Showtime Drums Up December Debut for Michael Jackson ‘Thriller 40’ Documentary

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Special on Paramount Plus With Showtime service will chronicle King of Pop’s milestone 1983 album

Showtime's 'Thriller 40'
Showtime's 'Thriller 40' (Image credit: Showtime)

Showtime has set a December 2 Paramount Plus premiere date for its documentary feature Thriller 40 focusing on music icon Michael Jackson's record-breaking album.

The Thriller 40 special chronicles the 40th anniversary of Jackson's Thriller — the best-selling worldwide album of all time — by looking back at the making of the recording as well as the release of the accompanying short films that redefined the music-video format, the network said. 

Featuring never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews with such celebrities as Usher, Mary J. Blige, Will.I.Am, Mark Ronson, Misty Copeland, Maxwell and John Landis, Thriller 40 focuses on the project that launched Michael Jackson into mega-stardom and to this day continues to influence all aspects of culture and entertainment, Showtime said.

Thriller 40 is produced by Optimum Productions and Company Name, with Colin Hanks, Sean Stuart, John Branca and John McClain serving as producers.

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.