that they would get "maximum visual effect". In an Entertainment Weekly review of the series' first episode, Ken Tucker revealed that he felt that the Jackson brothers, in serving as executive producers, had created a very "stage-managed and controlled" reality television show. He felt that such actions on the part of the siblings made other moments in the show more interesting. Tucker concluded that with the absence of Michael and younger brother Randy, the show served to only show viewers "what an uphill battle the other brothers face in trying to stay in the public eye". He rated the episode "C+". Writing for The New York Times, Mike Hale conveyed his thoughts on the first episode. He suggested that it would be easy to view the series as an exploitation of Michael Jackson by his family, in order for them to gain money from the late entertainer's legacy. He countered that such opinions were not reflected in the content of the show, which he felt showed the Jackson siblings' egos and "childlike need for affirmation" as a larger motivator. Like Tucker, Hale expressed that the show suffered due to there being no Michael Jackson. He explained that while the other brothers had led fascinating lives, they were not fascinating individuals. Hale finished his review by stating that "The Jackson 4" had talent and charm, but that those positive qualities are outweighed by "self-absorption and arrested development". Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times also spoke negatively of the show. In the daily Californian publication, she voiced her cynicism over the Jackson siblings' motivation behind the production of the series and why they had wanted to star in it. McNamara offered the opinion that perhaps the four took part in the show to attain some of the attention and following that their younger brother Michael had during his lifetime. She also stated, like those before her, that the lack of Michael Jackson was a loss to the show, and concluded that if it were not for the singer being dead, the series would have most likely never have aired. Reviewing the first episodes of the series for San Jose Mercury News, journalist Chuck Barney acknowledged the "obvious voyeuristic intrigue" that came with the series following Michael Jackson's death. While the run of programs was billed as offering "unprecedented access" into the lives of the surviving siblings, Barney warned that the series