Upfront News and Views: MTV's Super Swagapalooza

Venue Inside Moynihan Station on W 33rd St around the corner from Madison Square Garden and the US Post Office complex To reach the main festivities attendees first went through a giant swag palace created as an ultradiscount merchandise store with checkout counters MTV stocked the place with a variety of swag carrying its familiar logo including socks yoga mats umbrellas miniature basketballs Tshirts underwear caps and tote bags Stay tuned for more on the swag An indoor carnival awaited guests on the other end of the floor highlighted by three raised circular stages a games of chance corner a virtual reality showcase of pop art masters people giving out pineapple and strawberry margarita ices in packets hanging pretzels and a wind cabinet blowing fake dollars right out of the Diamond Head Game Anyone remember the Diamond Head Game Believe me you had to see all this to believe all this Grade 45 Jacks for sheer audacity and all that swag 4 Jacks for executionPresentation The mojo the swagger the brash edge and the irreverence which put this network in the hall of transforming media fame is back starting now That message didn39t wait to come from the lips of network president Sean Atkins who arrived in that role last fall quotWe39re doubling down on everything you39ve loved about this brandquot he said quotMost of all we are bringing back the music and having it be our muse This is the new MTV and we39re doing things differentlyquot From here on whether unscripted or scripted the majority of series ahead will have a music or pop culture connection As part of that movement MTV News is being revived with a new team of journalists and expanded presence both on and offair Rather than one long stage act Atkins and his colleagues made their case in several acts using the multiple stages and giving attendees short intermissions between them to network or snack Grade 4 JacksNews Fourteen new series are on tap premiere dates undisclosed On the music side amp8220Wonderlandamp8221 billed as the channel39s first live performance series in about two decades will feature three bands or soloists per episode amp8220MTV Unpluggedamp8221 returns in updated form while MGM TV chief and amp8220Survivoramp8221 executive producer Mark Burnett oversees a new hiphop talent competition amp8220Studio 24amp8221 will pair two artists to create a new song in just one day and amp8220Year Oneamp8221 explores the breakthrough year of a music superstar Scripted series ahead include amp8220Acting Outamp8221 reenacting standup comedy routines amp8220Loosely Exactly Nicoleamp8221 amp8220Girl Codeamp8221 personality Nicole Byer out to live large in Hollywood and amp8220SweetViciousamp8221 a vigilante dramedy involving two college students Pitbull Drew Barrymore and John Legend have scripted projects in development Grade 4 Jacks It would have been 45 Jacks if premiere timeframes were announcedHosts Byer delivered the sass when not turning things over to Atkins and other MTV executives As for Atkins he delivered the points in credible fashion Grade 35 JacksStar Turn Grammywinning rapper Kendrick Lamar pictured at top has come a long great way since we first caught his act at Vevo39s NewFront two years ago Lover of rap or not he gets you involved and what a backup band in his corner Grade 4 JacksCuisine Variety in vogue here from pulled pork buns to pasta with turkey beef or veggie meatballs Best chowdown Soba or rice noodles with mushrooms and other toppings on hand Worst chowdown The veggie meatball Not much flavor Grade 3 Jacks Note Cuisine does not figure in the overall Jacks ratingSpecial Note No 1 Prince died a few hours earlier that afternoon In response MTV converted some of the event into a celebration of the mega musical star Attendees were given purple wrist bands to wear the house diskjockey played Prince39s top songs throughout and a color necklace given to all attendees turned purple when the presentation began Viacom executive and longtime MTV staff member Doug Herzog devoted his opening remarks to Prince calling him quota onceinalifetime artistquot The event39s moving highpoint came from MTV News correspondent Jessica Hopper who covered Prince while based in Minneapolis quotPrince was not just an icon He was our icon our north starquot she said while tearing up quotHe made it great to be differentquotSpecial Note No 2 Now as for that swag before attendees exited onto W 33rd St they were given 30 seconds to plop as much merchandise as they could into their yellow MTV gift bags Yoga mats were the thing to grab among my group I ended up with three pairs of yellow socks and an umbrellaOverall Grade 45 Jacksamp160 The most ambitious edgy and inventive staging so far this season Extra special kudos to the organizers for including tributes to Prince with just a few hours to create them Now weamp8217ll wait and see how MTV carries out its promise of a mojomusic comebackA quick reminder of our Jacks grading system5 Jacks Excellent4 Jacks Very Good3 Jacks Good2 Jacks Fair1 Jack Poor0 Jacks Donamp8217t go thereNext up LATVUntil the next time stay well and stay tunedThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageMyersBizNet management or associated bloggers

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Upfront News and Views: MTV's Super Swagapalooza

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