120 Minutes was a television show dedicated to alternative and indie music. It ran on MTV and MTV2 from 1986-2003. For the first ten years, one could see artists as varied as Kate Bush, The Ramones, Morrissey, Kitchens of Distinction and Hüsker Dü just by tuning in. But as time went on, and MTV found shows like the Real World immensely profitable, the show found its time slot pushed further and further back. Perhaps adding insult to injury, the playlist was becoming more and more mainstream, playing the likes of Sum 41 and Staind. In 2001, the show was moved to MTV2, where it returned to the style of music it was known for.
On May 4, 2003, the show bid farewell on MTV2. Current host Jim Shearer shared the screen with Dave Kendall and Matt Pinfield (probably the most iconic of the 120 Minutes VJs). The two "classic era" hosts shared their favorite videos from over the years, finally ending with Siouxsie And The Banshees 's "Kiss Them For Me". A full playlist can be found here.
Not long after the end of 120 Minutes, MTV2 premiered a similar show called Subterranean , hosted by Jim Shearer.
In the UK, 120 Minutes is still shown on MTV2 UK. The format of the show is different compared to the original and Subterranean, in that there is no VJ or breaks (not even for commercials), instead concerntrating on playing new and classic leftfield indie, rock, electronica and metal videos that they don't play during the daytime. Artists such as Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party's videos were first played on this show before they achieved commercial success. The original timeslot was on a Saturday night at 1am GMT, with the show being repeated on a Thursday. From March 2005, MTV2 is now playing 120 Minutes every night apart from Sunday, at 1am.
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