August 17, 2017
by Carla Hay
In a move aimed at recapturing its former glory, MTV is reviving two of its most famous music series: “Unplugged” and “TRL” (formerly known as “Total Request Live”). The new “Unplugged” will premiere September 8, 2017 with an episode featuring Shawn Mendes. The new “TRL,” a show that includes celebrity interviews and a countdown of popular music, will premiere on October 2, 2017,
The original “TRL,” which was on the air from 1998 to 2008, was hosted by Carson Daly. The new “TRL” will have a rotating group of five hosts: DJ/actress Amy Pham; rapper/comedian D.C. Young Fly; iHeartMedia personality Erik Zachary; former Revolt correspondent Lawrence K. Jackson; Tamara Dhia, a former writer/producer/host at Complex.
According to a press release that MTV issued in July 2017: “The daily live show will air from the network’s iconic Times Square studio and become the prime destination for youth culture and a meeting point for millions of fans. Expanded by nearly 200 percent, the 8,700 square-foot multi-functional studio allows for bigger audiences, expansive sets and simultaneous productions including new digital extensions of ‘TRL.’ The show will integrate linear, social and digital under the ‘TRL’ brand and bring teen passion points to life, while continuing to incorporate audience requests. The digital extensions will feature platform-specific, premium content across YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Musical.ly.”
“Unplugged,” which debuted in 1989, is a showcase for artists to perform acoustic concerts in an intimate setting. Eric Clapton, Nirvana and Mariah Carey were among those who had critically acclaimed, popular “Unplugged” episodes in the show’s early years. Several artists released their “Unplugged” episodes as albums and/or home videos. The show has been on and off hiatus for the past decade.
MTV launched in 1981 as a 24-hour network for music, but MTV began moving away from music programming in the late 1980s. By the beginning of the 21st century, more than half of MTV’s programming consisted of non-music programs, as shows like “The Hills,” “Jersey Shore” and “Teen Mom” became pop-culture hits for the network. MTV dropped the words “Music Television” from its logo in 2010.
MTV has been experiencing plummeting ratings in recent years, caused by the network failing to have a completely original breakout hit in years, as well as the Internet/social media dominating the media attention of MTV’s teenage target audience. However, the network has shown signs of ratings improvement with its reboot of the game show “Fear Factor,” which delivered MTV’s highest ratings in two years when the reboot premiered in May 2017. “Fear Factor” was originally on NBC from 2001 to 2006 and 2011 to 2012 with Joe Rogan as host. MTV’s “Fear Factor” is hosted by Ludacris.