Our MTV wishes have come true. The channel that gives its audience everything from the world of pop culture and entertainment just announced that "Total Request Live," also known as "TRL," will be coming back with plenty of upgrades. Being that the 10-year running show aired its last episode in 2008, we are expected to be seeing a modernized version of what we used to know.
Something old, Something new
The new "TRL" will be recorded in the original studio in Times Square. The studio will feature an even bigger audience than before, due to the 8,700 square-foot expansion that it has received.
The show will also keep its main concept of celebrity interviews, its famous music video countdowns, and cooperation of a studio audience.
However, there are of course some new changes to be expected. "TRL" will also be producing daily content that will reach popular social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat. The content is said to be unique--Making it specific for each platform, and different from what will be shown on the live show.
We will also be seeing a change in the host. Chris Daly had been the face of MTV's popular live show until it came to an end; However, this year they will be introducing five new faces to the game. MTV hopes that the "TRL" name is a big enough star on its own and that they won't need a familiar face to bring in viewers.
They wanted to go in a different direction and take a 'fresh face' approach. D.C. Youngfly, a comedian and social media star, Erik Zachary, a radio host for Chicago's iHeartMedia's 103.5 Kiss FM, DJ and ambassador for companies such as Forever 21 and CoverGirl, Amy Pham, celebrity interviewer, Lawrence Jackson, and Tamara Dhia, who has interviewed top celebs, will all be sharing the title of co-host.
With "TRL" being one of the few shows to make a revival on the network, president of MTV Chris McCarthy is hoping that it will be the beginning of a new and more successful era. McCarthy revealed in a recent New York Times interview that bringing shows like "Fear Factor" and "Wild N Out" back the to surface have improved ratings - making them higher than they have been in the last four years.
In the past, we have seen artists on the show, from Snoop Dogg, to Jennifer Lopez, to Brittany Spears. Being that the network has revealed that their core audience are between ages 18 and 34, it would be easy to guess that they would want to guest host artists and celebrities that are relevant in today's pop culture world.
"TRL's" newest version is said to program an hour a day, but can potentially extend to two or three hours a day, according to McCarthy. It was announced Monday that MTV will be premiering the revival on Oct. 2, 2017.
