MTV's 'Total Finale Live' Takes a Look Back at TRL, the Ultimate Countdown Show on Sunday, November 16th from 8-10PM ET/PT

MTV's 'Total Finale Live' Takes a Look Back at TRL, the Ultimate Countdown Show on Sunday, November 16th from 8-10PM ET/PT

Beyonce, 50 Cent, Backstreet Boys and Fall Out Boy Set To Perform

NEW YORK, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- After ten years and more than 2200 shows, "Total Request Live" has been the premier destination for first looks at new videos, amazing performances by chart topping musicians, appearances of established and up-and-coming actors, and exclusive music news. MTV will pay tribute to the legendary countdown show with a send off like no other on Sunday, November 16th beginning at 8:00pm ET/PT, with "TRL's" original host Carson Daly and current host Damien Fahey set to helm the finale. The celebration will feature top-billed performances, guest appearances from music and movie stars, and a look back at the best moments on afternoon TV.

"In retrospect, the name said it all: the total youth entertainment experience, shaped for the first time at the request of its audience, all going down live every day in Times Square and in homes across America," said Brian Graden, President of Entertainment, MTV & VH1. "While MTV programming continues to break new ground, we knew we couldn't rush ahead without pausing to celebrate this show, this experience, this daily thrill ride that became such a force in shaping the future web behaviors of millions of young people worldwide."

"TRL has been a major part of MTV - and the world of music - for the last decade, and we're pulling out all the stops for 'Total Finale Live,'" said Dave Sirulnick, MTV Executive Vice President, News and Production. "One of the aspects we're most proud of is TRL's impact on pop culture, whether it was through exposing hundreds of artists to fans on a daily basis or foreshadowing what goes on in today's online communities. Audience participation, the fans' desire to share comments, and how musicians were able to 'connect' on a personal basis with their fans was core to TRL, and is core to the digital music experience today."

From the days of "Bills, Bills, Bills" to the recent launch of two new videos on "TRL," we have watched Beyonce flourish as a performer. Beyonce will lead the way for the celebration, giving the live audience a glimpse into why she is one of the top selling artists of our time. Also picking up the microphone at "Total Finale Live" will be 50 Cent, whose new MTV series "The Money and the Power" will debut on November 6 (10PM ET/PT).

The Backstreet Boys, a band that exemplifies the impact that "TRL" has had on budding careers, will also perform once more on the "TRL" stage. Pete Wentz, who hosted video premiere show "FNMTV Premieres" this summer, will join his Fall Out Boy bandmates for a performance, three years after the band premiered their first single, "Sugar We're Going Down," live on "TRL" at the "Summer on the Strip Vegas Beach House" in 2005, leaving viewers captivated by their unique emo-brand of punk pop. More performances will be announced at a later date.

Aside from performers and countdowns, another "TRL" staple has always been the guest appearances and "Total Finale Live" will be no exception. Diddy, whose 36 appearances on "TRL" stands as the current record, will return to the studio once more, and Mariah Carey and her five octave voice will stop by to discuss the influence that "TRL" had on her mind-blowing career. Country music chart-topper Taylor Swift and pop starlet Hilary Duff will join rappers Ludacris, Nelly and Snoop Dogg along with rock music's Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, and Korn's Jonathan Davis to talk about their most memorable "TRL" moments.

Whether getting to the bottom of controversy or playing practical jokes on celebs, the "TRL" VJs have always been an essential part in setting the tone of the show. VJs from various years are coming back to bid adieu to the show that set a standard for music countdowns. In addition to co-hosts Carson Daly and Damien Fahey, we will also welcome back Lyndsey Rodrigues, Vanessa Minnillo, Dave Holmes, Jesse Camp, Hilarie Burton, La La Vasquez and Quddus.

"TRL's" successful ten year run is closely attributed to the dedicated fans. Aside from the millions of votes cast for videos on the countdown, one mainstay has always been the fanatical crowds outside and inside the TRL studios, and the reaction that the show's guests received when they waved to fans on the street. Many memorable moments took place outside of the studio, so we're taking our cameras down to the ground level of the epicenter of New York, Times Square, to hear from screaming, sign clutching fans and give them a few special surprise moments.

Online, trl.mtv.com will be counting down to Total Finale Live with video highlights from the past ten years, photo galleries of past guests and VJs plus a decade's worth of photo booth pics of all the celebs who've visited the TRL studios. On November 16, the site will feature behind-the-scenes coverage of the event, plus red carpet photos from the finale pre-show.

In addition, MTV Mobile will be featuring a variety of video of TRL's best moments and performances across all wireless carrier partners, as along with TRL photobooth photo galleries and more on the MTV Mobile WAP site (m.mtv.com).

This week, MTV kicked off the celebration early to help viewers get revved up for the big send-off. Throughout the course of the month, TRL, MTV.com and MTV News will take a stroll down memory lane to feature special retrospective countdowns and offer a look back at the scorching performances and guest appearances as we reminisce on the best moments over the years.

"Total Finale Live" is Executive Produced by Dave Sirulnick, Tony DiBari, Tim Healy and Dave George. Shawn Witt serves as Supervising Producer. Marta Ravin is Producer.

About MTV

MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 26 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries--giving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV has been the number one rated 24 hour ad-supported cable network P12-24 for 16 straight years. Online, MTV.com scored double-digit growth in 2007 and MTV launched 15 dynamic online communities and eight new virtual worlds. On the go, MTV Mobile is the #1 music brand in the wireless space - delivering 90% more streams than in 2006. And MTV's successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE: VIA.B) , one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Wanna know more? Come on in... http://www.mtvpress.com/.

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Source: MTV

CONTACT: Melissa Barreto, +1-212-846-5671, melissa.barreto@mtvstaff.com,
or Tom Biro, +1-212-846-6406, tom.biro@mtvstaff.com, both of MTV
Communications

Web Site: http://www.mtv.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment