TRL

Buzz

TRL ranks 3,434 out of the 18,222 shows on TV.com.

The 382 users who count themselves as TRL fans have written a total of 29 reviews.

Status

Premiered

Ended

Genre

Theme

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Total Request Live (commonly known as TRL) is a television program on MTV that features popular music videos. The program plays the top ten most requested videos of the day, as requested by viewers who can vote by phone or online. The countdown starts with the tenth most requested video and ends with the most... more »

Total Request Live (commonly known as TRL) is a television program on MTV that features popular music videos. The program plays the top ten most requested videos of the day, as requested by viewers who can vote by phone or online. The countdown starts with the tenth most requested video and ends with the most requested. The program generally airs every weekday for one hour.

The roots of TRL go back to 1997 when MTV began producing MTV Live (originally hosted by British VJ Toby Amies) from a studio in Times Square in New York. MTV Live featured celebrity interviews, musical performances, and regular news updates. Music videos were not the major focus of the program.

During the same time period, MTV aired a countdown show simply called Total Request, hosted by Carson Daly. Total Request was far more subdued, 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 end up being one of the most watched and most interactive shows in recent MTV history that summer, proving that it had potential to become an even larger success by combining with the element of live television.

By the fall of 1998, MTV producers decided to merge the real-time aspect of MTV Live and the fan-controlled countdown power of Total Request into Total Request Live, which made its official premiere from the MTV Studios in New York on September 14, 1998. The show has since grown to become MTV's unofficial flagship program.

The widely known acronym of TRL was adopted as the official title of the show in February 1999, after former VJ's Carson Daly and Dave Holmes began using it on air regularly. The program is now rarely, if not ever, referred to as its original title Total Request Live.

TRL spent its first year developing a cult-type following, by spring 2000 the countdown reached its peak, becoming a very recognizable pop culture icon in its first two years of existence; however, its influence seems to have greatly diminished since.

TRL is MTV's prime outlet for music videos nowadays as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to the music videos, TRL has daily guests as it is a popular promotion tool used by many musicians, actors, and other celebrities to promote their newest works to the show's target teen audience.

Music videos that air on TRL are subject to a general "retirement" rule, that they may only remain on the countdown for a limited amount of days, the current cap is 50 days (previously 65, this number was reduced in 2002 in order to promote more diversity and give other artists a chance to enter the top ten). Artists who do manage to hang onto the countdown and reach retirement are awarded with a plaque, commemorating their achievement.

On October 23, 2002, TRL celebrated its 1,000th episode. The show reached its seventh anniversary in September 2005, maintaining its stake as MTV's longest-running live program.

In 2003, Carson Daly stepped down as the host of TRL in order to host NBC's Last Call. The show is currently hosted by a revolving door of VJs including Damien Fahey, Hilarie Burton, Quddus, La La Vasquez, Vanessa Minnillo, and Susie Castillo.

On November 16, 2008 after 10 years on the air, TRL ended with a three hour long farewell celebration. Joining the party, were many famous celebrities, who helped define TRL, stopping by to reflect on their favorite TRL moments and also returning were the show's hosts throughout the years including Carson Daly.less «

• Been on TRL?

  Have you ever been on or near TRL. I have been close and yet so far but I have had the chance to come March 29, 2007 I am so excited!!!! Anybody ever been there? How was it?

  Have you ever been on or near TRL. I have been close and yet so far but I have had the chance to come March 29, 2007 I am so excited!!!! Anybody ever been there? How was it? less «

  lew22is Last online Nov 17, 2008
  11 comments, last one Jun 17, 2009 + Add Comment

• Why?

  Why hasn't TRL been on tv lately?

  Why hasn't TRL been on tv lately?less «

  sarahsaurus Last online 39 minutes ago
  7 comments, last one Sep 17, 2008 + Add Comment

• who would you want to see on TRL?

  who would you like to see guest start on TRL? I would want to see the jackass crew =] && probably other people but i cant think of any right now.

  who would you like to see guest start on TRL? I would want to see the jackass crew =] && probably other people but i cant think of any right now. less «

  MrssMargeraa Last online Apr 5, 2007
  19 comments, last one Aug 17, 2008 + Add Comment

•  

  9 Superb

  Good music show. hide « show »

  This is a pretty good show, if you're into music. I'm a huge music fan, and I love counting down with the hosts to see whose going to be at the top of the charts that day. I love the MTV news that catches up on the gossip in Hollywood too. They have guest stars galore; and the guest stars are wonderful at that. They get the A-List music and movie stars to come and debut their music video, or advertise their movie. I think this show is one of the last music shows on MTV that I actually watch. :)

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  Vital_Shot Added Sep 29, 2007 All my reviews
•  

  10 Perfect

  Genre Music videos
  Starring Damien Fahey
  Vanessa Minnillo
  Susie Castillo
  La La Vasquez
  Country of origin United States hide « show »

  Total Request Live (commonly known as TRL) is the flagship television series on MTV that features popular music videos. TRL is MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL features daily guests. The show is a popular promotion tool used by musicians, actors, and other celebrities to promote their newest works to the show's target teen demographic.
  
  TRL plays the top ten most requested videos of the day, as requested by viewers who vote online for their favorite video. The countdown starts with the tenth most requested video and ends with the most requested. The show generally airs Monday through Thursday for one hour, though the scheduling and length of the show have fluctuated over the years. Despite the word "Live" in the title of the show, many episodes are actually pre-recorded.
  
  This summer, the show will be relaunched and renamed, possibly to YouRL, with a heavily web-based, interactive format including home viewers able to communicate live by the use of SightSpeed on their home computers.. "While the show is still in development, YouRL is the leading title," an article in Broadcasting & Cable confirmed.

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  bdani222 Added Jun 13, 2007 All my reviews
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  1.1 Abysmal

  yeah...no hide « show »

  i never liked music that was on the TV and on the Radio every damn. cuz that was TRL and 106th and park is its garbage. they play wack a*s music and from what i read from other reviews they only play one minute of the video. i never noticed that, what i did notice those retards let people t why they wanted this video to be viewed and they give shout outs to every one they know and the SCREAM wOOOOOO !! 1 ! 1 ! ! 1 1 1! after every damn shout out... and the hosts of the shows are so damn gay bunch of fakers

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  phillipj5 Added Apr 6, 2007 All my reviews
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  6.5 Fair

  Has lost its worthiness. hide « show »

  I watched TRL every single day of my life for years but since Carson Daly is out the show has never ever been the same. Years ago the videos were played completely from beggining to end; now your are lucky if you get 15 seconds. I see no point in the show anymore. The new VJ's are ok but nobody like Carson, he was perfect for this show. He was the right age to know a lot about music and he was friends with a lot of artist because of it. Now the show is lucky to last a full hour and not even 30 minutes of it are for music videos; it's pointless. I just think MTV has gone mad in the last few years. Music TeleVision and all you see is drama, drama, drama. The only videos that you get are really early in the morning and that's it. It's not worth it anymore.

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  pryl18 Added Mar 13, 2007 All my reviews
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  7.1 Good

  Total Request Live is average.... hide « show »

  Total Request Live is something i watch every single day to see if the music videos have changed rankings to reach number 1. Alot of people just vote for a certain music video because its sung by a certain person or someone has a guess appearance in it or something. They don't open up more videos to artists that don't have a huge reputation. This show is really average to me because its the same people day after day on the countdown. They just change spots from number 3 to number 1 or the opposite. Not the best music show, but its a decent show to watch if your bored and want to hear some music.

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  Love_ya24 Added Dec 24, 2006 All my reviews