5 Award Shows You Forgot About

 

MTV's Video Music Awards (VMA's) was held last night from the UBS arena in upstate New York. I'm sure most people like myself had no idea the VMA's were coming on, let alone that it was still a thing. You know since MTV doesn't play music at all these days.

Once upon a time award shows were must see TV live in the moment. That's not the case anymore as most have lost they're luster. The VMA's got me thinking about award shows that are no longer around, created during the excess eras of the 90's and 2000's. 

For every BET Awards, Grammy's, Academy Awards, and American Music Awards still kicking. There are quite a few you simply forgot about, so here's 5.

5. VH1 Big In Awards

This one I almost guarantee no one remembers, because I sure as hell didn't remember. And it appears the internet doesn't remember it as well, as information on it is hard to find.

Essentially it was an award show held in December each year, celebrating and honoring big things that occurred in pop culture that year. A cool concept when you think about it. It's lost to time though as the earliest I can find the Awards existed was 2002, and experienced some breaks through the years having its last show in 2015 (which I don't recall at all.)

4. Scream Awards

The Scream Awards was a Spike TV (now the Paramount network) production back it was a network catered to men. Kicking off in 2006, the awards show honored everything in horror, sci-fi, comic books and fantasy. Genres that were deemed "overlooked".

The last ceremony held was in 2011 as many of those genres became accepted and more popular, with the general population. In addition to Spike TV moving in other directions with programming.

3. TV Guide Awards

At one time TV Guide was a hugeeee deal. People relied on the printed magazines to keep them in the loop with what is coming on. As technology advanced that reliance moved to the TV Guide channel, the scrolling looping schedule of programming by the hour. And then it was a big accomplishment for a celebrity to make the cover of the TV Guide magazine.

The TV Guide Awards were originally held in the fifties and sixties before being discontinued. It was revived in 1999 and lasted until February 2001. Right around the time digital cable was becoming available and people didn't see much need in the TV Guide function or brand.

2. Blockbuster Entertainment Awards

Back when Blockbuster ruled the rental world they further added to their dominace by making an Awards ceremony. The idea was to use the branding to promote stores and highlight big budget films and celebrities. The ones that probably would never be nominated for Academy Awards, Golden Globes, or SAG Awards.

It also appeared hip and cool, filling that niche of appealing to young adults and teenagers. The first Awards ceremony kicked off in 1995 and ended in 2001. Another relic of how strong the Blockbuster brand was at one time, and of a bygone era.

1. TV Land Awards

The TV Land Awards were one awards ceremony I really never watched the whole event. However, I liked the concept in that it followed the original mission of the TV Land channel. Honoring the sitcoms of yesteryear while acknowledging the present and future.

As such award categories were meant to honor the past with like "groundbreaking shows" or "groundbreaking rules", "pioneer", "innovator", "Fan Favorite" etc. There were a few categories that carried over year after year. For the most part the categories changed, and in an acknowledgment to the present there was a "future classic" category for modern shows popular at the time. 

This award show was different from the rest and kicked off in 2003 and ended in 2015. One award ceremony I'm actually sad it had to end.

Read More

Streaming Wishlist: Paramount Plus MTV Edition

 In my previous article I touched on what programs I would like to see on the Peacock app. Well I'm back to touch on the Paramount Plus app. I initially got Paramount Plus upon launch when they had a promotion running 31 days free or something like that. At first I was instantly disappointed in the app, because it didn't have a queue. It's a first world problem but in today's streaming world, you need a damn queue. 

Once they woke up and realized the error of they're ways it got a little better. You can find classics on there, and they have had some good mini-series like The Offer. However, for Paramount to be a film studio that is over a 100 years old, and be apart of a conglomerate with so many channels. The app still leaves a lot to be desired. 

Just like the Peacock app, Paramount plus has a variety of programs and movies to add in their selection. Not just from the studio, but from other Viacom companies like CBS Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, and VH1. But I will admit they probably have the weakest offering of programming amongst streaming providers. Coming in a notch below Peacock, which is a shame due to the vast amount of programming in their archives.

To keep this blog as condensed as possible, I'm only going to cover MTV and VH1 in this blog. BET has been covered in a previous blog via BET Plus, and Nickelodeon will get its own blog.

Making The Band 

This one may get a little iffy and I can understand why MTV may shy away from this. The first season aired on ABC and featured notorious scammer Lou Pearlman looking for his next boy band. Which he found with O-Town. Subsequent seasons featured Diddy first making his rap group Da' Band and later Danity Kane and Day26. 

Diddy's version bought us funny moments like having Da' Band walk to Brooklyn for cheesecake. Or the famous Freddy P and Ness fight. To the Day26 curating season producing a soulful acapella faceoff.

Point being we need this show available. 

TRL

Debuting in the fall of 1998, Total Request Live (TRL) was a daily countdown show of the top ten music videos for the day. In a studio overlooking Times Square it didn't take long for the show to be a pop culture juggernaut. Having interviews with the biggest stars at the time most of them in the pop music genre, anybody who was anybody in music visited TRL.

The show is a perfect time capsule of music in the late 90's-early 2000's . Running for eight seasons there is plenty of material to pull from, and make a playlist if they don't want to upload each episode.

True Life

I'll give it to MTV, they really were pioneers of the whole reality TV genre. Starting with The Real World and continuing with True Life. Which was a documentary series that debuted in March of 1998 and featured one subject or various subjects with a particular topic navigating life.

The show ran for 21 seasons and covered topics for just about everyone. Drug use, plastic surgery, aspiring to be a pro wrestler, aspiring to be a MMA fighter. Being homeless, fighting an illness, estranged from their family, sex addicts, coming out to their family, You name it True Life covered it, which is again another good time capsule that should be uploaded and revered. 

2gether

In early 2000 in the middle of the pop music craze, MTV released a original film that was a parody of the craze called 2gether. Which focused on a boy band being assembled with each member fitting a particular stereotype. The movie was actually funny and the original songs were catchy, the film was enough of a success. A TV series was developed and premiered in the fall of 2000.

It only lasted for about 2 seasons, due to the ailing health and eventual passing of one of the cast members. Along with not being able to catch on audiences. Which is a shame because the show was funny and hit the satire aspects right on the nose. Being 20 plus years later the film and TV series may be appreciated more. 

Say What? Karaoke

Everyone loves a good time signing Karaoke in front of a bunch of people you don't know. While your friends and family encourage you or laugh at you. In 1998 MTV took this premise and made a show Say What? Karaoke. Contestants competed against one another singing songs, while the lyrics played on a ticker on the screen for the at home audience.

It really was the parent for Lip Sync Battle when you think about it. Which also needs to be on Paramount Plus. Anyway it was all in good fun, people dressed weird as shit for some reason, and when we are looking for mindless entertainment. It should be a option on the app.

Singled Out

Before MTV lost touch with it's musical heritage and played reruns of Ridiclousness all day. They would branch out from time to time on programming. Which introduced Singled Out a dating game show that debuted in 1995 on the network. It featured 50 contestants vying for a date with either a man or woman on the show.

The show's legacy is probably more associated with it's hosts like Carmen Electra, Jenny Mccarthy, and Chris Hardwick then anything that really happened on the show. Honestly for situations like Valentines day coming up, it wouldn't hurt to have a few episodes available for viewing for old times sake.

VH1

When I researched VH1's programming history to refresh my memory. They have been on the cheap, reality TV based on former stars format for a lot longer than I remember. Paramount Plus has waken up and put episodes of Behind The Music on there, so they really only leaves us with three classic VH1 programs they need to bring back.

Pop up video 

I am a sucker for useless facts honestly, which is probably why Pop Up Video drew me in as a kid. It was either that or the catchy theme song. In this information heavy digital age, there is so much at our fingertips, but would we really know to look up who was late to the set for a music video? Probably not, which is why pop up video was so great.

Uploading all episodes of Pop Up Video may be worth the subscription price of the app itself. OK, I'm lying but I would be a very happy customer if I opened the app and was able to watch a bevy of useless facts while bopping my head.

I Love The....

I'm a sucker for nostalgia I'm sure you can tell. So Vh1 sucked me in around the mid-2000's when they produced a series of programs featuring celebrities and pop culture reporters commenting on pop culture moments of yesteryear. They covered the 70's, 80's and 90's and the 2000's. It's fun to look back and go I forgot all about that, oh I remember that craze, or damn I wasn't born yet or just too young to appreciate xyz.

Honors Series

I'm not sure if it's a music rights and getting clearance thing, but there is no reason the Honors specials shouldn't be available. Divas Live, Hip Hop Honors, Rock Honors. Much like MTV, VH1 has shied away from it's musical heritage and all the great programming it produced before moving to a primarily reality TV station. 

Bring music back to the forefront and have these programs available to rock out to again, giving the legends their flowers. 

Read More