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Fans kept guessing about ‘Jackson 4’ reunion

MICHAEL JACKSON’S DEATH put a sudden end to long-rumoured plans for a Jackson 5 reunion, but brother Jermaine kept fans guessing on Friday about whether there might be a ‘Jackson 4’ concert next year.

“Those plans are in the works but you have to wait and see where it goes”, Jermaine Jackson told reporters, referring to an upcoming reality TV show about the famous singing family.

The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, which begins airing on December 13 on the A&E network, follows original members Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon as they planned for a tentative 40^th anniversary reunion of the Jackson 5 before — and after — the sudden death in June of their younger brother Michael.

Producers Friday said fans would have to watch the six-episode show to find out whether the brothers decide to go ahead in some form, without Michael.

“That is a surprise ending...so you have to stay tuned for that. The guys live all of those answers out on camera,” said executive producer Jodi Gomes.

Gomes and Jermaine Jackson also denied reports from earlier this year that his late brother’s three young children would appear on the TV show, citing respect for Michael’s efforts to keep them away from the media spotlight during his life. The TV show began shooting the sometimes fractious four brothers in the spring of 2009, following them to dance rehearsals and recording studios and back to their humble beginnings in Gary, Indiana as they tried to put together plans for a Jackson 5 reunion.

It also gives the first inside look on how they dealt with their brother’s June 25 death and its aftermath. Brother Jackie, 58, breaks into tears as he recalls hearing about Michael’s death on his car radio.

“We were voted the No.1 family for the world to know more about way before Michael’s passing,” Jermaine told reporters. “We are doing what he would want us to do. This is the best connection we have with the fans who want so much more from the family,” he added, explaining the decision to continue filming after Michael’s death.

“For so many years we have never revealed who we really are,” Jermaine said. “You knew us on stage, but (now) we get a chance to be ourselves off stage.”

It is unclear whether Michael Jackson, who does not appear in the TV show, seriously planned to take part in the much talked-about reunion of the band that made him a child star in the 1960s.

Jermaine Jackson said he was still finding it hard to listen to the band’s old music. “I think about Michael every moment,” he said. “We will never be the Jackson 5 again.”