New York City is about to get a very specific kind of nostalgia—and millennials may want to clear their calendars.
MTV’s TRL is getting a reunion in New York City, with a new casting call seeking fans to attend an upcoming studio-audience taping in Times Square. The special is expected to celebrate Total Request Live with surprise celebrity guests, performances and plenty of throwback moments.
In other words, prepare for a potentially dangerous amount of early-2000s nostalgia.
For anyone who remembers when TRL was appointment television, the idea of bringing the show back to Times Square is almost too perfect. The original series became synonymous with MTV’s downtown Manhattan studio, screaming fans and music stars appearing at the window while crowds gathered outside.
The reunion casting notice is looking for enthusiastic TRL and music fans who are comfortable appearing on camera and can attend the New York City taping. However, there is one important detail still missing: the taping date and celebrity lineup have not yet been announced.
That mystery is arguably part of the fun.
The original Total Request Live ran from 1998 through 2008, becoming one of the defining pop-culture programs of the era. Carson Daly became the show’s best-known host, while other personalities—including Damien Fahey—also took over hosting duties during its run.
And let’s be honest: a TRL reunion without a little chaos would feel wrong.
The early-2000s show existed before social media could instantly manufacture a celebrity moment. Fans actually had to show up in Times Square, wave signs, scream at windows and hope their favorite artist appeared.
Now, decades later, MTV is giving New York another chance to recreate that particular brand of controlled pandemonium.
So if you ever wondered what would happen when millennial nostalgia meets Times Square, we’re about to find out.
Dust off the old band tee.
Charge the flip phone.
TRL is apparently calling New York again.
