Pearl Jam performs on “MTV Unplugged” in 1992 at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York City.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage / Getty Images 1992
“Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.”
Those words, spoken by TV executive John Lack, signaled the launch of MTV — Music Television — 40 years ago this August. The channel, with its mix of music, fashion and edgy content, became an instant favorite for the younger generation, and an instant lightning rod for controversy as parents wondered whether MTV was ruining their kids.
It’s been a while since the network has driven the pop culture conversation like those early years (so much so, it’s become a well-worn punchline that the “M” in the name used to stand for “music”), but the fact remains that MTV played an outsize role as both trailblazer and tastemaker over its four decades, leaving an impact felt not merely in the music scene but also in feature films and both cable and broadcast television.
Here’s a look at some of the most memorable shows during those 40 years, and why they continue to matter:
‘MTV Unplugged’ (1989-present)
Launched in 1989, “MTV Unplugged” — referencing the lack of electronic instrumentation — provided a platform for artists to perform their songs acoustically, lending an air of intimacy and reality that brought new perspective to often overproduced album mixes or concert performances.
The series served as both a showcase for a diverse roster of talent (with everyone from Pearl Jam to LL Cool J to Miley Cyrus having performed under the “Unplugged” banner) and as a way for MTV to stay connected to its roots even as it moved further away from its initial mission statement. While its regular run concluded in 1999, “Unplugged” is a continual presence on MTV to this day thanks to specials and one-offs.
Watch it:
Select episodes available to stream on
Paramount+
.
‘Æon Flux’ (1991-95)
Running for 21 episodes beginning in 1991, the Peter Chung-created animated show — about a female secret agent (voiced by Denise Poirier) in a dystopian future — kicked off the “Liquid Television” anthology spotlighting short-form animation.
With stylized graphics and a design sensibility owing as much to German Expressionism as Japanese anime, “Æon Flux” attempted some big swings at big ideas (fascism vs. anarchy, the very notion of civilization in a postapocalyptic world) and introduced many Americans to the concept of cartoons aimed at grown-ups. Even with its relatively brief run, its influence would nonetheless be felt in ways big and small for the rest of the ’90s and beyond (though the less we say about the misbegotten 2005 live-action adaptation starring Charlize Theron the better).
Watch it:
Select episodes available to stream on
Paramount+
.
‘The Real World’ (1992-2017)
Beginning in 1992, “The Real World” gave birth to our modern era of reality television. The concept of filming a group of regular people dropped into a communal setting not only powered the show through several iterations (“The Real World: New York,” “The Real World: San Francisco,” “The Real World: London”) across several decades, it also set the template for other pop culture phenomena from CBS’ “Big Brother” and “Survivor” franchises to MTV cousins like “Jersey Shore” and “The Hills,” in the process resetting the network’s compass for the next few decades.
Perhaps even more important, despite its drama often being manufactured in the edit, “The Real World” exposed contemporary audiences to diverse groups, topics and worldviews they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to engage with before.
Watch it:
Select seasons available to stream on
Paramount+
.
“The Real World: San Francisco” helped give birth to modern-day reality television.
Photo: MTV Networks 2003
‘Beavis and Butt-head’ (1993-97)
Also originating as part of the channel’s “Liquid Television” anthology, this Mike Judge-created show about two hard-rock-loving doofuses launched in 1993 and ran for seven seasons (it also got a brief revival on Spike TV in 2011). Like another groundbreaking animated series, “The Simpsons,” there was a heavy amount of social commentary and cultural critique baked into the titular pair’s adventures, but also like “The Simpsons” it generated its share of consternation over its subversive content and impact on impressionable kids (which, i can say as someone who spent most of the ’90s listening to other children imitating Beavis’ annoying laugh, wasn’t entirely without merit).
“Beavis & Butt-head” got an animated feature in 1996, and following the initial TV run, it spawned spin-off series “Daria,” which proved just as influential in its own way and ran until 2002.
Watch it:
Select seasons available to stream on
Paramount+
.
‘Jackass’ (2000-02)
Airing for three seasons from 2000 to 2002, this reality series — starring and created by Johnny Knoxville, along with Spike Jonze and Jeff Tremaine — was, like most other popular MTV offerings, rife with controversy, thanks to its gang of goofballs engaging in life-threatening pranks and stunts. But the show was popular enough to spawn several feature films (which focus on more of the same, just bigger) and a raft of MTV spin-offs centered on various members of Knoxville’s merry band (such as 2003’s “Viva La Bam” and “Wildboyz”).
While the upcoming movie “Jackass Forever” marks the 50-year-old Knoxville’s exit from “Jackass” high jinks, the mark this show left on the pop culture landscape remains a considerable one ... for better or worse.
Watch it:
Rent or buy on
Amazon Prime Video
.
‘Teen Mom’ (2009-present)
An MTV mainstay since its 2009 debut, perhaps no single show signifies how far the channel has strayed from its “Music Television” origins than this spin-off of another reality series, “16 and Pregnant.”
Through various incarnations and rosters over its 12-year history, “Teen Mom” follows the day-to-day travails of the group of young parents, giving audiences a voyeuristic peek into a world of struggle and drama they’d otherwise prefer not to be a part of. In many ways, “Teen Mom” is the ultimate evocation of the “trash TV” ethos so many parents feared when MTV first started, and that may well explain the car-crash fascination that’s made it such a reliable ratings performer for the network.
Watch it:
Select seasons and spin-offs available to stream on
Paramount+
.
Zaki Hasan
Zaki Hasan
Zaki Hasan is a Bay Area writer.