Michael Jackson’s estate is demanding the Discovery Channel call off plans for a prime time show set to air Jan. 13 in the United Kingdom claiming to re-enact the star’s autopsy, the Associated Press is reporting. In an open letter sent to Discovery Communications on Wednesday, John Branca and John McClain of Jackson’s estate condemned the show as “in shockingly bad taste,” and inspired only ”blind desire to exploit Michael’s death, while cynically attempting to dupe the public into believing this show will have serious medical value.” Especially at issue was a print advertisement for the show of a body covered with a sheet, with one hand exposed wearing Jackson’s iconic sequined glove; Branca and McClain call the ad “debased, sick and insensitive.”

When reached by EW, U.S. and international reps for the Discovery Channel had no comment. Fans of the late singer started an online petition protesting the programming earlier this month that now has more than 9,000 signatures. On Dec. 13, the group posted a response it received from the Discovery Networks Viewer Relations department: “We are very sorry to hear that you have been disappointed by the scheduled broadcast of Michael Jackson’s Autopsy. Our programming covers a wide variety of topics, which we appreciate at times may not suit the tastes of some of our viewers,” it reads. “Michael Jackson was one of the world’s most important music artists in modern times. Throughout his life there was wide-ranging speculation about medical conditions that affected him. This documentary examines at the actual medical facts around those conditions to determine the true cause of his death, utilizing the official coroners’ report and professional opinions from a range of leading medical experts. We value all of our viewers’ feedback and will pass your comments on to the programming department.”