Quddus (MTV)

''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by musicians, actors, and other celebrities to promote their newest works to the show's target teen demographic.

During the original run of the program, ''TRL'' played the ten most requested music videos of the day, as voted by viewers via phone or online. The show generally aired Monday through Thursday for one hour, though the scheduling and length of the show fluctuated over the years. Although ''TRL'' was billed as a live show, many episodes were actually pre-recorded. Due to declining ratings, and the larger secular decline of music-based television in favor of online services, MTV would announce the cancellation of ''TRL'' on September 15, 2008. The special three-hour finale episode, ''Total Finale Live'', aired on November 16, 2008.

Less than a decade later, ''TRL'' would be revived on October 2, 2017. In 2019, the show aired Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. ET as ''TRL Top 10''. The show was then rebranded to ''Fresh Out Live''.

History

Origin

''Total Request Live'' originated from several pre-existing programs on MTV. '' Dial MTV'', the first video request show on the network, had aired from 1986 to 1996. In 1997, MTV launched two new shows that became the predecessors of ''TRL'': ''Total Request'', a revival of the ''Dial MTV'' concept hosted by Carson Daly, and '' MTV Live'', which was hosted by Toby Amies, Daly, and Ananda Lewis and featured live performances and interviews from musical artists.

''Total Request'' was more subdued than ''MTV Live'', as Daly introduced music videos from an empty, dimly lit set. As the show progressed and gained more momentum with viewers tuning in, it was soon added to the list of daytime programming during MTV's ''Summer Share'' in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The countdown would prove to be one of the most watched and most interactive shows in recent MTV history, demonstrating that it had potential to become an even larger success by combining with the element of live television.

Original run (1998–2008)

Carson Daly era

In Fall 1998, MTV producers merged the real-time aspect of ''MTV Live'' with the fan-controlled countdown power of ''Total Request'' into ''Total Request Live''. The program made its debut from MTV Studios on September 14, 1998. The show then grew to become MTV's unofficial flagship program.

The original host of ''TRL'', Carson Daly, brought popularity to the show. The widely known abbreviation of ''TRL'' was adopted as the official title of the show in February 1999, after Daly and Dave Holmes began using the abbreviation on air regularly. In the years following, the program was rarely referred to by its complete title. The show's countdown started off successfully while receiving hundreds of votes for favorite artists such as Hanson, Aaliyah, Blaque, TLC, Eminem, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, Janet Jackson, *NSYNC, and Backstreet Boys.

''TRL'' spent its first year developing a cult-type following. In Fall 1999, a live studio audience was added to the show. By Spring 2000, the countdown reached its peak, becoming a very recognizable pop culture icon in its first two years of existence. A weekend edition of the show known as ''TRL Weekend'', with a countdown consisting an average of the week's Top 10, aired for a short time in 2000.

In 2001, the popularity of ''TRL'' was at such a level that it spawned a country music spin-off, ''CMT Most Wanted Live'', on sister network CMT, until 2004. In July 2001, MTV sponsored the Total Request Live Tour, which played over 30 dates in North America and featured acts like Destiny's Child, Jessica Simpson, Eve, and Nelly.

Some evolutionary changes were made to ''TRL'' throughout the next few years. The show received a new set and on-screen graphics for the debut of the Fall 2001 season. A year later, on October 23, 2002, ''TRL'' celebrated its 1,000th episode. The number-one video on that day was "Dirrty" by Christina Aguilera. Also throughout the year of 2002, original host Carson Daly would be seen gradually less and less as he had branched out with his own late-night talk show ''Last Call with Carson Daly'' on NBC. The show had near-daily segments from MTV News correspondents reporting on the latest in national or entertainment and music news from inside the studio.

Post-Carson Daly era

In 2003, the next generation of ''TRL'' was ushered in as Carson Daly officially stepped down as host. Daly left the show to focus on his own talk show which premiered a year earlier on NBC. Following Daly stepping down, a revolving door of VJs hosted ''TRL'', including Damien Fahey, Hilarie Burton, Vanessa Minnillo, Quddus, La La Vasquez, and Susie Castillo. Some of these VJs made their debut on the show in earlier years, so they recently had the opportunity to host the show on days in which Daly was absent.

Some changes were made to ''TRLs voting process in 2005. The show previously allowed anyone to vote online several times, but as part of these changes, only registered members on MTV.com could vote online. Additionally, a limit of one vote per day was added. Then, on July 10, 2006, MTV announced that votes would not be taken by phone, ending the legacy of the "DIAL MTV" phone number, which had been in use for voting on MTV since the premiere of the countdown show '' Dial MTV'' in the mid-1980s.

In September 2006, ''TRL'' reached its eighth anniversary and, at that point, it was the longest-running live program that MTV had ever produced. It is also the third-longest-running program of all time in the network's history, following behind '' The Real World'', which has aired for the past 21 years, and '' 120 Minutes'', which aired for 17 years. Around this time, ''TRL'' began airing officially on just four days a week (Monday through Thursday), as opposed to all five weekdays.

On November 2, 2006, ''TRL'' introduced what was billed as the first-ever hip hop public service announcement on global warming. The three-minute piece, titled "Trees", warned about deforestation and the dangers of global warming. The video corresponded with MTV's social campaign, ''Break the Addiction'', as part of ''think MTV''.

The hosts of ''TRL'' in 2008 were Damien Fahey and Lyndsey Rodrigues. Additionally, Stephen Colletti, former cast member on ''Laguna Beach'', has appeared on ''TRL'' as host numerous times. The rest of the VJs are or have been working on separate projects. Hilarie Burton left ''TRL'' in 2004, after joining the cast of The WB/ CW's ''One Tree Hill'', playing Peyton Sawyer. Quddus hosted from 2001 to 2006. He left to move to California to be a host of '' TV One Access''.

On May 22, 2007, ''TRL'' celebrated its 2000th episode, showing highlights from the past 2000 episodes, and a special countdown of ten of the most successful videos to ever appear on the show. Justin Timberlake's " Cry Me a River" topped the special countdown.

The end of ''TRL''

In 2007, rumors began circulating stating that the ratings-challenged music video countdown show was to be canceled. In early 2007, an average of 373,000 viewers regularly watched the program. '' New York Daily News'' were one of the first to publish this rumor. In February 2007, MTV said the rumor was unfounded and claimed ''TRL'' would continue to air for the foreseeable future.

The producers of ''TRL'' experimented with web-based viewer interaction throughout the 2006–2007 season, showing viral videos, allowing viewers to send feedback on a video via internet forums and webcams, along with a heavy emphasis on MTV's since discontinued Overdrive video portal. However, MTV still secretly planned to cancel the show and replace one with even more emphasis on viewer interaction, named ''YouRL'' (a homophone of URL.)

Consequently, in July 2007, it was reported that ''YouRL'' was not received well by test audiences and the concept was abandoned. ''Total Request Live'' proceeded with a new season as usual on September 4, marking the tenth season of the show.

On September 15, 2008, it was announced that ''TRL'' would be shut down. The final regular weekday episode aired on November 13, 2008, with guest Seth Green and The All-American Rejects

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