20 classic MTV shows we miss

One of MTV's most prolific shows came in 1998 with the launch of Total Request Live. While the premise was a video countdown show of the most requested videos voted by fans via phone or the web, it was also a great promotional tool for artists to make their way to Times Square and promote an upcoming album. Some of the show’s most memorable hosts include Carson Daly, Quddus, and La La Vasquez. It also goes without saying that TRL gave us some truly iconic performances throughout its decade-long run The show ran from 1998 to 2008, saw a short-lived revival in 2017, and then eventually rebranded as Fresh Out Live.

MTV was way ahead of the game in reality TV when the network launched The Real World back in 1992. The show’s premise was based on several young adults living together in a temporary residence and constantly being filmed, showcasing the interpersonal drama between them and their respective lives. The show became the network’s longest running program ever, lasting for 33 seasons. 

For fans who wanted some behind-the-scenes looks of how music videos are made, tuning in to Making the Video was necessary. In the show, viewers got the chance to see the production, direction, and filming of a video, and each episode concluded with the video's premiere. Some videos that were seen on the show were Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U,” Janet Jackson’s “Doesn’t Really Matter,” Nelly’s “Hot In Herre,” and Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor.”

Yo! MTV Raps was the first hip-hop music show on the MTV network. The premise was based on airing music videos, interviewing rappers, and landing some in-studio performances. Some of the prominent hosts included Fab 5 Freddy, Doctor Dre, and Ed Lover. The show aired in the U.S. from August 1988 through August 1995, though it actually aired a year earlier on MTV Europe.

Pimp My Ride was always an interesting show concept, simply based on how people can be creative with cars. Its premise was based on how a vehicle that was in poor condition would get revitalized and customized in the most unique ways. West Coast Customs is the auto repair shop that would restore and "pimp" the vehicles back to life. The show aired from 2004 to 2007 and was hosted by rapper Xzibit. 

Who doesn’t love a good prank? Punk’d was created, produced, and hosted by Ashton Kutcher, who would prank celebrities as they were being followed on hidden cameras. One of most memorable episodes was when Kutcher pranked Halle Berry on the red carpet of her own movie premiere. The show ran from 2003 to 2012 for nine seasons, before getting rebooted on other networks. 

For fans who wanted to see how to throw lavish parties for teenagers, then tuning in to My Super Sweet 16 was essential. The premise of the show was to document teenagers with wealthy parents and planning their coming-of-age celebrations such as sweet 16 and quinceañera. Granted, viewers would see everything from the teenagers throwing tantrums, families going over the budgets, and teens being gifted luxury cars.

Diddy has always had an eye and ear for talent, and he showcased that on his talent competition show Making the Band. On the show, Diddy would hold auditions for aspiring singers and rappers who wanted to be in the band, the contestants also lived in the same house while learning choreography and recording music. Once Diddy and his team chose the musicians, the groups that were created were Danity Kane, Day26, and Da Band. 

In 2006, MTV launched its reality television show The Hills, which was a spin-off of Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. The show focused on the everyday lives of young men and women living in Southern California. The show primarily focused on Lauren Conrad, who appeared on Laguna Beach, as she tried to navigate the fashion industry.  

In 2005, MTV launched the reality TV show Run’s House. It was based Run-DMC rapper Rev Run and his family as they went through their everyday lives. Airing for six seasons, each episode ended with Rev Run giving some word of wisdom for the viewers. 

In 1998, MTV launched its clay-animation series Celebrity Deathmatch. The show’s premise was a parody of celebrities competing against each other in professional wrestling matches. Since the show had more of a cartoon element, it was easy to show the celebrities getting attacked with exaggerated injuries and gory violence. The show aired for six seasons and ended in June 2002. 

In 2009, MTV launched one of its most popular reality TV shows, Jersey Shore. The premise was based on following the lives of roommates in a vacation home. The show ran for six seasons and spawned a number of spin-offs, including Snooki & JWoww. 

Beginning in the late ‘90s and through the 2000s, MTV started focusing a lot more on reality television. One of their most popular shows was the documentary series True Life. The show was based on following individuals dealing with complicated aspects of their lives such as addictions, money issues, and careers. True Life aired for 21 seasons from March 1998 through June 2017. 

Reality competition shows were all the rage in the 2000s, and thanks to record executive and American Idol judge Randy Jackson, MTV launched America’s Best Dance Crew. The show's premise was to find the world’s best dance crew, have them take on different challenges each week, and compete for a $100,000 grand prize. The show was hosted by Mario Lopez and featured judges Lil Mama, JC Chasez, and Shane Sparks, among others. The hip-hop dance crew Jabbawockeez was the winner of the first season. 

In 2000, MTV had celebrities give viewers a glimpse of their everyday lives on Diary, a mini-documentary series that followed celebrities telling their own stories. The beginning of each episode started with the celebrity saying this slogan, “You think you know, but you have no idea.” Some of the most memorable episodes included celebrities like Aaliyah, Lindsay Lohan, Brittany Murphy, Green Day, and Beyoncé. 

MTV expanded their programming when they got more into animated series. In 1997, the network launched the animated series Daria, which followed a teenager going though high school and family life. Daria’s character is often very nonchalant, pessimistic, and sarcastic about pretty much everything going on in the world. 

Jamie Foxx wanted to help men turn their lives around as he created the show From G’s to Gents. Hosted by Fonzworth Bentley, the show was based on guys who were known for being a bit rough around the edges and guiding them to become more sophisticated gentlemen. 

In 1998, MTV aired its first episode of Say What? Karaoke. The premise was a game show in which contestants would perform karaoke and have their performance judged by celebrities. 

For kids who were too young to experience spring break as college students in the ‘90s and 2000s, MTV made it seem like their Spring Break coverage was the place to be every year. The coverage featured music performances from the hottest artists and beachside versions of the network’s most popular shows. 

Ever wondered what it would be like to meet your favorite celebrity? MTV made dreams like this come true with their show FANatic. The premise was based on everyday people being tricked into going somewhere and unexpectedly meeting their famous idol.