(The Root) — The NFL was probably hard to watch on Thanksgiving Day for a bunch of Jets, Cowboys and Lions fans. But those Turkey Day defeats were made much easier to swallow if you caught an excellent Spike Lee joint that aired on Thursday night.
Bad 25 (Thursday, 9:30 p.m. ET; ABC)
"I feel rejuvenated, kinda, because after working on it so long. It's so much work, a lot of people are just used to seeing the outcome. They never see the work you go through to produce the outcome … It's like a celebration. It's like, 'We're done!' " —Michael Jackson
Highlights: Bad 25, Spike Lee's new documentary about Michael Jackson timed to the 25th anniversary of his blockbuster album Bad, aired Thursday night on ABC. With interviews of folks who worked with Jackson, such as Martin Scorsese (who directed a minifilm for the LP's title cut), and others including culture critic Nelson George (who tracked the singer's career), Lee provided a comprehensive account of the King of Pop's immense impact. The album — which features monster hits such as "Man in the Mirror," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Smooth Criminal" and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" — further validated Jackson's stature as an international phenomenon after his previous masterwork Thriller.
In case you missed it, you can watch what aired on ABC now via Hulu. Check out the exclusive footage from inside MJ's recording studio and new interviews with Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Questlove and Bad backup singer Sheryl Crow.
And let's rewind the clock to recall what else happened on the small screen this week.
On Monday we reported how Kenya from Real Housewives of Atlanta showed that she's not one to be messed with after she stormed out of Porsha's charity event. Plus, LaDonna suffered another setback as she watched a fire rage through her bar on Treme. Read more: Black TV Watch: Kenya Starts Another Fight.
On Tuesday we wrote about all the white-party drama on Basketball Wives LA, how T.I.'s daughter Precious prepped for a date with Shekinah's help and the X Factor's L.A. Reid made a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Read more: Black TV Watch: All-White Party Goes All Wrong.
And on Wednesday we recalled how singer Keyshia Cole tried to revamp her hood-rat image and repair her rocky relationship with hubby Daniel. But they just continued to argue, even at a Jet magazine photo shoot. Read more: Black TV Watch: Keyshia and Daniel's Trouble in Paradise.
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