120 Minutes was the weekly alternative music video program on MTV, and eventually MTV2, in the U.S. from 1986 to 2003. This retrospective outlines the incredible legacy of the long-running classic alternative music show we all remember.

This is the only place on the Internet to get legitimate and complete information about the history of 120 Minutes. Make sure to check out our exclusive features, including the massive playlist archive and an interview with Dave Kendall and Matt Pinfield by Jim Shearer.

In 1986, MTV designed a show called 120 Minutes, which was created to play two hours of light-rotation videos each week. MTV hired Dave Kendall to produce the show. Kendall took this opportunity to introduce an upstart college radio-style alternative music to MTV's audience.

120 Minutes premiered on Sunday, March 10, 1986 at 1 AM on MTV, hosted by J.J. Jackson, the legendary late VJ. This late Sunday night time slot would be the home of 120 Minutes for the next 17 years.

In the early years of 120 Minutes, MTV tried out a number of hosts, including Alan Hunter, Kevin Seal, and Downtown Julie Brown. The network continued to experiment with the show's format during this time. In 1989, Dave Kendall became the show's first solid host.

After Kendall left 120 Minutes in 1992, he was followed by many other hosts over the next 11 years. Lewis Largent, along with rotating guest hosts, hosted for the rest of the early '90s.

In 1995, Matt Pinfield officially began hosting 120 Minutes. Over the next four years, he became known as a walking music encyclopedia and remembered as the most recognizable host.

MTV2 (called M2 until 2000), a 24/7 music video channel, debuted on Thursday, August 1, 1996. While 120 Minutes remained on MTV for a few years after M2's debut, viewers noticed an increasing amount of mainstream music videos being added to the 120 Minutes playlist.

A number of mainstream videos may have been played on 120 Minutes because it was one of the only official places for any rock acts to appear on MTV at the time.

In the late '90s, MTV had no designated rock video show, outside of the short-lived Mattrock Daily, before The Return Of The Rock premiered in 1999. Also at this time, M2 was still showing videos 24/7 without dedicated shows.

Nevertheless, some of the videos on 120 Minutes during the late '90s were truly alternative and couldn't be seen elsewhere, continuing to make 120 Minutes essential viewing.

In 2000, 120 Minutes became pre-empted by MTV's Real World, Road Rules, Loveline, and other shows. After a few host-less episodes in the spring and summer of 2000, 120 Minutes on MTV was cancelled and the last show on MTV aired.

120 Minutes moved to MTV2 as part of its January 1, 2001 re-launch. MTV2 picked up where MTV left off, once again returning 120 Minutes to a more familiar and groundbreaking style that MTV2 viewers had come to expect.

Hosts of the show on MTV2 were Jancee Dunn, Dave Holmes, Chris Booker, and Jim Shearer, who began hosting in March 2002 and continued as the host until the finale on May 4, 2003.

In its final days, 120 Minutes returned to its roots, featuring weekly guests and videos from underground bands. On a few special occasions, live performances made a long-awaited return to the series, such as with Tegan and Sara.

Throughout 2002 and 2003, 120 Minutes was pushed further into the night on MTV2, moving from 11 PM ET to 1 AM ET. Rumors of 120 Minutes' cancellation started in April 2003 on the MTV2 message board, and they were more-or-less confirmed by host Jim Shearer on the April 27, 2003 show.

This site (then called The unofficial 120 Minutes site) was the only place on the Internet for viewers to learn about its cancellation, as mtv2.com had no current information on the show.

120 Minutes' series finale aired the night of Sunday, May 4, 2003 at 1 AM ET, hosted by Jim Shearer. He was joined by former hosts Dave Kendall and Matt Pinfield to send off the show.
If you missed it, you can watch the complete series finale video right here on altmusictv.

An extended version of the interview by Jim Shearer, never seen on TV, is available exclusively on altmusictv. The complete playlist for the final episode of 120 Minutes, along with hundreds of episodes from the show's history, can be found exclusively in our playlist archive.

Just 5 days after its cancellation, on Friday, May 9, 2003, the legacy of 120 Minutes lived on with the premiere of the program's modern-day successor, Subterranean on MTV2.