MTV’s New Lineup: A Mixed Millennial Bag
Posted by meredith on 04-30-2009
Earlier this week MTV announced a new lineup with nine new shows and four returning series targeted heavily towards millennials (yes, like always, but more so). After sorting through a heap of press about what they have on tap, I’m feeling slightly dazed. The channel is clearly trying to do a lot. So in an effort to sort through my confusion I thought I’d blog some of the shows that caught my eye — for better or for worse.
I’m curious about…
The Buried Life. For anyone who missed The New York Times article about “The Buried Life,” it’s basically an inspirational reality show about four buddiess making their way across the country trying to help strangers fulfill their dreams. While it’s easy to roll your eyes at the idea of an MTV reality show for the Obama era as a a hoaky concept, it’s definitely a step up (and a few levels of depth down) from the mindless alternatives like “Pranked” or Justin Timberlake’s “The Phone”
$5 Cover. A more gritty reality series shot by Craig Brewer, writer-director of “Hustle & Flow,” with a web component that offers 15 digital episodes following a group of Memphis musicians as they haunt bars, clubs and cafes).”$5 Cover” While I’m again a little weary about whether viewers will follow the documentary-style program from screen to screen, it sounds like a noble effort to reincorporate the music into music television, while still keeping pace with the kids today.
The Alexa Chung Show. An hour long Total Request Live–esque show hosted by British model Alexa Chung that will include celebrity guests, musical performances, and the best of the web. The kicker is that it will incorporate Twitter for instantaneous feedback with the host and her guests. This sounds like a smart move in the same vein as the Backchannel comments game that gained traction with “The Hills”
I’m concerned about…
Pranked. From the press release: “A weekly 30 minute show of the very best pranks pulled straight off the internet.” I’d have thought MTV would have learned their lesson from “The CollegeHumor Show” last year, which didn’t make it on to the lineup. You can’t just put the web on TV and hope that it works. Even if it is a “best of” show like this. The value of the content just doesn’t translate
Disaster Date. A hidden camera show where “unsuspecting daters get set up on disastrous blind dates by their friends.” This sounds like the string of unfortunate dating shows that started back with “Dismissed” (a trashy, but compelling setup where one guy or girl chose between two dates) and ended with “Wanna Come In?” a sad, borderline offensive show where two “studs” trained two “losers” in the art of dating. This sounds like it falls on the latter end of the spectrum.
The Hills. The zombie-like “Hills” franchise is forging ahead. Even the star,Lauren Conrad, is over it. Not only that, but they’re also in talks about resurrecting an umpteenth spin-off with co-star Audrina Patridge. Despite the fact that the “The City” starring Whitney Port only did so-so at best. My advice? End it. End it now. And if audiences demand it. Bring it back.
Categorized under: TV