Starting August 1, VH1 Classic is getting a makeover and relaunching as MTV Classic. The title doesn’t look like a huge change, but what’s got us really excited is the content. MTV Classic will air shows and music videos exclusively from the 1990s. If you’re old enough to remember the 90s like we are, then you know that it was a decade filled with intelligent, dark, and sometimes disgusting humor. And if you aren’t old enough to remember, you’re going to find some gems you can appreciate as an adult.
August 1st marks the 35th anniversary of MTV’s launch. To celebrate, MTV Classic will rebroadcast the first hour of the 1981 original MTV launch. Then they’ll fast forward into the next decade. What do you have to look forward to?
Beavis and Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-Head is one of those shows that you either hate or you realize is completely brilliant. The show is about two teenage delinquents who had no parental supervision, no maturity, and no clue. The show left an entire generation with catch phrases that either sounded really dumb, or made you chuckle every time you head them.
Daria
Daria was a spin-off from Beavis and Butt-Head that followed the highly intelligent, anti-social Daria and her best friend Jane. Daria spoke to the outcast in all of us, to when the world seemed so stupid and awful that you just want to laugh. And every single character who wasn’t Daria or Jane was stupid in their own delightfully charming way.
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged aired for two solid decades, and for good reason. The show featured music artists performing with acoustic instruments. These were almost always artists with electronic-based music, so the show allowed them to explore different sounds. Many performers would then release Unplugged albums afterward. It was fascinating to hear some of your favorite bands in a whole new way. Featured performers included a huge range of styles from Mariah Carey to Queensrÿche. The show actually won a Peabody award and three Emmy nominations.
Pimp My Ride
Do you like cars? Do you like makeover shows? How about a makeover show about cars? That’s exactly what Pimp My Ride was all about. Well, crazy car makeovers and the crazy dudes who actually performed them. The creative auto teams of West Coast Customs and Galpin Auto Sports would examine each candidate’s clunker and design some utterly crazy interior and exterior for each vehicle. Even if you aren’t into cars, the creativity and artistry is truly mind-blowing.
Jackass
Don’t try this at home. With a title like Jackass, you already know you’re not in for anything thought-provoking or meaningful. So what? Sometimes you just want to watch people do stupid things and laugh. The premise was simple. A group of dudes would play pranks and try stunts that were both potentially funny and potentially dangerous. Note the word “potentially.” You can never be sure what you’re going to get. Each stunt was elaborate and entertaining to the point where it was difficult to look away.
Æon Flux
Strange, sexy, and totally cool, Æon Flux was a favorite mind-trip in the 90s. It was a sci-fi, animated series about an assassin who would infiltrate the neighboring police state Bregna to tear it down from the inside. Each episode was a standalone, sometimes leaving you wondering if the main character was alive or dead at the end. Apparently it depends on which order you what the episodes. So um…have fun with that. You know what? Continuity isn’t important.
Other shows you’ll be able to catch include Total Request Live (a.k.a. TRL), Punk’d, Clone High, Wonder Showzen, Run’s House, Storytellers, and MTV Cribs. If you want to catch old school seasons of The Real World and Road Rules, well you’re in luck. There is one show that seems to be conspicuously missing from the announcement, and that’s Headbanger’s Ball. For hard rock fans, this show was everything. I wouldn’t give up hope yet. There are probably more shows that haven’t been officially announced.
What shows are you excited to see return? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Image credits: MTV