Celebrating our favourite MTV Shows and 40 years of MTV!

Celebrating our favourite MTV Shows and 40 years of MTV!

This year marks 40 years of MTV, can you believe it?!

On August 1st, 1981 the music video for The Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star” first premiered on MTV. Since then, the network has been a launching pad for groundbreaking programming. MTV spawned not just the dawn of music videos, but also the birth of reality TV.

Long before the days of shows like Teen Mom, Awkward, and 16 and Pregnant, MTV was jam packed full of shows that focused around music, dating, and just straight up teen entertainment.

Yes, we were (and still are) obsessed with the various music channels to stem from MTV, but people often forget that several iconic TV shows were brought to us from none other than MTV.

Back when it first began, MTV used to be all about the music, but now it’s turned into a reality television haven. Back in the day, music videos and Beavis and Butt-Head reigned top tier entertainment. That was before Teen Mom and MTV Cribs took over the scene, and now there are tons of awesomely (some may say trashy) reality show options to choose from.

MTV of the ‘00’s still grasped on to pieces of its original intention: Music Television, but it also became so much more than that.

To celebrate 40 years of MTV, we wanted to look back at some of our favourite TV shows that have been produced by the television channel.

Pimp My Ride (2004-2007)

Who didn't secretly wish they could be on Pimp My Ride?! We absolutely loved watching Xzibit and the team transform a broken down car into a brand new one with a hot tub in the backseat!

My Super Sweet 16 (2005 - 2017)

If you’re intrigued to see how the other half live, then My Super Sweet 16 was that show.

Yes, the show involved a lot of whining and screaming teenagers lashing out over the colour of their brand new convertible, but it was somehow entertaining. It was fascinating to watch the lengths teenagers would go to get exactly what they wanted for their birthday. My Super Sweet 16 portrayed some seriously spoiled brats and proved that money really can’t buy happiness.

Punk’d (2003 - 2015)

Premiering in 2003, the hidden - camera show ran for nine seasons and saw host Ashton Kutcher play pranks on celebrities like Drake, Kelly Osbourne, and Kanye West.

Ashton Kutcher, Dax Shepard and the rest of the Punk’d crew were instantly iconic for making their celebrity pals look absolutely foolish with their pranks. Punk’d has got to be one of MTV’s most iconic franchises. 

Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County (2004-2006)

Now when you think of Reality TV, you think of shows like Love Island, TOWIE, Made in Chelsea and Geordie Shore right?

Rewind back to the early 00s and you’ve got yourself a show that was a key part of the birth of reality television. Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County launched the careers of modern day reality stars such as Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavallari and had us all wanting to pack up our lives and move to Laguna Beach. It later launched its spin-off show called The Hills.

group of young adults

The Hills (2006 - 2010)

The iconic spin-off show that stemmed from Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County.

The Hills launched back in 2006 and with its success, resulted in more MTV reality TV series, such as Jersey Shore in 2009.

The show followed Lauren Conrad and her move to Los Angeles to work in the fashion world. The Hills involved a lot more drama and even introduced the world to Heidi and Spencer Pratt, which may or may not have been for the best for everyone involved (and watching!). Following the success of the show, the series was recently revived showing the cast all grown up and starting families - with the exception of Lauren Conrad, who unfortunately didn’t want to participate.

MTV Cribs

A show that let us be nosy around the houses of the rich and famous?? Yes, it was as good as it sounds! MTV Cribs was a look at how and where the other half lives. The series explored celebrity homes in all of their glory! From pools to their car collections, we even got to have a look at what’s in their fridge!

Catfish: The TV Show

In the age of technology, it is a lot easier for people to lie about who they are and carry on virtual relationships, so much so it has turned into a series that has now lasted quite a few seasons...

Quite possibly the best show to come out of MTV in our opinion! Who doesn’t love Catfish?!

Premiering in 2012, the basic premise of MTV'S Catfish is to help victims find out the truth about the online identities of those that they've met on the internet.

We are completely and utterly obsessed with this show and every episode is different. From the banter between Nev and Max to the plot twists and turns, this show is like no other and we are always left wanting more. We are so happy that this show is still on air and Nev is continuously catching catfish all over the world! If you ever need some new co-hosts Nev, we are waiting...

Nothing makes us miss the old days like remembering all of these classic MTV shows!

In your opinion, what are the best MTV shows? Let us know in the comments below!

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