Janet Jackson’s buzzy new documentary series was a hit, garnering more than 15 million viewers overall, Lifetime and A&E Network said.
The four-episode series, which is titled “Janet Jackson,” averaged 3.1 million viewers between Lifetime and A&E during its premieres on the networks last Friday and Saturday, according to the announcement Tuesday.
The networks say 15.7 million people tuned in for the series overall between TV viewership and digital streaming.
Episodes of “Janet Jackson” covered the pop star’s childhood, career, the abuse allegations against her late brother Michael Jackson, and the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show controversy known as “Nipplegate.”
In the series’ fourth episode, the “Scream” singer urged fans to move on from the Super Bowl incident, which saw fellow performer Justin Timberlake tear away a piece of Jackson’s costume, exposing her breast.
“This whole thing was blown way out of proportion, and of course it was an accident that should not have happened, but everyone is looking for someone to blame, and that’s got to stop,” Jackson, 55, said.
“Justin and I are very good friends, and we will always be very good friends,” she said. “We spoke just a few days ago, and he and I have moved on, and it’s time for everyone else to do the same.”
A&E says “Janet Jackson” was the top-rated cable program among viewers between 25-54 years old — and among women in that age group — on both Friday and Saturday.
It had the highest viewership of any non-fiction program on Lifetime since “Surviving R. Kelly,” which aired in January 2019.
“As a testament to Janet Jackson’s legacy, her album 'Control' rose to #1 on the iTunes US pop chart following the premiere of the doc,” the networks said in their announcement. “Currently, three of her albums – 'Control,' 'Design of a Decade' and 'Rhythm Nation' – have entered the Top 10 on the iTunes US Chart.”
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