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Total Request Live (commonly known as TRL) is a television program on MTV that features popular music videos. The program plays the top ten most requested videos of the day, as requested by viewers who can vote online. The countdown starts with the tenth most requested video and ends with the most requested. The program generally airs every weekday for one hour, though the scheduling and length have occasionally fluctuated over the years.

History

The roots of TRL go back to 1997 when MTV began producing MTV Live (originally hosted by British VJ Toby Amies) from a studio in Times Square in New York. MTV Live featured celebrity interviews, musical performances, and regular news updates. Though producers downplay the similarities, MTV Live shared several signature elements with a live show on MuchMusic, a Canadian competitor's channel, including its Good Morning America-styled windows-displaying-onlookers-on-a-metropolitan-street format. Music videos were not the major focus of the program.

During the same time period, MTV aired a countdown show simply called Total Request, hosted by Carson Daly. Total Request was far more subdued, as Daly introduced music videos from an empty, dimly lit set. As the show progressed and gained more momentum with viewers tuning in, it was soon added to the list of daytime programming during MTV's Summer Share in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The countdown would end up being one of the most watched and most interactive shows in recent MTV history that summer, proving that it had potential to become an even larger success by combining with the element of live television.

By the fall of 1998, MTV producers decided to merge the real-time aspect of MTV Live and the fan-controlled countdown power of Total Request into Total Request Live, which made its official premiere from the MTV Studios in New York on September 14, 1998. The show has since grown to become MTV's unofficial flagship program.

The widely known acronym of TRL was adopted as the official title of the show in February 1999, after former VJs Carson Daly and Dave Holmes began using it on air regularly. The program is now rarely, if ever, referred to as its original title, Total Request Live.

TRL spent its first year developing a cult-type following, by spring 2000 the countdown reached its peak, becoming a very recognizable pop culture icon in its first two years of existence; however, its influence seems to have greatly diminished since. A weekend edition of the show known as TRL Weekend, with a countdown consisting an average of the week's Top 10, aired for a short time in 2000.

Criticism

TRL receives a significant amount of criticism. Some viewers complain of its habit of not airing complete videos. The show also allows audience members to make dedications on screen while videos are played, interrupting the song.

As a "Top 10" show, TRL repeatedly plays the same videos every day with little variance (except when a new video enters the countdown), which has led critics to speculate that the show only showcases a certain, profitable, kind of music video programming and is used to promote mainstream artists and make them more popular while leaving the more serious music for MTV2. When MTV personality Tom Green created a novelty song 'The Bum Bum Song' it was vaulted into TRL's #1 spot after Green (at the height of his popularity) beseeched his audience to request it. According to Green's biography, MTV insisted he pull the song from TRL, lending credence to the idea that MTV had specific music it wanted to promote through TRL.

The general format of TRL has also drastically shifted from its originating premise of showing the day's top ten with one or two guests and an MTV News segment. In comparison to its debut, TRL has added a large amount of star promotion for upcoming movies, TV shows, and albums, entertainment-related news outside of music, and fan-oriented activities.

Another frequent criticism that TRL faces is that it only panders to the so-called teenybopper and urban brackets. Sketch comedy shows like Madtv, Nickelodeon's All That, and Saturday Night Live (SNL) have mocked TRL in the past. On SNL, Jimmy Fallon (portraying Daly) would proclaim that he was a "massive tool." On All That, they would call the show TR Yell, and parody all of the screaming fans. They would also make fun of Carson Daly's determination to be "cool." Currently in 2006 TRL is one of the top shows on MTV. It does not show "complete" videos but has many other activities to offer. Supposedly, teens can now be in the know.

Notes

TRL is MTV's prime outlet for music videos nowadays as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to the music videos, TRL has daily guests as it is a popular promotion tool used by many musicians, actors, and other celebrities to promote their newest works to the show's target teen audience.

Music videos that air on TRL are subject to a general "retirement" rule, that they may only remain on the countdown for a limited amount of days, the current cap is 50 days (previously 65, this number was reduced in 2002 in order to promote more diversity and give other artists a chance to enter the top ten). Artists who do manage to hang onto the countdown and reach retirement are awarded with a plaque, commemorating their achievement.

See also: List of Total Request Live retired videos

Career Benefits

Many view this show as the show that launched the careers of many teen artists from the late 1990s/early 2000s. Even though boy bands the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync were out before TRL made it on air in mid 1998, both groups didn't reach their commercial peaks until after their videos were seen on TRL. In 1999, the Backstreet Boys second LP 'Millennium' achieved the highest first week sales ever from an LP, thanks in part to the many TRL fans who closed down the streets of times square in order to see the group live on the show. 'N Sync did the same thing in 2000 when their second LP, 'No Strings Attached' topped the BSBs' first week sales, and fans closed down the streets of times square once again. For the most part of 1998, 1999 and 2000, BSB and 'N Sync would always fight over the #1 position on the countdown.

Detroit rapper, Eminem made his mainstream debut on the show in 1999 with his video for "My Name Is." The video became the first rap video to gain the #1 spot on the show. TRL eventually retired the video after thirty days in a row at the top spot.

Pop princesses Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moore, all made their debuts on TRL as well. Britney and Christina specifically became huge after their videos became hits on the countdown. The two princesses became regulars on the show and would appear on the show live often. If BSB or 'N Sync did not have any videos out, then it would usually be Aguilera and Spears who would flip-flop for the #1 position. Simpson wouldn't see the same type of success until 5 years later, when she finally made it big on her MTV reality show Newlyweds, which helped her videos become hits on TRL.

On October 23, 2002, TRL celebrated its 1,000th episode (With the #1 video being none other than Christina Aguilera's Dirrty). The show reached its seventh anniversary in September 2005, maintaining its stake as MTV's longest-running live program, and second longest in the network's entire history with The Real World continuing to claim ultimate superiority.

VJs

In 2003, Carson Daly stepped down as the host of TRL in order to host NBC's Last Call. Hosting since has been a revolving door of VJs including Damien Fahey, Vanessa Minnillo, Quddus, La La Vasquez, Susie Castillo, and Hilarie Burton. Quddus' full name is Benjamin Quddus Philippe.

Current hosts are Damien Fahey, Vanessa Minnillo, Susie Castillo, Cipha Sounds, La La Vasquez and Stephen Coletti. Stephen Coletti has been on TRL many times before. He had been promoting Laguna Beach. The rest of the VJs are currently working on separate projects. La La Vasquez is now working of what is going to be her debut rap album. Hilarie Burton is currently working on episodes of One Tree Hill, and Quddus is now working on a movie set to be released soon.

Registered voters may vote online for TRL videos at MTV.com. Only one vote per day is allowed. Votes are also taken through 1-800-DIAL-MTV during select hours.

Cultural References

The show has been parodied countless times on sketch comedy shows, like MADtv, Saturday Night Live, and All That. More recently, the show was parodied on the MTV2 program Wonder Showzen. In the first season episode "Health", the show was parodied as Total Racewar Live, hosted by Wonder Showzen's black supremisist chacacter Rufus Truthfist.

International Versions

  • The British version known as TRL UK was hosted by Dave Berry, Alex Zane, Jo Good, and Maxine Akhtar. It was broadcast live from Leicester Square in London. Following the 1st series broadcast from Leicester Square, the top 10 countdown was scrapped. The last series finished at the end of 2005. Although the TRL UK website stated they were preparing for the next series, the show never returned, and its studios are now being used for weekly talk show fronted by Russell Brand (also on MTV).
  • The German version of TRL is also very successful troughout Europe and is known as Total Request Live Germany. TRL Germany has the highest television ratings from all other TRL versions in Europe. The show is hosted by Joko and Mirjam troughout the week from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. TRL Germany is set in Berlin.
  • The Polish version of the show has started on July 11, 2005. This is the newest international version of TRL which is hosted by MTV Poland VJs: Kasia, Paulina and Adam live from Warsaw. Mon-Fri 5.00 p.m. - 6.00 p.m.
  • The Latin TRL is called Los 10+ Pedidos' (The 10 most requested) is hosted by "Gabo" in the Northern Region (Mexico) and the Central Region (Central America, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile and Bolivia) and by Cecilia in the Southern Region (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and parts of Brazil that receive the signal) and airs everyday. The Central region was recently revived after being fused with the Northern region; thus, while a new VJ is found and the voting process gets underway, the Northern 10+ is shown in those countries. A spin-off of it called Los 10+ Rock is also shown everyday and it focuses on the 10 most requested rock videos based on the voting for Los 10+ Pedidos. Two more spinoffs have recently appeared: Los 10+ Pop in the Southern Region and Los 10+ Metal in the Central Region.
  • In MTV Brazil there is a very similar program, that is often compared to TRL, called Disk MTV. This program was created before TRL, existing since the launch of MTV Brazil in 1990, and has never changed its format (a top ten request show) over the years. Mon-Fri 6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.

See also

Recent TRL live performances

U.S. Recent Top 10 Countdown

Video days: Monday to Thursday
Updated: July 17, 2006
Currently Artist Title Yesterday Peak Days on TRL Album
#10 T.I. "Why You Wanna"
#10
#1 (4X)
34
KING
#9 Panic! At The Disco "But It's Better If You Do"
#8
#8
6
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
#8 Nelly Furtado f/ Timbaland "Promiscuous"
#9
#1 (1X)
34
Loose
#7 Cassie "Me & U"
#4
#1 (3X)
19
 Cassie
#6 Rihanna "Unfaithful"
#6
#1 (14X)
42
A Girl Like Me
#5 Aly & AJ "Chemicals React"
#5
#5
5
 Into the Rush (Deluxe Edition)
#4 Beyoncé "Déjà Vu"
#7
#4
2
B'Day
#3 Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Man"
#1
#1 (6X)
10
 Back To Basics
#2 Ashlee Simpson "Invisible"
#3
#2
12
 I Am Me
#1 Fort Minor "Where'd You Go"
#2
#1 (5X)
50
 The Rising Tied

Mexico Recent Top 10 Countdown

Video days: Monday to Friday
If it was Monday to Thursday: *
Updated: July 17, 2006
Currently Artist Title Yesterday Peak Days on TRL* Days on TRL Album
#1 Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie"
#2
#1 (13x)
36
46
Oral Fixation Vol. 2
#2 The Rasmus "Shot"
#3
#1 (1x)
15
19
Hide from the Sun
#3 Black Eyed Peas "Pump It"
#1
#1 (9x)
47
62
Monkey Business
#4 Allison "Frágil"
#5
#3
20
25
Allison
#5 t.A.T.u. "Gomenasai"
#6
#5
16
20
Dangerous and Moving
#6 Nelly Furtado "Maneater"
#7
#6
12
15
Loose
#7 División Minúscula "Sismo"
#8
#7
4
5
Defecto Perfecto
#8 Panda "D. Malos Pensamientos"
#4
#1 (19X)
60
77
Para Ti Con Desprecio
#9 Ashlee Simpson "L.O.V.E."
#9
#3
63
80
I Am Me
#10 A.F.I. "Miss Murder"
#10
2
2
Decemberunderground

External links

MTV television series | 1990s TV shows in the United States | 2000s TV shows in the United States

Total Request Live | Total Request Live

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Total Request Live".

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