As people across the world mourn the loss of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was also a television pioneer.

Before NBC coined the phrase "Must-See TV" for their Thursday primetime lineup, Michael Jackson was the man who made families crowd around a small television set in the living room.

In fact, Jackson grew up on the small screen. Go ask any baby boomer and he or she can tell you about seeing the Jackson 5 sing and dance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" or "The Merv Griffin Show."

Michael Jackson's iconic TV moments shocked audiences--he did things that nobody on earth thought could be done. When Jackson seemed to defy the natural laws of physics by moonwalking across the stage on May 16th, 1983 (on the Motown 25th Anniversary Special), audiences were both thrilled and skeptical. It must be done with mirrors or a body double. It's impossible.

That's what made Michael Jackson special--he seemed to make the impossible possible. He took the relatively infant art form of music video and flipped it on its head with the release of the John Landis directed "Thriller." A music video that played out as a short movie with incredible makeup effects and choreographed dance moves, this video single handedly put MTV on the map.

Michael Jackson's television impact didn't stop there, however. Jackson wasn't just a superstar due to his talent--audiences felt that he was in many ways re-inventing entertainment as a business.

Remember, Michael Jackson's popularity was far before the onslaught of incredible visual effects. Nowadays, people take giant apes, robots, and apocalypse-like floods as the norm in films. Incredible visual effects are appreciated, sure, but they're also expected. They are simply the norm, and a lot of the "wow factor" has long since disappeared. But Michael Jackson, along with films such as "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and "Jurassic Park," helped usher in a new age of visual effects that enhanced our entertainent ten-fold.

Remember when Jackson turned into both a car and killer robot in the movie "Moonwalker?" Or when Jackson's music video "Black or White" introduced America to the world of morphing technology? Or when Michael Jackson turned into sand on the big budget video "Remember the Time?" And who can forget when Jackson leaned at a 45-degree angle in that famous dance sequence from the music video "Smooth Criminal?"

Michael Jackson just didn't break the mold--he created it. Comparing Jackson to singers and celebrities of today is futile. Jackson was a superstar talent who gave his audience a superstar performance. Today's entertainers are talented and famous (many ironically famous while not being talented), but no one is a genuine superstar outside of, arguably, Beyonce Knowles.

It also must be noted, too, what Michael Jackson did for African-American artists. When MTV and others had no desire to give a black artist any airtime, Michael Jackson made artists of color relevant, safe, and acceptable. He kicked the door down and allowed the Usher's and Ne-Yo's of the world to walk in with little resistance. It's no wonder why their dance moves so resemble that of the King of Pop.

And as much as Jackson impacted television, the small screen certainly impacted him just as much. From footage of his legal troubles and court proceedings to revealing and ultimately damning interviews like Martin Bashir's 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson's success was made through television, but his fall from grace can also be attributed to the television medium, as well.

Whatever thoughts remain on Jackson the man, there's no denying the talent and influence of Jackson, the artist. Both baby boomers and their children grew up loving Michael Jackson, and his impact on television was beyond measure.

The impossible is now possible. The impossible is now the norm.