TV Networks That Went Downhill

[Woops]

MTV2 should be rebranded as a cult tv channel with MTV & Comedy Central shows, animation, rarely seen movies, short lived tv shows, etc.  Rather than a Disney XD for teenagers.

[Woops]

There's a rumor that "Best Week Ever" might get cancelled or is in a "long hiatus"... though haven't watched  VH1 regularly for a while and pretty much went downhill for over 6 years.

MTV2 has a new show called "MTV2 Legit", which I can't find much info besides that the promo shows clips of various MTV cartoons, bumpers, and '90's music videos. Guessing similar to "Authentic Reproduction" or "I Love the '90's" without the dumb commentary. As long they don't show reality shows from that era.

I'll check it out it though

A blog that mentions the show

MTV2 Legit
 
Remember when MTV used to be awesome? I barely do, since it stopped being awesome soon after the first time I ever had cable (1996 -- my childhood was robbed). Well, you (and I) are in luck. MTV2 is airing something called MTV2 Legit, which, according to the commercials, is a celebration of all things great about MTV in the '90s: Ren & Stimpy, Jimmy the Cab Driver commercials (starring a young and greasy Donal Logue), and probably some other stuff. Even better, after MTV2 Legit, they are airing reruns of The State -- one of my favorite sketch comedy shows of all-time, featuring several comedians who are now on Reno 911. My only hope is that MTV2 re-airs the famed Sex in the '90s documentary featuring the Dog Brothers. Beggin'.

..

[Woops]

Ironically the same could be said for MTV in the '90's since I mostly remember mostly "Real World" & "Road Rules" marathons, game shows, specials, comedy shows, cartoons, and only a few hours of music videos. I found a schedule from 1999  that stated that music videos dominated mostly the dusk/morning hours. Similar to regular VH1, VH1 Classic, and maybe MTV until they replace "AMTV" with infomercials.

Plus, MTV2 only shows a certain amount of episodes of "Beavis & Butt-Head" & "Celebrity Deathmatch" for some reason while most the schedule is "Punk'd", "Jack@ss", "Pimp My Ride", "True Life", etc with nightly video hours devoted to current rap & emo videos. The only postive aspect is that there's no "Laguna Beach", "The Hills" or "The Real World".






Another blog I found on Google

“MTV does the thinking for you”
So I am watching television last night and I just happened to catch a commercial for a program airing on MTV2…

First, MTV has sucked for a really long time now.  And I mean SUCKED!  They don’t ever play videos anymore except for in the middle of the night around 2:00 or 3:00 am and they usually suck.  If I hear that Rock Star song by that classically horrible band known as Nickelback or the equally annoying rock referenced song by the equally horrible Pink one more time I might just end it all.  To that note, the whole rock star phrase and the little devil hand gesture has become so cliche’ and annoying.  Everyone throws up the symbol in pictures now and it is required if you are attempting to become popular among the Tiger Beat crowd (think the completely non-punk and total poser Avril Lavigne.)  It is just really annoying by now, that’s all.  Back to my original idea now.

…The program is called MTV2 Legit airing on MTV2.  A nice little pun referring to one hit from Mr MC Hammer himself.  The program is dedicated to playing original promos, you remember the ones with various different cartoons showing the MTV logo and such, original shows, original commercials and original videos from the 90’s.  Zoiks!  So obviously this makes me excited.  It will bring me back to the days when I would stay up all night long talking on the phone to friends while we watched videos and episodes of Liquid Television, The State, and Beavis and Butthead.  I used to love MTV back in the day.  Hopefully we will be privy to those commercials with Dennis Leary about not using drugs named after parts of our body and that Jimmy the cab driver (Donal Logue) who later went on to star in sitcoms such as “Life” and “Grounded for Life.”  Man, just typing this up reminds of what fun MTV used to be.  I still have several VHS tapes with hours of videos, Alternative Nation with Kennedy, The State, and various other MTV classics.

I know that I probably should have spent more time reading and by me watching so much MTV as a kid probably contributed to my lack of school and studies during middle and high school, but I turned out fine I think.  No Matter what, I am pretty excited about the whole thing.

PS It has already been 11 years since we graduated!  Sucks.  Most of the stuff they will probably show is already 20 years old.

[Woops]

The show's  an hour long... better off as a block and the promo (not on YouTube) is confusing


Guesses:

Similar to "Authentic Reproduction" that aired on MTV in 1997, that basically featured videos from a particular year from the  1980's with original bumpers and some clips like "Club MTV". But with videos from the 1990's (more likely gangsta rap, alternative, and '90's Madonna videos)

Along  with selected shorts from their cartoons/sketch comedy shows and original promos.
 

Starting June 12th:

10:00 PM "MTV2 Legit"
11:00 PM "Ren & Stimpy" (back to back)
12:00 AM "The State" (well 10 minutes plus commercials)
12:15 "The Young Ones" (Early '80's UK show that aired on MTV in the second half of the 1980's)

 

[Out of the Blue]

The more I think about it the more I think that nothing in TV history has gone downhill more than MTV did.  I remember when it was the best thing on TV and now I don't even know it's there.

[Woops]

My guess is somewhat correct


...commentary... ugh! as long it's not like "I Love the ___" 

I'll admit that I liked the original "Joe's Apartment" short though not the movie.

source

MTV2 LEGIT Resurrects Classic ’90s Shows
Posted June 12th, 2009by mtvU
 
In the ’90s, MTV released a string of shows that, although short-lived, quickly became cult classics.

The channel is finally giving in to demand and bringing many of those great shows back from the dead. MTV2 LEGIT showcases groundbreaking talents from shows that defined MTV in the 1990’s like Beavis & Butthead, Celebrity Deathmatch, The State and clips from Liquid Television including Aeon Flux and The Maxx.

MTV2 LEGIT opens the MTV archive and delivers a whole decade’s worth of music videos and on-air promos, including Denis Leary rants and awkward rides with Jimmy The Cab Driver, plus commentary from Method Man, Redman, Tom Morello and more.

To relive all these cult faves and more, tune in to MTV2 on Friday nights at 10PM ET.

For a little taste of what’s in store please enjoy not $100, but $240 Worth of Pudding

[Woops]

A few commentaries pop-up, though only in music videos and seen  "Beavis & Butt-Head" ("No Laughing"...sans intro) & a clip of "Aeon Flux" (too weird in retrospect)

"Sabotage" Beastie Boys  A classic spoof of '70's cop shows

"Firestarter" The Prodigy... ugh!!!! one of the worst 

Promo with Dennis Leary talking about his crush on Cindy Crawford... very dated and wonder if anybody under 20 even know who she is.

[Woops]

First 5 minutes of "The Maxx", actually still holds up and I enjoy the "comic book" style  animation

(Honestly, better if they just air the whole show in a regular slot)

Another episode of Beavis & Butt-Head when they find a camera and and episode of "Celebrity Deathmatch" where the boys actually fought...


Also a few sketched from "The State" including the "Dip the..." sketch that gets old fast (could've aired something  better).

MTV promo... a cooked chicken vs. a chef, funny though I was bored (like the woman in the back seat) during the Jimmy the cab driver thing.

Final music video: "Song #2" from Blur... eh, OK though the video's nothing special

One out of ten... pretty much a 5 since it could've been done better as a block rather than the "MTV2's Nacho Munchin, Clay Smashin', Spytastic, State Comedy Hour to the Maxx with a few videos with rejected commentaries from VH1 specials" 

[Woops]

Found 1994 MTV schedule

Slightly better than the schedule from 1999...


Can't find any from the 1980's... 

source

WED. 12/14

6AM- MTV's Rude Awakening
7AM - The Grind
7:30 - MTV's Rude Awakening
9AM - MTV Blocks
10AM-MTV Jams
12N - Music Videos
4PM - The Grind
4:30 - Lip Service
5PM - The Real World
5:30 - MTV's Most Wanted Jams
6PM - Music Videos
7PM - Alternative Nation
7:30 - Yo!
8PM - MTV Unplugged: Bob Dylan (N)
9PM - Dumb & Dumber Movie Special (N)
9:30 - House Of Style: Best Of '94 (N)
10PM -MTV's Xmas With Mariah Carey (N)
11PM- Beavis and Butthead
12md-Alternative Nation
1:30 - MTV Dreamtime
3AM - Beavis & Butthead
3:30 - MTV Dreamtime

Madonna weekend from 1998

I actually gotten tired of MTV & VH1's contanst exposure of Madonna...though now I wouldn't mind if VH1 Classic were to have a weekend devoted to her (now that's sayin' something)

Saturday
12:30-1 BREAKFAST WITH MADONNA
1-2 MADONNA'S TOP 10 LIVE PERFORMANCES
2-6 MTV'S MADONNA VIDEOGRAPHY
6-6:30 ULTRASOUND SPECIAL
6:30-7 DINNER WITH MADONNA
7-8 TAKE A BOW/NO BULL
8-PAJAMA PARTY


Sunday
8:30-9 BREAKFAST WITH MADONNA
4:30-5 ULTRASOUND
5-6 MADONNA TOP 10 LIVE PERFORMANCES
6-10 MTV'S MADONNA VIDEOGRAPHY
10-10:30 ULTRASOUND
10:30-PAJAMA PARTY

[Woops]

Found a Nickelodeon schedule from 1987  (sans Nick at Nite)
May 4, 1987

More variety and no constant repeats of the same shows with exceptions of marathons.

Though predated their Nicktoons by four years and a year before they acquired rights to air Looney Tunes.

6AM: Curious George
6:30AM: Dennis The Menace
7AM: Lassie
7:30AM: Mr. Wizard's World
8AM: The Little Prince
8:30AM: Today's Special
9AM: Shari Show (with Shari Lewis and Lambchop)
9:30AM: Kids' Writes
10AM Pinwheel (4 hours)
2PM: Today's Special (repeat)
2:30PM: Little Prince (repeat)
3PM Spartikus
3:30PM: Turkey TV
4PM: You Can't Do That On Television
4:30PM: Lassie
5PM: Dennis the Menace
5:30PM Double Dare
6PM: The Monkees
6:30PM: Nick Rocks
7PM: You Can't Do That On Television
7:30PM: Danger Mouse (followed by Bananaman)

[Woops]

Nickelodeon...

I mostly watched "Looney Tunes" (mainly colorized Porky Pig, Road Runner, Bugs Bunny, and the infamous Daffy vs Speedy cartoons... which I don't remember besides Daffy having fat feet), "Ren & Stimpy", "Rocko's Modern Life", and sometimes "Doug" or "Rugrats" (both are now cringe worthy). Never was into their game shows and didn't get cable until around 1994. (though watched cable tv a few times before in other places...)

Stopped watching around 1998/1999 when I grew out of the channel, though now watch a few current cartoons time to time.

[Woops]

On Toon Zone there's a very long thread about Cartoon Network's downfall with reality shows...

Personally, the channel's already in the dumps for over 7 years when they yanked many older cartoons and overexposed more of their recent programming. Now it's just a few showings of whatever "Scooby Doo" incarnation and theatrical "Tom & Jerry" cartoons in the morning while most of the hours are pretty much stuff that are only been around for a few years.


Cartoon Network is  promoting their upcoming reality shows with a "fanzine"... Haven't they learned from their tween sitcom fiasco  (though I'm aware that they air live action movies and Adult Swim also airs live action programming)

“Cartoon is also relying on decidedly old-school technology in an attempt to lure viewers to the new lineup: a fanzine. The network is printing eight million copies of the fanzine, which will blend pop culture tips with promotional messaging related to the new shows. The publication will be distributed at movie theaters, Six Flags amusement parks, the Essence Music Festival, Cartoon Network live tours and other events.”

[BRinLA]

A couple of weeks ago I took a two week vacation from work. The first week I just kind of relaxed at home and the 2nd week I spent 4 very enjoyable days in the Great city of San Francisco. During the first week I just kind of hung out at home. One of those days I had to stick around home and wait for UPS. I turned on the tv in the afternoon to kill time. It is just amazing the garbage that is on tv during the day.

A few years ago they made such a big deal about Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfuntion at the Super Bowl. I really did not think it was that big of a deal. The FCC was going to look into this.

What I can't understand is the themes and situations that Soap Operas openly promote on their shows. Now I know it is all fiction. But my gosh having children with multiple woman, Cheating on your spouse many times over. Also people who don't care about anyone excpet themselves. It is just amazing to me that they put this garbage on TV. If the FCC really wants to clean up what is on TV as they did with Janet Jackson how about looking into the themes and situations Soap Operas promote. Also the Maury Povich show is another real winner. I don't know how shows with such low moral values stay on the air. My gosh. You watch a show like Maury Povich and it makes you wonder if that show is staged, you wonder how can their be that many people that don't know who their baby's father is. Why people want to air their dirty laundry like that on TV is beyond me.

[Woops]

Trash tv sells

As for sleaze factor, MTV and VH1 probably would be the worst with countless shows about party girls to seeing celebrities humilating themselves.

 

Though one thing that I find really grating are those pop-ups that interrupts the shows (ie promos to shows that are coming on next) and long commercials.

[Out of the Blue]

Just take a look at how tabloid the mainstream news has become.