janet jackson

It's eerie how much Janet Jackson sounds like her brother Michael. Not only are they both super-talented when it comes to dancing and singing, but they share that same softspoken voice, as if they're in the eye of a storm swirling around them. And that's certainly proven to be the case.

At her oceanside home in Malibu, California, the 43-year-old star opened up to 'Good Morning America' anchor Robin Roberts. It's clear Jackson is still grieving over the death of Michael, who died June 25, but she's also forging a new path for herself, with a new single and video, 'Make Me,' and a collection of hits, titled 'Number Ones.'

One thing that came up is her relationship with record producer Jermaine Dupri. Though it was widely rumored that the two finally married after dating for seven years, Jackson says it's over. "I adore him, and we're still very good friends to this day ... that's all I'll say." Jackson says she's single and focusing on work right now.

With Diane Sawyer preparing to go head to head against Katie Couric on the evening news, and with the legendary Barbara Walters, at 80, still competitive but starting to slow down, ABC has to start grooming more women for its news franchises. No one seems to be in a better position to take advantage of this than the respected, if not redoubtable, Robin Roberts.

In an ABC news exclusive, Janet Jackson will grant Robin Roberts and ABC News cameras admission to her Malibu home for the first time ever. The introverted Jackson sister will, no doubt, speak about the death of her brother, as she and Michael were said to be very close.

Though Roberts has snagged the first sit down televised interview with Jackson since her brother's tragic death, it will not be the star's first public comments on the subject. At the 2009 BET Awards, Jackson called her brother an icon and thanked the public for their support.

She also gave an exclusive print interview to Harper's Bazaar, in which she revealed that she had learned of her brother's death while on the set of 'Why I Got Married Too.' In addition, Miss Jackson anchored the MTV Video Music Awards with a performance of 'Scream,' a heartfelt tribute to Michael.

ABC News has landed Janet Jackson for a primetime special. The award-winning singer will not be singing and dancing. Instead, she will be talking about her brother Michael Jackson. Good Morning America host, Robin Roberts, will be doing the in-depth interview with Janet.

The show will air on Wednesday, November 18, at 10 p.m. (Eastwick will be pre-empted). The interesting thing about the timing is that Janet's new CD compilation, a double set of her hit songs called Number Ones, will be released on November 17

If this report is true, that Michael Jackson's kids are indeed going to star in the new Jackson family reality show on A&E, then I guess I have to revise my view on who are the sane members of the family and who aren't.

US says that Prince, Paris, and Prince Michael "Blanket" Jackson will costar in The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, which will premiere in December. The magazine says that Janet Jackson gave the thumbs up to the kids appearing in the show. I always thought she would be one who would say no to something like this. Older sister Rebbie doesn't want the kids to appear in the show and won't appear in the show herself.

Miss Jackson to honor her late brother, Jerry Bruckheimer and the producer of 'Chuck' score new pilots, Judd Nelson and Gavin Rossdale make guest-starring appearances on the small screen and more of today's top TV headlines.

No, I'm not talking about the first Darrin being replaced on Bewitched. I'm talking about real, big controversies that not only affected the TV world, but the real world, as well. AOL has chosen the 20 greatest TV controversies of all-time.

Included on the list are the Letterman/Palin battle, the Aqua Teen Hunger Force bomb scare in Boston, the Smothers Brothers political controversy, the quiz show scandals, and a certain nipple that made a cameo appearance at a rather important sporting event.

A long, long time ago, a federal appeals court threw out the $550,000 fine against CBS for the famous Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake BoobieBowl. And now, after further debate in the courts, it looks like someone in the United States judicial system might have changed their mind.

You know, I just love it when the courts waste my taxpayer dollars by not being sure whether or not seeing a female breast for one-tenth of a second will traumatize the minds of children. To call this entire legal situation a farce is an insult to farces everywhere.

It's time to get over it. The children who saw the breast are now teenagers who, given the ubiquity of the Internet, have seen many more breasts. It's like a bit of the narrow-minded, suffocating zealotry of the last administration is still gasping for breath.

However, if you insist on giving a fine to someone, forget CBS. This was obviously not their idea. Give it to MTV simply for the poor quality of its programming. Thanks.

When the Super Bowl first began, halftime shows consisted of marching bands and the occasional big name performer for a song or two. Carol Channing actually did two halftimes -- 1970 and 1972! Well, times have changed and so have the expectations.

The 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa reportedly has landed Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band to anchor the Super Bowl halftime show. It'll be The Boss's first time performing for the NFL's biggest show.

One thing we can count on with Springsteen, there'll be no wardrobe malfunctions. Even if Little Steven whips off his bandana, the censors won't care. Ever since Justin Timberlake ripped the top off Janet Jackson and got a chunk of bra to go with it, revealing her breast to the ogling TV audience, the networks have been careful to keep the halftime shows purely musical.

He's no Johnny Carson or Bob Hope or Billy Crystal, but pop star and former boy band fave Justin Timberlake could be the next star to host the Academy Awards. The Oscars are still months away, but the Academy is already contemplating a way to make the show more Nielsen worthy.

Last February's show, hosted by The Daily Show's Jon Stewart (he also hosted in 2006), celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Oscars but was a ratings dud. It was the worst Oscars ever, in terms of Nielsen ratings, even though it had a 21.9 rating and 33 share.

Many people blame those dismal numbers on a disinterest among viewers in the films that were in contention last year, including heavy dramas No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, which seemed to have little appeal to mass audiences.

I remember watching the halftime show of the 2004 Super Bowl and seeing Janet Jackson's nipple at the end of her duet with Justin Timberlake. I couldn't believe what I had just seen and I knew it was going to be a big thing. Of course, no one knew at the time just how big it was going to become. It actually changed the way TV shows are presented now.

But here's some good news for logic: a federal appeals court has thrown out the $550,000 fine that the FCC gave CBS for broadcasting the football boob scene. In the ruling the court said the FCC acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" when they handed out the fine.

A day hasn't gone by where we haven't received some sort of tip or email asking us, the TV Squad, how to get on [insert reality show here]. Unfortunately no, Simon Cowell does not work for us, and Donald Trump isn't my BFF, so we really can't help all that much.

The folks at RealityWanted.com often send us a list of new and existing reality shows that are looking for new, er, talent, and they've given us permission to make mention of them here. We'll try to make this a regular feature as often as we get a new list.

This time we have Don't Forget the Lyrics, Family Court and other new shows.

What's happening on other blogs via the interweb.

• TruTV has picked up six episodes of Man vs. Cartoon, which is sort of like Mythbusters, only for old cartoons.
• Gary Busey follows up his Oscar red carpet antics with this.
• The first Burn Notice novel comes out in August.
• More info on NBC's plan for a 52-week TV season.
• The Late Show with David Letterman announces the end of the writers strike.
• No, Paula Abdul's new video has not been rejected by MTV.
• And finally, video of Larry King dancing with Janet Jackson.

American Idol's ratings may be down, but it is still the number one show on television. And the juggernaut has spawned all kinds of imitators, including, America's Got Talent, Dancing With the Stars, Skating With Celebrities, and Rock Star Supernova.

And now, the Jackson Family is developing its own talent contest for CBS, tentatively called Pop Dynasty. Before you ask, NO, neither Janet nor Michael is involved with the show. This is Jermaine, Tito and LaToya's baby. The three Jacksons will serve as the show's judges.

Paris Hilton has followed Britney Spears' lead by backing out of her hosting gig for Fox's Billboard Music Awards. Unlike Brit Brit, who didn't give a reason, Paris apparently quit the show because she didn't like the jokes that were written for her. She says that she didn't appreciate making jokes about people who are her friends. She couldn't come to an agreement with the producers about her scripts, so she quit.

This behavior pretty much goes along the lines of what Tina Fey told Howard Stern recently. She said that Paris takes herself way too seriously (oh, and she is stupid and sheds fake hair).

The hostless Billboard Music Awards air Monday on Fox at 8 pm. Musical guests include Janet Jackson, The Killers, Gwen Stefani, Fergie, Mary J. Blige, Nickelback, and Ludacris featuring Pharrell and Young Jeezy.