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MTV (originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television channel. It was officially launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global.
Aug 2, 2021 · The televisual monoculture of the post-war era gave way to more diverse content. MTV, through alignment with the music charts, helped to fill a popular cultural gap, especially since it greatly...
- Adam Behr
Sep 17, 2024 · MTV, cable television network that began as a 24-hour platform for music videos. MTV debuted just after midnight on August 1, 1981, with the broadcast of “ Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles.
MTV, originally an initialism of Music Television, is an American cable television channel that launched on August 1, 1981 by Warner Communications. It is currently owned by Paramount Global, and is one of the company's flagship brands. MTV's original focus was on music-related programming, including blocks of music videos.
- Best MTV Shows of All Time: Music
- Best MTV Shows of All Time: Comedy
- Best MTV Shows of All Time: Animated
- Best MTV Shows of All Time: Reality
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged brought iconic acoustic performances from everyone from Nirvana to Mariah Careyto Jay-Z (accompanied by The Roots) and beyond. The format allowed artists a new way to display their talents beyond the traditional music video or live concert format. Often, the reworked versions of their tracks became classics in and of themselves, with many of the recordings (including Carey's, Tony Bennett's and Rod Stewart's, among others) going platinum. In fact, Eric Clapton's Unplugged album...
MTV Diary
MTV Diary gave an inside glimpse at the stars defining the period, with its Britney Spears episode resonating especially poignantly in a post-New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spearsera. Premiering in 2000, the documentary series showcased days in the lives of the era's A-list, including Beyoncé, Lindsay Lohan, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Blink-182, Brandy, Kelly Clarkson, Aaliyah, Jay-Z and more, with its most recent editions focusing on intimate looks at...
Total Request Live
Total Request Live (TRL) was basically the first time a lot of us were able to exercise our right to vote...for the top 10 music videos of the day. From stars meeting their fans in and outside of the Times Square studio to live performances and interviews, TRL was a major cultural moment, especially for boy bands, pop girls, hip-hop acts and pop-punk stars of the day. Related: Stop, Look and Listen—These Are the 71 Best Music Videos Of All Time
The State
The State is one of the most underrated comedic gems ever, not just on MTV. Featuring the talents of Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio and Kerri Kenney-Silver, among others, the 1993 sketch show was the birthplace of future projects including Reno 911! and Wet Hot American Summer, and castmembers have gone on to also appear in series like Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
The Tom Green Show
The Tom Green Show is so iconic that it led TRL to retire videos, because "The Bum Bum Song (Lonely Swedish)" dominated the countdown so dramatically (and because Green himself said it was "unfair to 98 Degrees"). Tom Green was absurdist and shocking in his stunts, but he made fun of himself just as much as he mocked everything else.
The Andy Milonakis Show
The Andy Milonakis Show may have been even more absurd than The Tom Green Show. The titular Andy Milonakis delivered a more PG-version of comedy, featuring man-on-the-street segments in New York City's Lower East Side (and later Los Angeles), animated shorts and celebrity guests including Lil' Jon, Snoop Dogg, John Stamos, Sarah Silverman and more. He also had a pretty iconic theme songthat's guaranteed to get stuck in your head.
Daria
Daria's titular, iconic character's famous phrase was, "I don't have low self-esteem. It's a mistake. I have low esteem for everyone else." A spinoff of Beavis and Butthead, Daria Morgendorffer was every sarcastic, cynical and misanthropic teenage girl's dream. The show examined suburbia and high school social classism in hilarious ways, and fans are in luck: A reboot based on student body president Jodie is in the works with Tracee Ellis Rossvoicing the titular fellow smartypants, and Daria...
Beavis and Butthead
Low brow? Yes. Hilarious? Also yes. Beavis and Butthead follows two degenerates as they try to navigate high school (poorly), date (poorly), find jobs (poorly) and generally function (poorly). Aside from Mike Judge's hysterically funny animation and characters, Beavis and Butthead also had music video segments akin to Mystery Science Theater 3000 thanks to the title characters' commentary.
Liquid Television / Aeon Flux
Liquid Television was a series of oft-deranged animated shorts, the most famous of which was Aeon Flux, which spawned a movie spinoff starring Charlize Theron. The show also launched Beavis and Butthead and Office Space from animator and creator Mike Judge.
Real World/Road Rules/The Challenge
The original reality show was MTV's The Real World, and Road Rules and The Challenge spawned from it. Throwing strangers together in an often-tense living situation, whether in a cushy pad or an RV, has provided endless drama for decades. From early LGBTQIA+ representation to confronting harsh realities of systemic racism, MTV's original reality series were constantly at the forefront of social issues on air. The added competition elements of Road Rules and The Challenge only upped the dramat...
MTV Cribs
MTV Cribs was a look at how and where the other half lives. The series explored celebrity homes in all of their splendor, from pools to pantries to their car collections, and created a slew of viral moments (like Mariah Carey in her home gym and everywhere else) and taught us that rapper Nellyuses Charmin. Fan favorite moments were often glimpses inside stars' refrigerators (especially 50 Cent's, which was, of course, full of Vitamin Water).
True Life
True Life is one of the best documentary series of its time. Its harrowing and real depictions of everything from living below the poverty line to the dramas of owning a Jersey Shore timeshare to pets gone wild (check out Hamsome the pig!) were simultaneously entertaining, moving, infuriating and at times hilarious.
Nov 6, 2011 · MTV's impact was immense during the 1980s. It made artists like Madonna and Guns N' Roses into stars. But if you turn on MTV today, you'll have a hard time finding any videos at all.
May 29, 2023 · With MTV News ending, we're taking a look back at MTV's history and how it became such a cultural institution.
