Total Afternoon Live was a television aesthetic popular during the late 1990s until the early 2010s. The term was coined by designer Steves Peeps in 2023
History[]
The origins of Total Afternoon Live may be traced back to the famous Canadian television program MuchOnDemand, which used giant glass windows reminiscent of NBC's Today show. In 1997, MTV launched a new show called MTV Live from their recently purchased Times Square facility. MTV Live and its sister show Total Request combined in 1998 to form Total Request Live. BET debuted their own version called 106 & Park in 2000, and Fuse launched Daily Download in 2004.
The stage design of these shows were to facilitate audience engagement, featuring standing areas where fans could gather and interact with the hosts and performers. Overall, the set design of theses shows in the 2000s were defined by vibrant colors, neon lighting, futuristic components, and massive glass windows that gave a background of the city in which the program was taking place. To connect with the broadcast at home, viewers were frequently urged to dial a 1-800 number. This aesthetic's popularity dwindled swiftly when music video television shows went out of favor due to the growing popularity of YouTube.
Media[]
TV[]
- Build (AOL) (2015-2020)
- Daily Download (Fuse) (2004-2006)
- Direct Effect (MTV/MTV2) (2000-2006)
- MTV Live (MTV) (1997-1998)
- Fresh Out Live (MTV) (2020-Present)
- IMX (Fuse) (2003-2004)
- MuchOnDemand (MuchMusic) (1997-2010)
- New Music Live (MuchMusic) (2010-2013)
- On Air with Ryan Seacrest (Syndicated) (2004-2004)
- The Seven (MTV) (2010-2011)
- TRL (MTV) (1998-2008) Revival (2017-2019)
- TRL UK (MTV UK) (2003-2005)
- U-Pick Live (Nickelodeon) (2002-2005)
- 106 & Park (BET) (2000-2014)
Visuals[]
- Large glass windows with city views
- Neon lighting
- Interactive elements
- Multiple mounted televisions
- Screaming audience members
- Music video countdown
- Vibrant and dynamic stage structures