120 Minutes (UK TV series)
Encyclopedia
120 Minutes is a show on MTV Two that was broadcast nightly at 1am. In the tradition of the US show of the same name, it showcased music videos from "the newest, most innovative acts in rock, left field and electronic music".
In the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, 120 Minutes was originally featured on MTV Europe
from 1990, hosted during its first years by VJ Paul King and, from 1994 on, by ex-Wonder Stuff frontman Miles Hunt
. It disappeared in late June 1995, but was replaced by a similar show, Alternative Nation, which was shown on MTV Europe on Tuesday nights at midnight CET (the same timeslot it has had since July 1995) until July 2010. 120 Minutes returned in 2003 to MTV2 Europe (now MTV Two), replacing a similar show, 2eclectic, which had sporadically occupied various late-night slots.
and the show's previous incarnation on MTV Europe
in that there were no VJs, commercial breaks, or MTV promotions
. The only interruptions came in the form of an ident that played after every four videos. The two-hour strand concentrated on playing 'the real alternative', including new and classic left field indie, rock, electronica, hip-hop and avantgarde videos that may not have been played on other channels or during the daytime, although some videos were also played on the channel's Spanking New Music slots during the day.
Artists such as Franz Ferdinand
, Kaiser Chiefs
, and Bloc Party
were first played on this show before they achieved commercial success, and many videos were played on 120 Minutes before branching out onto the MTV2 playlist. Regular artists on 120 Minutes also included The Fall, The Knife
, Pavement
, Sonic Youth
, My Bloody Valentine, Kraftwerk
and Björk
.
MTV2 Europe have also aired many themed shows, including artist specials that played half-hour or two-hour discographies of certain artists including Björk
, Kraftwerk
and Hexstatic
among others, as well as shows curated by people such as Franz Ferdinand
, the Drowned In Sound
team and Kitsuné Music
and specials from the Triptych
festival.
songs accompanied by their music videos. Regularly played bands included Pantera
, The Dillinger Escape Plan
, Alice in Chains
, Mastodon
, Slayer
and Lamb of God
. Over time, there was a noticeable change in the type of bands the show was supporting - often going as far as playing post-hardcore
bands such as Funeral for a Friend
or Alexisonfire
. Shortly after the change of the show's style, ratings started to decline. Eventually, the show was cancelled and replaced with a UK version of Headbanger's Ball during early 2006, which consisted of one hour of back-to-back music videos. The show occasionally featured interview footage and music videos.
In the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, 120 Minutes was originally featured on MTV Europe
MTV Europe
MTV Europe is a pan-European 24-hour entertainment cable and digital television network launched on August 1, 1987. Initially, the channel served all regions within Europe being one of the very few channels that targeted the entire European continent...
from 1990, hosted during its first years by VJ Paul King and, from 1994 on, by ex-Wonder Stuff frontman Miles Hunt
Miles Hunt
Miles Hunt is the singer / guitarist and songwriter for the Stourbridge, England-based Alternative Rock band The Wonder Stuff.- Early life :His father was a union official for the TGWU...
. It disappeared in late June 1995, but was replaced by a similar show, Alternative Nation, which was shown on MTV Europe on Tuesday nights at midnight CET (the same timeslot it has had since July 1995) until July 2010. 120 Minutes returned in 2003 to MTV2 Europe (now MTV Two), replacing a similar show, 2eclectic, which had sporadically occupied various late-night slots.
Format
The format of the show on MTV Two was different from the original U.S. series120 Minutes
120 Minutes is a television show in the United States dedicated to alternative music, originally airing on MTV from 1986 to 2000, and then on MTV's sister channel MTV2 from 2001 to 2003....
and the show's previous incarnation on MTV Europe
MTV Europe
MTV Europe is a pan-European 24-hour entertainment cable and digital television network launched on August 1, 1987. Initially, the channel served all regions within Europe being one of the very few channels that targeted the entire European continent...
in that there were no VJs, commercial breaks, or MTV promotions
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
. The only interruptions came in the form of an ident that played after every four videos. The two-hour strand concentrated on playing 'the real alternative', including new and classic left field indie, rock, electronica, hip-hop and avantgarde videos that may not have been played on other channels or during the daytime, although some videos were also played on the channel's Spanking New Music slots during the day.
Artists such as Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
, Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
, and Bloc Party
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
were first played on this show before they achieved commercial success, and many videos were played on 120 Minutes before branching out onto the MTV2 playlist. Regular artists on 120 Minutes also included The Fall, The Knife
The Knife
The Knife are a Swedish electronic music duo from Gothenburg, formed in 1999. The group consists of siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records. They first received international attention after their song "Heartbeats", covered by...
, Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, My Bloody Valentine, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
and Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
.
MTV2 Europe have also aired many themed shows, including artist specials that played half-hour or two-hour discographies of certain artists including Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
and Hexstatic
Hexstatic
Hexstatic is a UK music duo, consisting of Stuart Warren Hill and Robin Brunson, that specializes in creating "quirky audio visual electro." Formed in 1997 after Hill and Brunson met while producing visuals at the Channel Five launch party, they decided to take over for the original members of the...
among others, as well as shows curated by people such as Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
, the Drowned In Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
team and Kitsuné Music
Kitsuné Music
Kitsuné is a French fashion label and electronic music record label created in 2002 by Gildas Loaëc, Masaya Kuroki and the London-based company Åbäke...
and specials from the Triptych
Triptych
A triptych , from tri-= "three" + ptysso= "to fold") is a work of art which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works...
festival.
Themes
During 2005 and most of 2006, special themed 120 Minutes shows were aired: 120 Electronic Minutes on Tuesdays, 120 Pioneers on Thursdays, and 120 Metal Minutes on Fridays.120 Metal Minutes
For about a year (2004–2005), MTV2 Europe ran a show named 120 Metal Minutes - a show which, like the title suggests, was two hours of heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
songs accompanied by their music videos. Regularly played bands included Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman,...
, Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
, Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
and Lamb of God
Lamb of God (band)
Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994, the group consists of vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler...
. Over time, there was a noticeable change in the type of bands the show was supporting - often going as far as playing post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
bands such as Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band, from Bridgend. Formed 2001, they have released five studio albums, seven EPs, sixteen singles, one DVD, and one compilation album.-Formation and Early Years:...
or Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire was a five-piece, Juno-nominated post-hardcore band that formed in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada in 2001. The band consisted of George Pettit , Dallas Green , Wade MacNeil , Chris Steele , and Jordan Hastings .They describe their music as "the sound of two Catholic high-school girls...
. Shortly after the change of the show's style, ratings started to decline. Eventually, the show was cancelled and replaced with a UK version of Headbanger's Ball during early 2006, which consisted of one hour of back-to-back music videos. The show occasionally featured interview footage and music videos.
Time slot
The original time slot was on a Saturday night at 1 a.m. GMT, with the show being repeated on a Thursday at 2 a.m. From March 2005, the decision was made for 120 Minutes to be shown every night at 1 a.m. in addition to the 2 a.m. slot on Saturdays. In February 2006, the show moved forward to 12 a.m. every night (commercial breaks were inserted in the first hour of the show), with a 120 Taster, showcasing some of the videos played in the strand at an earlier time of 8 p.m. Since September 2006, the show has been pushed back once again to the 01.00 - 03.00 a.m. slot, running again without commercial breaks.Cancellation
In January 2009, it appeared that 120 Minutes was being dropped from MTV2's schedule. The move prompted much criticism of MTV's decision, and an online campaign to try to save the show.External links
- MTV2 UK's official website - request threads can be found on the messageboards.
- The Other Night on 120 Minutes... - playlists of the shows from 2007 until 2009.