THE RETURN OF MTV'S 120... SECONDS?

MTV has sort of re-launched their 120 Minutes franchise as 120 Seconds.  Every few years, MTV realizes that it isn't relevant in music anymore, and tries to reclaim the importance it had in the '80s and '90s (although I think their ratings are as good or better than they've ever been).

120 Seconds features former 120 host Matt Pinfield hanging with various bands who fit the format.  I saw one segment with The Kills, and another with Richard Ashcroft, who was probably on the show back in the day with The Verve.

I always liked Pinfield. I remember seeing him on MTV for the first time, I think he was filling in on 120 before he landed the gig full time.  For a while, he seemed to be hosting every show on MTV, including an early version of TRL. But you could tell that they didn't hire him because he was a model, and they didn't hire him because he was a slick TV guy.  He was a music fan. One of us.  He got a bit lucky, but did a great job.  I felt represented by him.  It's too bad that he threw it away, due to drugs.  I'm not dishing anything that isn't public.  I saw him hosting a concert a few years ago, and he said he was going to rehab the next day... I think the rehab worked out for him that time.

A new monthly version of 120 Minutes will also air on MTV2.  I heard they may re-air classic episodes as well. That show turned me, and thousands (or millions) of others, on to lots of new music back in the day. I'm glad it's back, but I wonder what its impact will be.