BeingBobbyBrown

Reportedly, before Michael Jackson died suddenly in June, his brothers – and other family members – were putting together a reality show for A&E. After all, celebrity reality shows have a certain appeal, especially train wrecks like Being Bobby Brown or Hey, Paula. Not that the Jacksons were thinking that way. I'm sure they envision something classy and edifying.

Since Michael's death, the interest in this miniseries has escalated, much like the interest in all things Jackson. Will the brothers talk about Michael? How much? Will Michael's children be included in the show? All that and more will be answered when The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty debuts on A&E December 13, at 9 p.m. The plan is for two hour-long episodes to kick off the series.

There have been dozens, if not hundreds, of reality TV shows since the genre gathered steam at the start of this decade. There are the big and enduring ones -- 'Survivor,' 'Big Brother,' etc. -- but many were just hot messes (thanks, Britney Spears, Bobby Brown, Flavor Flav and various other fame-seeking tools!). Here are our picks for the 10 all-time worst, most ill-advised, absolutely, incredulously, jaw-droppingly awful forays into reality television. What are yours?

Yesterday was the season premiere of The Oprah Winfrey Show and the big "get" -- as you probably know -- was a two-part interview with Whitney Houston. According to Oprah, this was the best interview she's ever done. Now, was that hype or was it really a great interview?

Judging by part one, it was a pretty powerful interview for Oprah. She was on her game. The setting was an empty theater, just Oprah and Whitney. Presumably, this was a no-holds-barred session, so I expected Oprah to ask the tough questions about Whitney's dysfunctional marriage to Bobby Brown, her drug use, the days she spent holed up in a stupor. It wasn't exactly A&E's Intervention, but for Oprah, it was penetrating.

If you just watched the crowd while Whitney Houston performed in Central Park on Good Morning, America today, you might have thought that Whitney was doing great. However, if you had the volume on, you know better.

Sadly, Whitney Houston's GMA appearance was sad. Her voice cracked and she seemed to be struggling to sing one of her biggest hits, "I'm Every Woman," which ironically was used as the theme for The Oprah Winfrey Show for years. I say ironically because Whitney explained to the fans at one point that her voice was a wreck because she had talked too much during her appearance on Oprah earlier in the week. Ouch!

The entire appearance was enough to make you cringe. At one point, Whitney called her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, out to the stage to sing with her. Bobbi has grown into a beautiful young woman from the teenager she was on Being Bobby Brown, the infamous Bravo reality show starring Whitney and then hubby Bobby.

As it often is in show biz lore, Whitney Houston is on the verge of a comeback. On September 1 will be releasing a new CD called I Look To You, and some time in the preceding week, ABC will air a one hour Whitney Houston special. No word yet on whether it's going to be a concert format or an extended set of music videos or a mix of both, but the ultimate goal is clear: present Whitney in the best possible light and show off her big voice, one of pop music's most celebrated.

It will hopefully be a positive change of pace for La Houston. The last time Whitney was all over TV was when she "co-starred" on the Bravo reality series Being Bobby Brown. That slice of life, unscripted gem might have been the worst thing Houston ever did in her professional career.

Because God knows you don't want to interrupt a Being Bobby Brown marathon.

Some other NBC-owned stations, like USA and The Sci-Fi Channel, won't be showing it either, though NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC will.

[via TV Tattle]