Feb 04 2009 11:23 am, Sven Over
Fly reader Sven Over wants to see 120 Minutes back on MTV TWO's schedule. We were moved by his impassioned plea and published his email below. To sign the petition, click here...
I am facing bleak times. I have been dumped. I have been dumped by Music's self-proclaimed Biggest Fan. Well, maybe it was the kind of relationship that is always a bit restrained by day and only ever passionate by night. But 120 Minutes of pleasure is certainly better than nothing. This is about the new schedule of MTV TWO, which has been installed on 31st of January, and which sadly lacks a true institution of independent music: 120 Minutes has been axed.
120 Minutes is, sorry, was a show that was aired every night between 1am and 3am on MTV TWO. It was all music: no presenters, no interruptions, not even adverts. But the most remarkable thing about the show was the selection of videos. I cannot put it better than the MTV TWO people themselves on their
website: "120 Minutes shows the videos that don't get shown." On 120 Minutes you would see all shades of indie music, from electronica to singer/songwriter. You would see the innovators of their genres, classic material from, say, Aphex Twin or Pavement. You would see the upcoming new artists. For them, 120 Minutes was invaluable.
So many artists, so many bands that I heard first on that programme. Some of them have become big. Some of them still are treasured secrets. Sure, there is YouTube, there are blogs, and not the least there is The Fly. But it is sad to see, that the small niche on the mainstream media that was occupied by the exciting new bands, sometimes even the unsigned, as well as the back catalogue of true indie music, has gone extinct.
There is no replacement for 120 Minutes. You don't find anything comparable on TV. Of course you would find anything on the internet, but only if you knew what you were looking for. A TV programme is different. It confronts you with new stuff. And sometimes it can let you experience the music that you think shouldn't work for you - but does!
It was about coming home from the pub at night, sinking into your couch, half asleep, half awake (and a bit hammered), being safe from ringtone ads and Fall Out Boy, enjoying some quality music. And suddenly you were wide awake again because you were like struck by a flash. Hit by a tune you didn't know, so good that you wanted to absorb it all.
Have a closer look at MTV TWO's new schedule, and you'll find that 120 Minutes is not the only show that has been axed. With it went Spanking New Music, DIY Disco, Pioneers, Riot and Headbanger's Ball. You might want to ask yourself why they are ridding their station of all original programming. Whatever your conclusion is, you probably won't like it. Thoughts of the mainstream taking over the world (the remaining 0.1% of it, that is) and such.
Can we do something about it? Maybe we cannot. But it might be worth a try, as the history of 120 Minutes proves. I did not know this myself, but I am getting told that this is a case of history repeating itself. Some years ago there was a similar programme on MTV TWO called 2Eclectic. When it got axed, its fans started an online petition to bring it back. They could not bring back 2Eclectic, but they achieved that a new show was created and that new show was 120 Minutes (although the name already had a tradition at that time).
That petition had some 1,000 signers. Only 5 days ago, a new petition was started, asking MTV TWO to bring back 120 Minutes, and it has already been signed by more than 360 people. I want my 120 Minutes back. If you want the same, visit: http://tinyurl.com/120minutes
Anyway, I am afraid we will have to wait a long time to get heard. Maybe we won't ever. I am mourning that awesome, exciting, truly unique programme. 120 Minutes, rest in peace! We're gonna miss you.
Here is to the good times we had!
