Uranium (TV series)
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Uranium was a popular TV series on Fuse TV in the early 2000s. It was hosted by Juliya Chernetsky and was Fuse's equivalent to MTV2's Headbangers Ball. The program traditionally ran a half hour featuring interviews with bands and music videos, largely of the heavy metal genre. The show's production ended in 2006 due to Juliya's departure from Fuse TV, but re-runs still occasionally air late at night.
Although basic camera equipment was used on Uranium, Juliya was always equipped with her camcorder throughout the show, in order to give the effect of a video diary. As she interviewed bands, talked to fans, and attended live concerts, the view would switch back and forth from the conventional camera to the black & white view of Juliya's camcorder. Perhaps due to the annoyance it presented, band members would often tease Juliya about her camcorder and occasionally take it away from her during interview segments.
One of the first (if not the first) episodes of the program featured Juliya simply asking heavy metal fans what bands they think have been the most influential in the past ten years. The episode featured music videos by Metallica and Linkin Park as well as other mainstream groups of the general metal genre, in contrast to the show's more underground approach it would eventually lean toward. Throughout its time on the air, the show featured a black & orange color scheme and a stylized devil horn hand gesture as its official logo.
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[edit] Music videos
A wide variety of heavy metal music videos aired on Uranium, including those by bands of the underground scene. Some videos were exclusive to the show due to the censorship regulations of MTV, such as Cradle of Filth's bondage themed "Babalon AD (So Glad For The Madness)" and the graphically violent "D.O.A." by The Haunted. Although more mainstream styles of music were not commonly featured on Uranium, occasionally, bands like Audioslave and Velvet Revolver managed to find exposure on the program.
[edit] Notable interviews
Throughout its time on the air, Uranium had its share of memorable interviews. Just prior to their official reuniting, New York hardcore group Life of Agony accepted an interview by Juliya with lead vocalist Keith Caputo being interviewed separately from the rest of the group. The band had a profound impact on Juliya, and toward the end of the interview, which was held in a restroom, Juliya became teary eyed and cracked up, receiving hugs from the band members.
While on tour, alternative metal band System of a Down was interviewed on their tour bus. The segment illustrated both System of a Down's obscure attitude toward interviews and Juliya's susceptibility to ask ignorant and poorly phrased questions. When asked about how the band comes up with ideas, Daron Malakian sarcastically answered in a deadpan tone "I breakdance." But when asked about how the band stays fresh with their fans, Serj Tankian claimed that they don't try to be anything but themselves and that constantly trying to see perceive themselves through the fans' eyes would be wrong. In one of the final episodes, the band would again be interviewed. They would make even more of a mockery out of the interview - so much that production crew members began disputing with them over their sincerity during the end credits.
During Marilyn Manson's promotion of the album The Golden Age of Grotesque, he agreed to an interview with Juliya. The record dealt heavily with a 1930s, German Burlesque theme, and not long into the interview, Manson took the camcorder from Juliya, pointing at her cleavage and then attempting to aim it up her skirt. Despite Juliya's sultry persona on camera, this proved too much for her, and she immediately pushed the camcorder away with a polite grin.
Possibly the most hyped interview for the program was that with Metallica. This offered a rather rare TV interview with the group post St. Anger, and considering the traditionalist fan base of Uranium, Juliya made sure to ask the trying questions on many fans' minds in regards to Metallica's new musical approach. Unlike the typical format, this particular edition of Uranium gave total devotion to the interview and featured no music videos whatsoever.
[edit] Direction and spin-offs
For the early part of the 2000s, Uranium offered one of the only TV programs for heavy metal fans. Even after the revival of Headbangers Ball on May 10, 2003, Uranium continued to thrive as one of the most popular shows on Fuse TV. It eventually created a spin-off show Uranium Classics, a solid block of heavy metal and hard rock music videos from the '70s, '80s, and '90s.
Toward the end of Uranium, Juliya began hosting a new show entitled Metal Asylum. This short-lived program largely consisted of music videos and rarely featured interviews. By 2006, the status of Uranium was in question, and Juliya finally publicized her departure from Fuse, making certain the show's fate.
[edit] Impact
Uranium certainly helped launch the career of Juliya Chernetsky, as it was her first major television role. The show's popularity, in a time where few TV programs featured in-depth heavy metal coverage, may also be considered highly influential if not directly responsible for MTV2's need to fend from competition and revive the long-ceased Headbangers Ball over eight years after its initial cancellation.
