Teenage Janet Jackson on the ABC Sitcom “A New Kind Of Family” in 1979

Janet Jackson appeared on the ABC sitcom “A New Kind of Family” in 1979, playing the role of Jojo Ashton. The show stars Eileen Brennan as Kit Flanagan, a widowed mother of three who shares a home with a divorced woman, Abby Stone (Gwynne Gilford), and her daughter Jill in an effort to save money.

Halfway during the series’ first season, it was pulled from the schedule and re-tooled in an effort to boost ratings. The characters of Abby and Jill Stone were written out and new characters, Jess (Telma Hopkins) and Jojo Ashton (Janet Jackson), were added to the series. Despite the cast change, the show was cancelled in January 1980 after only 10 episodes.

This was one of Janet Jackson’s first acting roles on television, preceding her more prominent role as Penny Gordon Woods on Good Times.