrap-ups.

Barely-known Moss, who "has been performing as Michael Jackson since 1996" (in sideshows? in Vegas?) and previously appeared in ratings record setter Mad TV and award winning Scary Movie 3, now has the chance to show casting directors his multi-faceted acting abilities .. while he sits behind the defense desk and reenacts both of Jackson's facial contortions.

- Jossip

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/02/28/arts/jackson.slideone.jpg

The efforts of Edward Moss, a professional Jackson impersonator for nearly a decade, have paid off, as he moves to television as the star of E!'s "Michael Jackson Trial."

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/02/28/arts/jackson.slidetwo.jpg

It takes a mere 45 minutes for Edward Moss to morph from a little-known, Los Angeles-based actor into one of the world's most infamous performers.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/02/28/arts/jackson.slidethree.jpg

With the help of MAC and La Femme makeup, his olive-colored complexion is quickly made several shades lighter. He then adds a cleft to his chin.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/02/28/arts/jackson.slidefour.jpg

Then he contours his nose and cheeks to make them thinner.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/02/28/arts/jackson.slidefive.jpg

He then draws liner around his eyes to make them lower and more "almond-shaped."

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Over the years, Mr. Moss, 27, has traveled around the globe, bringing sequined gloves and moonwalks to squealing fans from Bahrain and the Philippines to New Zealand and Japan.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/02/28/arts/jackson.slide.seven.jpg

Mr. Moss considers being the star of E!'s daily half-hour series "the role of a lifetime."

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Through the use of transcripts, E!'s "Michael Jackson Trial" will try to re-enact the actions in the court, which is closed to cameras.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/02/28/arts/jackson.slide.nine.jpg

Whether he has actual speaking lines or not, Mr. Moss, who will not be in the courtroom, said this performance would prove the most demanding of his career.

That is freaky, I was wondering how realistic he would look, but that is really good. His nose is almost spot-on the same as Jackson's once all the make up is done. Freaky.

has anyone seen this show......I haven't.

[quoteSchmigg wrote
His nose is almost spot-on the same as Jackson's once all the make up is done. Freaky.
[/quote]

Well, this man looks like he can still breathe. If Mike is ever in the vicinity of two mosquitoes, he falls in peril of being suffocated to death.

I’ve been watching this E! re-enactment. This guy that looks like Mike makes me chuckle with his facial expressions during the trial. However I believe although it is an re-enactment the comments being offered by the panel are pretty insightful but they seem to always be a day behind, probably due to editing and production.

Anyway, it’s a pretty good show I think. It comes on weeknights @9pm EST on E!-TV.

In the UK they have shown the reconstructions thus far, Moss looks like a spitting image of Michael Jackson (version 1997)