There’s no lack of coverage on Michael Jackson‘s death and the more salacious details of his life – the legal woes, the health problems, the debt, the weirdness that led to the Wacko Jacko nickname. But my first reaction to the news that Jackson had suddenly died – I found out on a restaurant TV while my family was celebrating a much happier event, my nephew’s graduation – was a flashback to the early ’80s, when there was no one bigger in music, or pop culture, and when my friends and I were obsessed (futilely, I have to add) with learning to moonwalk.

Jackson’s performance on the famous Motown 25th anniversary special in 1983, and his classic “Thriller,” “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” videos on MTV and the old NBC series Friday Night Videos are big childhood memories for a lot of us, I’m sure, so, in the days ahead, when there is going to be a lot of retrospective coverage and a lot more news, good and bad, about Jackson and his death, I’m going to watch those videos again and remember Jackson before “Wacko Jacko” overtook his reputation as the King of Pop and one of the most exciting performers ever.

What’s your favorite Michael Jackson video or TV memory?

Michael Jackson’s performance on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever

The “Thriller” video

The “Beat It” video

The “Billie Jean” video

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• Tags: Beat It video, Billie Jean video, Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson death, Michael Jackson Motown special, Michael Jackson videos, moonwalk, Thriller video

I haven’t caught the Dancing With the Stars or So You Think You Can Dance bugs, but I love the idea of ABC’s Let’s Dance, the upcoming reality series in which celebs will be asked to re-create famous dance routines, like Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze‘s Dirty Dancing number or Britney Spears‘ dance from the “Oops, I Did It Again” video (which Jack and Grace also memorably performed on an episode of Will & Grace).

What other famous dances might the celebs on Let’s Dance shake their groove thangs to? How ’bout these memorable TV toe tappers …

– Turk’s re-enactment of the Bel Biv DeVoe “Poison” video on Scrubs – As Janitor says, “He’s so damn talented.”

– The Batusi – He may have been the Caped Crusader, but he’s one big spazzoid on the dance floor.

– The Charlie Brown Christmas Pageant Dance – Give yourself extra points if you’ve seen the “Hey Ya” and Psych versions.

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• Filed in Reality, TV List o' the Day, Ya Gotta See This!
• Tags: Ally McBeal dancing baby, Balki, Barack Obama Ellen dance, Batman, Bel Biv DeVoe, Brady Bunch dance, Brady Bunch Keep on Movin, Brady Bunch Silver Platters, Britney Spears, Carlton dance, Carlton Oprah, Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas dance, Charlie Brown Hey Ya, Dance of Joy, Dancing With the Stars, Dieter Sprockets, Dirty Dancing, Do the Bartman, Elaine dance Seinfeld, Elaine little kicks, Ellen Show, Elvis Ed Sullivan, Elvis hip swivel, Elvis the Pelvis, Fred Flintstone dance, Fred Flintstone The Frantic, Huxtables anniversary, Huxtables dance, Jack Will & Grace, Jennifer Grey, Let's Dance, Michael Jackson Billie Jean dance, Michael Jackson moonwalk, Michael Jackson Motown special, Obama, Oops I Did It Again, Patrick Swayze, Scrubs, So You Think You Can Dance, The Batusi, Turk Poison dance, Urkel, Urkel dance