was over-hyped and that it sounds more interesting than it is in actuality. He commented that some parts of the show were "ridiculous", while pointing towards the theme of "brotherly pettiness" which ran through the majority of the two previews he was provided with. Barney concluded that while some moments in the show were poignant, the most engaging sections of the episodes were the clips that showed the Jackson 5 at the height of their fame. "When you mentally juxtapose those images against scenes of four bickering middle-aged guys, it becomes apparent that there are times when it's much more fun to live in the past." Critical comments also came from Alan Pergament, who was writing for The Buffalo News. The journalist stated that the series opened with two "excruciating" hourlong episodes and scoffed that viewers would "need a magnifying glass to find something interesting here". Labeling Jermaine Jackson "the diva of the group", Pergament insisted that there was much contrived controversy in the show and that the first two hours had a "lifeless, going-through-the-motions quality", despite his view that Jermaine and Tito added a "little personality" to the shows. Awarding the show one star out of four, Pergament concluded that the shows were "an unnecessary, dull creation that cashes in on the family name without providing the thing that Michael was best known for — entertainment." Journalist Randee Dawn also expressed cynicism regarding why the brothers would want to participate in a reality television show so soon after their younger sibling's death. Dawn noted, however, that the Jackson family were, in her opinion, "not like most folks. They are sui generis, an entity unto itself." The writer asserted that spontaneity was lacking in the show, due to the four brothers wearing sunglasses and joking around. Overall, Dawn felt that the episodes reflected the image of a "high-concept press kit", but acknowledged that the siblings were dedicated to the project. References External links The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty at A&E Network The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty at the Internet Movie Database 2009 American television series debuts 2010 American television series endings 2000s American reality television series 2010s American reality television series African-American reality television series A&E (TV network) original programming The Jackson 5