Jackson libel case to be heard without a jury

The court of appeal have upheld a judge's decision to do without a jury in the libel case being fought between Channel 4 and Matthew Fiddes, former bodyguard to Michael Jackson.

The likely costs was one reason, but:

The judge also based his ruling on the fact that the case would involve viewing sections of television footage and detailed examination of documents.

It also raised important issues about what was or was not acceptable editorial practice in a TV broadcast presented as factual which, he said, would best be dealt with in a reasoned judgment which could be made public and appealed.

Oh, yes. Membersof the public might find television difficult to cope with - the pictures, they move! What wizardry is this! - and a High Court judge is clearly much better equipped than other people who don't work in television to understand editorial practice.

Why don't they just dispense with the lawyers and witnesses as well? Surely a wise old judge doesn't need them, either, eh?

Tito, be not proud, though some have called you one of the other siblings

Tito Jackson has been talking about the death of his much, much more successful brother. He might want to think about the metaphors he chooses in future:

Tito said he first heard that Michael had died from his sister Janet, as he was driving to the hospital in LA on the 25th June.

"I said, 'No, Janet, what's wrong?' She finally made me pull over and said Michael had passed away. I couldn't believe it. It just killed me. I just sat in the car and cried."

It killed you, did it? Not quite as much as it killed Michael, surely?

Tito also explains about the drugs:

Tito added that he and his siblings had been concerned for some time over Michael's use of painkillers.

"I never saw him on drugs. Not once. He deliberately did it away from us. He didn't want his family to know anything about that part of him."

I'm not entirely sure, either, how you simultaneously don't know someone is taking drugs and be concerned about it.

Can you feel it?

Presumably while they mark time waiting for the 50 foot model of Michael to be built in the desert prior to their taking over all the theatres, or something, Jermaine, Tito and LaToya have possibly signed on to be the judges for the latest reworking of the OpKnocks idea. Naturally, this time, it's a search for a musical family.

Yes, it's like a cross between American Idol and Honey, We're Killing The Kids. CBS are apparently onboard partly because of the glint of the Jacksons name (although, to be honest, Tito Jackson sounds less like a member of the most-famous musical family this side of the Osmonds, more like a mid-market red wine), and partly because they think people might not notice it's yet another "you're a good singer... you're a good singer... now, ring and vote" programme ("partly due to the twist on the singing competition, Variety claims").

The happy experiences of the Jacksons as singing children - plus the prospect of Uncle Michael dropping round with the Jesus juice and magazine collection - will doubtless not dissuade every showbiz Mom from Wichita Falls to Toledo signing their kids up.

We are family again

Doubtless this is a project for after the Katrina benefit single, but people with acres of print to fill ("people in the know") are persisting with the rumour that the Jackson Family are going to reunite as a music-making unit:

According to celebrity columnist Roger Friedman, they decided to make it a family tour because Jacko has been unable to land a deal as a solo artist.
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It is also a boost for the rest of the family with Janet Jackson's recent records flopping and the others never finding the same success they had with the Jackson 5.

Righto, because that makes sense - nobody wants to touch Michael Jackson with a double-length extending Swiffer, so by parcelling in Tito and Randy and whoever else is really going to sweeten the deal, isn't it?

"I wasn't going to go and see the man who did Billie Jean and Thriller, but if Tito is going to be onstage, too... well, that makes all the difference..."