Total Request

"Total Request" was a music video request show on MTV in the United States.

Background

The show was created in 1997, at a time with MTV was being heavily criticized for showing fewer music videos than it had in the past. As a reaction, five shows were created: "12 Angry Viewers", "MTV Live", "Say What?", "Artist's Cut" and "Total Request".

Format

Viewers would vote at night for the videos they would like to see on the show, either calling a toll-free line or voting at MTV's web site. Carson Daly and Dave Holmes originally hosted the show, seemingly away from MTV's newly acquired studios in Times Square.

In 1998, the show was combined with "MTV Live" to create the current "Total Request Live", commonly known as "TRL".