Subterranean was a weekly music show on MTV2 dedicated to alternative, indie, and underground music and artists. The show was made as the modern-day continuation of MTV's 120 Minutes. The show was hosted by MTV2 VJ Jim Shearer from its debut in 2003 to 2007.
The show continued without a host and with sporadic guest appearances by bands from 2007 to the present.
Every week, an alternative artist or band was the show's guest for an interview, and music videos by that band and other indie artists are played. During each one-hour episode, an average of nine music videos are played.
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The show was made up of music videos and, if there is a guest, interview segments with a band conducted by an off-camera interviewer.
Usually after the first video, MTV2 would play a "shart," which is a short, random video clip, and then play the second music video. Two or three music videos were shown consecutively between commercial breaks.
If there is a guest the show airs five or six separate interview clips with them as well as their current music video.
In its previous incarnation, at about ten minutes before Subterranean began, a short lead with Jim Shearer aired in which he informed viewers about the upcoming special guest and notes some of the videos that were to be shown. When the show started, Shearer repeated most of the information from the lead and then introduced the first music video of the show.
After about twenty-five minutes into the show, Shearer would introduce the guest and begin the interview. Following the next segment, the latest music video by the special guest artist or band would play. The remainder of the show would features another segment of the interview, the final video, and the sign-off with Shearer.
Occasionally, the guest artist would choose the list of videos for the show. The show has also aired special editions dedicated to awards, musical genres and for the viewer-selected top videos of the year.
The show was also broadcast online, via MTV.com. The online version of the show includes more interviews with the featured artist, more commentary by Shearer, and extra videos, sometimes chosen by the guest.
In August 2008, MTV.com launched a comprehensive back catalogue of past episodes of Subterranean, making the show viewable online.
Subterranean originally aired Friday nights at 12 a.m. ET and then moved to Sunday nights at 1 a.m. ET (technically Monday morning).
For a few months back in Summer 2008, Subterranean was moved to Saturday nights at 11 p.m ET/10 p.m. CT/8 p.m. PT, sandwiched between You Rock The Deuce and Headbangers Ball.
The show moved again on September 11, 2008 and was seen late Thursday nights (early Friday morning) at 1 a.m. ET/midnight CT.
On June 7, 2009, Subterranean was moved back to Sunday nights (early Monday mornings) at 2 a.m. ET/1 a.m. CT.
As of May 12, 2010, the show moved yet again, this time to early Wednesday mornings at 5 a.m. ET/4 a.m. CT/2 a.m. PT.
Subterranean had its last show to date on 9/14/11 without an official cancellation notice, although the MTV2 website refers to the show in the past tense. If the show is indeed cancelled, with 120 Minutes back on MTV2, the show's purpose will live on through its predecessor.
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