Lip Sync Battle Is Taking On Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits For New Special

Michael Jackson

From Chrissy Teigen dressing up as Barb to Taye Diggs going full Madonna, Lip Sync Battle has provided plenty of entertaining moments to keep television audiences coming back for more. Soon, in 2018, the series will air a special that pays homage to one of the biggest pop stars of all time: Michael Jackson. The series will go live Thursday, January 18 at 9:00 p.m. ET to kick off the launch of The Paramount Network with a special titled Lip Sync Battle Live: A Michael Jackson Celebration.

The live event, which is being used to launch the rebranding of the currently named Spike TV to The Paramount Network, will celebrate some of the greatest hits of Michael Jackson throughout the years. Additionally, Lip Sync Battle Live: A Michael Jackson Celebration will also feature a special performance of Michael Jackson ONE which is the stage show dedicated to the singer performed by Cirque de Soleil. No celebrity participants have been attached to the project right now, but the event will surely only get more exciting when some big names start getting dropped. The show will precede the official start of Lip Sync Battle Season 4, which kicks off the following Thursday, January 25 at 10:00 p.m. ET.

No celebrities have been announced for Lip Sync Battle Live: A Michael Jackson Celebration, but some "larger-than-life" performances have been teased. It's not the first time Lip Sync Battle has done a song covered by the Jackson family. Common and Brent Morin have both performed songs by The Jackson 5 and Joseph Gordon-Levitt did "Rhythm Nation," by Janet Jackson. To date, the special will be the first time Michael Jackson's songs as a solo artist have been performed on the standalone series, although the song "Beat It" was once used in a promotional video for Season 3:

Lip Sync Battle Live: A Michael Jackson Celebration will air on The Paramount Network Thursday, January 18 at 9:00 p.m. ET, and Season 4 of Lip Sync Battle will premiere the following Thursday, January 25 at 10:00 p.m. ET.

For a look at what other shows will be coming to television in 2018, head on over to our midseason premiere guide and check out the offerings that will be coming to Netflix in January. Those still wishing to keep things in the present can certainly do so by visiting CinemaBlend's fall premiere guide and our holiday movie schedule. That same crowd can also take a look back at some of the shows that were lost in 2017 by heading over to our cancellation guide. And, to keep track of all your options for streaming entertainment, be sure to follow The Cord Cutter Podcast every week!

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.