MTV’s “Total Request Live” reboot has not been canceled, and will in fact expand to three times a day, TheWrap has confirmed.
“TRL” was the subject of a TMZ report on Wednesday saying the rebooted music and live performance show had been canceled after less than six months on the air. However, a network spokesperson has now denied the report, saying the show will return in April as planned.
“‘TRL’ has been a huge success for us and we’re expanding the franchise with daily late night and morning shows this summer,” the network said.
MTV president Chris McCarthy expanded on the details of the new franchise in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that the network will have late-night and early-morning editions of “TRL” on the air alongside the flagship show “by summer.”
“We’ve always had the March hiatus planned,” McCarthy said. “We’re expanding to target different demographics and day parts. … All three [versions of ‘TRL’] will be airing by June. We have no plans of not having ‘TRL’ on our linear network; there won’t be a time when we don’t have it on. The show has been killing it for us.”
“Total Request A.M.” will air in the mornings, featuring “pure music play” without commercials, as well as live performances. No host or air date has been set.
MTV is already airing “Total Request Late-Night” in the 11 p.m. timeslot twice a week, but that will be expanded to four nights later in the year. “Girl Code” alum Nessa currently hosts the show and will eventually be joined by a rotating slate of hosts.
The network’s reboot of “TRL” launched in October and was immediately hit with almost universally negative reviews, but McCarthy says the show is “thriving” and will shift its focus toward a younger target audience with shorter segments and sharable content.